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Join the march against family violence

Wednesday 12 November 2008, 2:15PM

By Waitakere City Council

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Mayor Bob Harvey
Mayor Bob Harvey Credit: Waitakere City Council

Waitakere residents are being asked to put their best foot forward in the fight against family violence by participating in the annual White Ribbon March to raise awareness of the issues is on November 25.

Waitakere City Council joins Waitemata District Health Board, the Police and the Waitakere Anti-Violence Essential Services (WAVES) family violence network in organising this event, which will march under the banner “Family Violence – It’s Not OK in Waitakere”.

This is the third year the event has been held in Waitakere, with last year’s march attracting more than 1000 people. The march will be led by Mayor Bob Harvey and Maori Party MP Pita Sharples, co-chairs of the Mayoral Taskforce on Family Violence.

“We take family violence very seriously in Waitakere because it needs to be taken very seriously,” says Mayor Harvey.

“This march is one way we, as a community, can show a united front against the scourge of violence in our city.”

In Waitakere, police respond to around 350 domestic call-outs each month.

Entertainer Pio Terei, who has previously appeared on one of Waitakere’s It’s Not OK! billboards, will join White Ribbon Day in Waitakere.

Marchers can also voice their opinions at a banner-making workshop at Corban Estate Arts Centre on November 23 (10.00am – 4.00pm). Some paints and materials will be supplied but participants are asked to also bring fabric and paint.

There will be a White Ribbon Day display at Westfield West City on November 22 and 23, between 10am and 4pm.

The White Ribbon campaign is the international movement for the elimination of violence. It was established by men and is now recognised in more than 55 countries.

The objective of the march is to show community solidarity and promote key information to the public about taking appropriate action to prevent family violence.


What: White Ribbon Day March
When: Tuesday, November 25, 10.15am.
Where: March starts – Waitakere Hospital, Snelgar Building car park, Lincoln Rd, Henderson.
March ends – Waitakere City Council civic square.

Community groups support White Ribbon campaign
 

Many of the people and organisations supporting White Ribbon Day in Waitakere this year are working at the coal face of family violence prevention in the city. Others can speak from experience about how family violence has affected them.


Vic Tamati

One of the faces of the national It’s Not OK! television campaign, Vic Tamati will address marchers on November 25.


Vic has been living violence free for many years and his children don’t use violence in their families, but it wasn’t always that way.


Raised in a family where violence was the norm, Vic repeated that behaviour with his own family, often beating and throwing objects at his wife.


Fortunately he found the strength to stop, taking stock of how his behaviour was threatening his family and seeking help.

Today he remains with his wife of more than 30 years and together they have raised six children and two foster children and have seven grandchildren.

Jude Simpson

Jude Simpson will also speak following the march. She works as a family violence prevention advocate for Presbyterian Support Northern and is a survivor of family violence, which started when she was a child and continued through a spate of violent adult relationships.


WAVES – Waitakere Anti Violence Essential Services Family Violence Network

Also supporting the march and the battle to stop family violence in Waitakere is the Waitakere Anti Violence Essential Services (WAVES) Family Violence Network, a network of Government and non-Government service providers working in the area of family violence in Waitakere City.


Man Alive

Among those groups is Man Alive, a Henderson-based organisation run by men for men. It provides counselling services and programmes to support men and boys of all ages to build strong relationships with partners, children, family and friends.


Man Alive’s clinical director Jim Heays says as well as helping those already exhibiting violent behaviour to make changes in their lives, it runs programmes that aim to prevent men from taking out their frustrations in a violent way. Contact: Jim Heays, phone 835 0509


Waitemata District Health Board

Margaret Devlin is the family violence prevention coordinator with the Waitemata District Health Board (WDHB). The DHB runs a Violence Intervention Programme (VIP) which includes Partner Abuse screening, Child Protection and Elder Abuse


She was also heavily involved in planning the past two White Ribbon marches in Waitakere and is delighted to see the event and the movement continuing to gain momentum.


“I think that first year we had about 400 people and last year around 1000 turned out and this year sounds like it will definitely be bigger. It’s great, because it shows more and, more people are aware of the white ribbon movement and more importantly, what it stands for.”


For its part, the DHB has been talking to local schools about supporting the day by wearing white ribbons and providing packs and information for the day.

All DHB staff (around 6500) will be provided with ribbons, and promotions will be Waitakere and North Shore hospitals. Contact: Margaret Devlin 09 4868920 ext 6359 Margaret.Devlin@waitematadhb.govt.nz


NZ Ethnic Social Services Trust

Struggling to fit in to a new country, a new culture and unable to find work are just some of the triggers for family violence in Waitakere’s migrant communities.


Hassan Hosseini is the manager of the NZ Ethnic Social Services Trust in Te Atatu South. The organisation deals with families from a wide range of ethnicities and that many men find it difficult to accept the changing roles of women and their children in a western culture.


“You also see parents wanting to hold on to their traditions, sometimes in a forceful way and their children wanting to embrace the culture of their new homeland and expecting more freedom. This can create tension.


“We also see people who have come to New Zealand from extremely traumatic situations and have not sought help to deal with this.”


The group runs a range of services and programmes for families in crisis, including several presented in Farsi.
 


Need help?


If you are the victim of violence, suspect someone you know is be being harmed, or need help to stop being violent, there are a range of different agencies to help.


Waitakere Police 839 0600

Victim Support 839 0677

Western Refuge/Viviana 836 1987

Tika Maranga (Maori Women’s Refuge). 833 9653

Waitakere Abuse and Trauma
Counselling Service 837 2491

Man Alive 835 0509 www.manalive.org.nz  

Tu Wahine Trust 838 8700

West Auckland Women’s Centre 838 6381

WAVES Family Violence Network 838 4834 or www.waves.org.nz

Are you OK? www.areyouok.org.nz  

NZ Ethnic Social Services Trust 834-6668 or www.nzess.co.nz