Every year in Australia around 65,000 people attempt suicide. Tragically, that’s 65,000 signals that our community – our children, siblings, friends and colleagues – are experiencing distress they don’t know how to stop, and which we cannot ignore.
As the national peak body for the sector, Suicide Prevention Australia exists to provide a clear, collective voice for suicide prevention, so that together we can save lives.
We have adopted 65,000 reasons as our advocacy platform because it signifies what unites us all, not just within the sector, but also within Government and the community more broadly, as the urgent and compelling reason for positive and systemic change.
By focusing our advocacy efforts on critical reforms that can reduce the distress in our society, we continue to drive progress toward our ambition of a world without suicide.
#65000reasons Campaign
To further amplify our 65,000 Reasons policy platform, we are launching a consumer-facing element on World Suicide Prevention Day, 10 September 2021. World Suicide Prevention Day is a chance to raise awareness of suicide in our community, continue shining a light on suicide prevention, reduce stigma and share voices of lived and living experience.
Sadly, every year in Australia around 65,000 people attempt suicide. To shine a light on this, we are turning World Suicide Prevention Day into a day of hope with a campaign based around “65,000 reasons to live”. This campaign is part of our much broader effort to advocate for suicide prevention policy reform.
The details
At 10.10am on September 10, we’ll flood social media with #65000reasons to live. To kickstart this, we are setting up an Instagram account, @65000reasons, dedicated to sharing hopeful stories and voices of lived experience through meaningful pictures.
On the day, 65 of Australia’s best photographers are coming together to share an image which speaks a thousand words to them about why more needs to be done to lower this figure, to offer hope and support for those who need it most, whilst also creating meaningful dialogue.
Many of the photographers have been touched by suicide, and the hope is that these touching, personal images will encourage other Aussies to share their own reason to keep going, using the hashtag #65000Reasons, and tagging the campaigns Instagram page @65000reasons.
A number of well-known actors, musicians, comedians, chefs and media personalities are on board to share their own images of hope, with more to follow – the aim is to get 65,000 Australians to participate.
To feel inspired, and to share your own images, visit @65000Reasons.
How to get involved
6.5 Steps to Post
Like the ‘65000reasons’ Instagram page
Find a picture that captures something meaningful for you
Tag the picture with @65000reasons
In the copy, articulate your chosen image and why you chose it
Sign off with #65000reasons
At 10.10am AEST on September 10, post your Instagram image or story
What’s the bigger picture?
This campaign is part of a much wider advocacy campaign designed to influence substantial suicide prevention policy reform. We have adopted 65,000 reasons as our advocacy platform because it signifies what unites us all – not just within the sector, but also within government and the community more broadly.
