Pure Praxis Brings Innovative SAPR Training to Korea

Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Jermaine Ralliford | 160622-N-WT427-031 JINHAE, Republic of Korea (June 22, 2016) Actor-advocates from the social theater group Pure Praxis perform for Sailors assigned to Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Korea and Commander, Fleet Activities Chinhae. Pure Praxis is a socially adaptive performance group contracted by the Department of the Navy's SAPR office to create social change through performance education workshops that teach pro-active and positive responses to real-life SAPR scenarios. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jermaine M. Ralliford/Released)  

BUSAN, 26, SOUTH KOREA

06.22.2016

Story by Petty Officer 3rd Class Jermaine Ralliford 

Commander, Naval Forces Korea

JINHAE, Republic of Korea (June 22, 2016) – Service members and civilians stationed throughout the Republic of Korea attended interactive Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) training when the Pure Praxis theater group visited the peninsula, June 20-23, 2016.

While contracted by the Department of the Navy’s SAPR office, more than 1300 members from each branch of service experienced the socially adaptive performance group during shows in Seoul, Osan, and Jinhae.

“I've been through a lot of SAPR training in my days,” said Rear Adm. Bill Byrne, the commander of U.S. Naval Forces Korea. “I was at one of the performances this week [in Seoul] and the performance was simply the best I've ever seen.”

According to the group, it uses “improvisational theater to rehearse for difficult life situations so the audience can practice positive, creative and safe solutions.”

"We want this to resonate,” said Kelly Pfleider, Pure Praxis founder and president. “We want people to walk out of this training, hear something inappropriate, and know they should act."

Pure Praxis uses their interactive workshops to confront social issues like sexual assault by discussing topics including bystander intervention, proactive prevention, domestic violence, re-victimization, harassment, awareness and empathy, sexism and appreciation of diversity.

“For me, today was about making a culture shift,” said Chief Information Systems Technician Frank F. Gordon Jr., assigned to Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station Far East, Detachment Chinhae. “It is about learning and appreciating what others are going through and helping them heal. It is about empowering victims and witnesses with the tools to prevent and respond to sexual assaults.”

For more information and resources about SAPR training, please visit the SAPR website at http://www.sapr.mil/

For more news from Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Korea, visit www.navy.mil/local/cnfk.

• Date Taken: 06.22.2016
• Date Posted: 06.22.2016 09:57
• Story ID: 202063
• Location: BUSAN, 26, KR