What is National Survivors of Suicide Day?
National Survivors of Suicide Day is a day of healing for those who have lost someone to suicide. It was created by U.S. Senate resolution in 1999 through the efforts of Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, who lost his father to suicide. Every year, AFSP sponsors an event to provide an opportunity for the survivor community to come together for support, healing, information and empowerment.
When is National Survivors of Suicide Day?
It's always the Saturday before Thanksgiving. This year it is November 20, 2010.
Which cities participate?
A continually updated list of participating cities can be found here. If there isn't a site in your area, please consider organizing one. All of the information you need to get started is right here. If there is already a site in your community, just send an email to the contact person listed -- they can always use more help.
I don’t live near a local conference site. Can I watch the 2010 broadcast on my home computer?
Yes. The 90-minute broadcast will be available as a free live webcast from 1-2:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Nov. 20, 2010, with a live online chat immediately following. Register here to watch from your home computer.
How can I watch broadcasts from previous years?
Broadcasts from previous years are available as free webcasts that can be viewed at anytime. Click here to watch. You may also purchase them on DVD from the AFSP Store for $19.95.
12th Annual National Survivors of Suicide Day
On Saturday, November 20th, 250 simultaneous conferences for survivors of suicide loss will take place throughout the U.S. and around the world. This unique network of healing conferences helps survivors connect with others who have survived the tragedy of suicide loss, and express and understand the powerful emotions they experience.
Each conference site is organized locally, but they’re all connected in spirit as participants across the globe watch a special 90-minute AFSP broadcast together. In the U.S., conference sites will show the broadcast together from 1-2:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time and international sites will show it from 1-2:30 p.m. local time. Many conference sites plan their own local programs for before or after the broadcast, including speakers, workshops, and support groups, all aimed at helping survivors heal.
For those survivors of suicide loss who don't live near a conference site or who find it difficult to attend in person, the 90-minute broadcast will also be available live on the AFSP website from 1-2:30 pm, Eastern Standard Time, with a live online chat immediately following the program. It will then be saved on the website so that survivors can watch it again throughout the year at anytime. Now, survivors can also watch the 2008 webcast at anytime in Spanish.
Find a conference site near you. Watch broadcasts from previous years |
The problem of suicide knows no national or cultural boundaries, so we invite survivors from around the world to join with us in mutual support and healing on National Survivors of Suicide Day. Please click here to learn how.
If you have questions please email survivingsuicideloss@afsp.org.
If you would like to organize a local conference site, please visit www.afsp.org/survivorconference.
