They have recently taken part in one of three Channels of Hope workshops organised by World Vision.

The workshops were designed to provide skills to leaders of the different sectors of the society to help them in the work to reduce domestic violence in homes.

The main facilitator is professional New Zealand counselor Kara Duncan-Hewitt. She was assisted by Channels of Hope programme manager pastor Vihama Rakau and the staff of World Vision Vanuatu (WVV).

Rakau said it was the first time church leaders had addressed violence as an issue in Vanuatu's culture.

He said the leaders wanted to make a change in their own homes before trying to counsel other families.

"We had stories from participants who said when they were thinking of violence they were thinking of violence as something outside of them."

"But now they realise that they need to begin at home in their relationship to their spouse and as well as in how they treat their children"

"So, yes that's a very powerful approach in our counselling workshop because change should begin with us," said Rakau.

Development facilitator of Channels of Hope, Sharyn Wobur, says the first such workshop of its kind was held in May this year. It was attended by 35 participants, mainly faith-based leaders and their spouses and health workers.

She said the second was held at the beginning of July. It was attended also by 35 participants from the chiefs, Sanma Province, Vanuatu Family Health Association, Save the Children and four police officers from the morality and family violence units.

Wobur says one positive outcome from the workshop was that all of the different partners on Santo and Malo recognised the importance of working together to tackle the issue of family violence.

Rakau says follow up workshops will be held in September this year and in February 2017.

Source

• www.radionz.co.nz
• dailypost.vu
• Image: dailypost.vu /Jonas Cullwick

World Vision and the local Anglican Church, the Church of Melanesia, are working to get to grips with the issue of domestic violence in the Solomon Islands.

Koisau Sade is a Gender Advisor working with World Vision in the Solomons. She said that two thirds of females "have experienced physical violence or sexual violence or both at some stage in their lifetime from an intimate partner".

World Vision is supporting the only women's shelter in the Solomons. It is run by Sister Doreen from the Church of Melanesia.

Sister Doreen says that some of the women at the shelter have suffered from sexual abuse from when they were as young as 8. "So you can imagine the trauma they have been through. But coming here they have slowly come back to normal because we were able to listen to them. And this is a safe place away from violence", she says.

With the support of World Vision the Church of Melanesia is making use of the New Testament to fight against violence in the home in a country where 95% of the population is Christian. The program being run is called Channels of Hope.

Tim Costello is the head of World Vision Australia. He was recently at a workshop in Honiara with the Church of Melanesia's Archbishop David Vanag, leader of the Church of Melanesia, and eight of his bishops.

Costello said that "up to 65 per cent of women reporting violence from intimate personal relationships ... is a major issue. And it's a major issue of addressing the culture that says, you know, "The boss man can discipline his wife even by beating her". "

Archbishop Vanagi said that "in our mission we try to look after the victims of domestic violence. That's why we have this Christian Care Centre".

He went on to say that in country areas women and children who are victims of domestic violence tend to suffer in silence. "They feel that if they come out with what they experience, then probably they'll be intimidated. So the church here in Solomon Islands, we have a structure from here in Honiara down to the villages. So we must use that structure to get this message down to the people", he said. Read more

Sources

• ABC Australia
• Image: The Anglican Church of Melanesia