Safer communities: A call for an interfaith perspective

Promoting respectful relationships to enhance safety and wellbeing was the primary focus at Whitehorse Council’s "Call to Action" Interfaith forum, held at Box Hill Town Hall recently.

The event provided an opportunity for pooling combined experience of faith and community leaders from Monash, Whitehorse, Manningham and Bundoora to generate ideas to prevent family violence.

Round table discussions were held to encourage collaboration and cooperation within interfaith communities to promote effective responses and advocate for change.

Questions were encouraged from the floor engaging interaction around resources, networks and knowledge within the diverse faith communities.

Acknowledging the challenges and opportunities for capacity building for primary intervention within faith settings, the forum highlighted the importance of mutually enforcing strategies to prevent violence.

Anissa Gracie, Community Safety Officer from Manningham Council spoke from her personal experience as a child who suffered from family violence. As a panel member she also responded to questions around complexities of addressing gender issues including patriarchal paradigms within faith traditions.

Tarang Chawla, Our Watch Ambassador, Survivor advocate and commentator provided a man's perspective whilst sharing the story of his sister Nikita's murder caused by a violent partner. He provided statistics around the escalating issues of violence against women and called for leaders to step up and drive change in cultures, behaviours and power imbalances leading to it.

Collectively those present agreed that underlying and precipitating factors of violence need to be addressed and faith communities can support one another in prevention activities by promoting respect.

"Respect and positive behaviours need to be role modelled to achieve equalities," said Dilnaz Billimoria who was instrumental in getting the diverse faith communities together.

An interesting activity around the broader meaning of respect and safety kept everyone engaged.

The event attracted a large and diverse participation from representatives of various faiths.

Resource Information mini booklets were also handed out with contacts and details of organisations and services in various councils that can assist in counselling, support and intervention.

Shashi Kochhar, chairperson of Monash Interfaith Gathering, found the speakers to be excellent. "They were able to tell their stories that resonated with many," he said when asked to provide feedback. "However I was unsure of what to take home as a message/moral from their stories and wasn't clear on what we need to adopt in our day-to-day lives to make a difference in the community."

According to him this universal topic needs much thinking, respect and understanding, and has to go beyond being a tick-the-box exercise. "Overall as a group we are on the right track; however our focus now needs to be on actions and adjustments. I am positive if we keep working together with a genuine desire to make changes, we will notice the changes in society within our lifetimes," he concluded.

Preeti Jabbal

(नैन्सी-बर्ड वॉ�्टन) हवा��ड्डे क �िए प्रमु� समुदाय स�ाह सम�ह� पश्चिमी सिडनी हवा��ड्डा फोरम (एफ�डब्�्य�एसए) �Foru� on Western Sydney Airport (FOWSA)] शनिवार 7 सितंबर को एक ड्रॉप-इन जानकारी सेशन के �िए समुदाय को आमंत्रित कर रहा है। �गर आप एफ�डब्�्य�एसए के सदस्यों से मि�ने �र हवा��ड्डे तथा इसस संबं�ित प्रोजेक्टों के बारे में �र ��िक जानकारी पाने में दि�चस्पी र�ते�र�ती हैं� तो

इसका विवरण नीचे दिया गया है:

शनिवार, 7 सितंबर, 2019

सुबह 10 बजे – दोपहर 1 बजे कैंपबेलटाउन आरएसएल

कारबेरी लेन, कैंपबेलटाउन

इस जानकारी सेशन के �िए रजिस्ट्रेशन की आवश्यकता नहीं है। जानकारी सेशन के बाद न�वीं एफ�डब्�्य�एसए मीटिंग आयोजित की जाएगी। यह सभी �ोगों के दे�ने के �िए �ु�ी रहेगी �र इसमें पह�े से जमा किए गए समुदाय से संबं�ित सवा�ों का जवाब देने के �िए 30 मिनट शामि� होंगे। इसमें शामि� होने के �िए रजिस्ट्रेशन कराना �र�री है �र गै�री म बै�ने के �िए सीमित सुवि�ा उप�ब्� है। यदि आप मीटिंग को दे�ने में दि�चस्पी र�ते�र�ती हैं� तो �पनी दि�चस्पी दर्शाने के �िए क�पया 1 सितंबर �01� तक वेबसाइट www.westernsydneyairport.gov.au/fowsa पर फॉर्म भरें। इस फॉर्म को भरने की समय-सीमा समाप्त होने के बाद आपकी उपस्थिति की पुष्टि की जाएगी। को� भी सवा� जमा करने के �िए 1 सितंबर �01� तक FOWSA@infrastructure.gov.au पर �मे�

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