The Shepparton Interfaith Network has conducted interfaith dialogue on the topic of family violence and has a further interfaith dialogue on this topic scheduled for 2018. Shepparton has recently welcomed the addition of two more police officers allocated to the Family Violence Unit. In this message we share the work of the Victorian Government and the Multifaith Advisory Group into family violence and note the creation of a faith-based family violence service for the LGBTI community.
Two years ago, Australia’s first-ever Royal Commission into Family Violence shone a bright light on a dark secret. The Victorian Government has undertaken manifold strategies to address family violence and has committed $1.9 billion – for family violence than every single previous Victorian Budget combined. Faith based communities and Victoria’s Multifaith Advisory Group have also instituted family violence working groups to provide solutions.
The Family Violence Behaviour Change Campaign is a mass awareness campaign to promote positive cultural change and shift the attitudes that tolerate and condone family violence.
Under the 2016-2018 Family Violence Stream of the Capacity Building and Participation Grants program, there were 18 projects focusing on supporting multicultural communities to respond to family violence with initiatives to promote gender equality, prevention, safety and service access.
The following are excerpts from the document, “Two Years on from the Royal Commission into Family Violence”.
The Multifaith Advisory Group’s Family Violence Working Group was established in 2016 to develop appropriate responses to family violence in faith communities. In December 2017, the working group committed to developing a Participatory Action Research project that would develop and implement pilot projects in line with evidence and led by select faith communities.
Respectful Relationships is a program that supports schools and early childhood education settings to promote and model respect, positive attitudes and behaviours, teaching children how to build healthy relationships, resilience and confidence.
A faith-based family violence service provider network for inclusive services for LGBTI clients has been established. The network is developing a joint Rainbow Action Plan and will launch a public statement of support for LGBTI communities by mid-2018.
At the recent Victorian Interfaith Networks Conference, Faith Communities Council of Victoria chairperson Murray Davies called upon people of faith to help eliminate family violence. “Sacred texts, scriptures, cultures and traditions should not be used as a way to justify or excuse violence against women,” he said.“We (the Faith Communities Council of Victoria ) undertake a journey together to raise awareness in our communities and to stop violence against women before it occurs. “Its (family violence) roots are abuse of power and control of one person over another.”
The Faith Communities Council of Victoria (FCCV) has issued a statement on the prevention of family violence and violence against women: You can read this here.
Download the ’Two years on from the Royal Commission into Family Violence’ report.
