IWPG Victoria Launches Multicultural Task Force Initiative for the Prevention of Family Violence through Peace Education

Women community leaders of Victoria are uniting with services, researchers and policy experts in order to develop peace education for the effective prevention of family violence with the goal of legislation to the UN through Article 10 of the DPCW (Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War) actively advocated by IWPG (International Women's Peace Group). End Quote

(1888PressRelease) April 26, 2024 - On April 20th, International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG Victoria) has launched a Freedom from Violence Task Force in commemoration of International Women’s Peace Day held globally, celebrating the role of women in peacebuilding. Sponsored by Veriu Hotel, the gathering hosted women community leaders who convened to address the urgent issue of Family Violence and chart a path forward toward prevention for generations to come. At the heart of this initiative lies Article 10 of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW), which advocates for Spreading a Culture of Peace.

Family violence continues to be a growing issue, with 23 women in the state of Victoria alone dying due to family violence this year. Notably, missing from the picture are those from migrant and refugee backgrounds, who are most at risk due to systemic and cultural ideologies that continue to promote harmful views on the status of women in society.

The Director of IWPG Victoria has said, “Our task force envisions a world where peace education and the implementation of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW) plays a pivotal role in preventing family violence and fostering peace within the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda framework. This vision underscores our commitment to promoting peace from the individual to the international levels. By advocating for peace education and the DPCW, we aim to instill the value of peace starting from a young age and continuing into adulthood.”

We also have the voices from our women community leaders share their perspectives:

Quote from Dr Remi Yusuf, President of Nigerian Society of Victoria:
“If you want to have peace within your home, you want to live in peace with the members of your family, and if you are perpetuating family violence, obviously there will be no peace. And if there is no peace, how can you get along as a family unit, if you cannot get along with your family unit, how can you get along with the broader community. So I think if we can start from the grassroots and homes, it has a ripple effect and we can achieve peace within the community.”

Quote from Sarah Chong, Director of Femme Solidarity:
“I believe peace education plays a very important part in the prevention of family violence. If we take the idea and notion of healthy relationships, it really does begin at the homes, within individual people, and within families. Not only within households, also within communities. IWPG can help to drive this on a global level.”

Quote from Micheline Erbes from the Papua New Guinea Community:
“I believe peace education is fundamental in countering family violence. Family violence is a form of behavior that has been normalized socially. People like to say that it’s a cultural thing. The first step in countering that is changing the way we think and changing the fact that it is an accepted way of behavior. Education can counter family violence in that way. I think IWPG can provide a platform where woman from different cultural backgrounds can come together.”

Quote from Commissioner Melba Margingson from Silent Witness Network:
“Peace education would be able to change the narrative of family violence in this country. I have been part of the history of preventing family violence in this country since 1989, and I have seen how the Australian government has tried to reduce the level of family violence through policies and resources, but it has not been able to have a significant impact. This country is composed of many multicultural communities who are really suffering from policies not sensitive to their needs. Until now the Australian government is wondering despite the resources the government is putting in the family violence system, it continues on. To raise awareness in the community, the community education that needs to happen, if peace education is one way to change the narrative, then I am really very supportive of it. Women globally are natural peacebuilders.”

Quote from Olivia Nakazibwe from Uganda the Pearl of Africa Victoria Association:
“I believe through peace education, it brings positive attributes into families that can later prevent family violence. I hope we can break the intergenerational impact of family violence, it will be a preventable measure.”

Quote from Janipher Nambooze, from Afro Pearls Empowering Women & Families Inc:
“Especially with what we are facing in the community right now with escalating numbers of domestic violence, I think peace education comes in as a very important role because it would take this to the grassroots. Usually, education is done in the institutions and organizations, but I think with peace education we are bringing this back down to the community level.”

International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) that works in solidarity with women around the world to fundamentally resolve conflicts and disputes globally. Through this, IWPG has the mission to protect lives from war and pass on a world of peace to future generations as a legacy, seeking to fundamentally end conflicts and disputes, from individuals to the international community, and to build a new order to realize a sustainable world of peace. To this end, IWPG is strengthening global partnerships with women around the world and establishing and implementing multidimensional strategies in each area of education, culture, law, and systems.

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