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YOUR LOCAL Live Local, Love Local, Supporting Local
The Hastings and Macleay Valley
Your locally owned community news • Phone: 6583 9088 • Thursday 24 November 2016
Stop the violence By NIKALA SIM and SUE PATERICK
KNOWLEDGE is power especially when it comes to relationships. This message, from Ahlia Westaway-Griffiths, relates to being able to identify the early warning signs of a relationship on its way to becoming one of domestic violence. “Domestic violence has many and varied forms,” Ms Westaway-Griffiths said. “Abuse can be financial, verbal, emotional, psychological, cultural, sexual, isolating and of course, physical. “It doesn’t have to be the worst scenario you can imagine and in most cases domestic violence includes a whole range of abuses.” “Domestic violence relationships very rarely start off that way – the behaviours are often so subtle, and creep in over a period of time, so people don’t immediately realise the experience they are having.” Ms Westaway-Griffiths is the Program and Community Education Specialist for the Port Macquarie Hastings Domestic and Family Violence Specialist Service. This Hastings-based and the Kempsey-based services will host events, for their communities, over the coming week. The White Ribbon Walk is an opportunity to show support for women who have experienced domestic violence, and the whole community’s desire to see an end to this destructive behaviour. Service Coordinator of Kempsey Family Support Service June Wilson said over 60 Australian women had died this year as a result
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Purple and white banners proudly fly at Kempsey’s Smith Street to give a clear message that our community says ‘no’ to domestic violence of domestic violence. As horrific as this statistic is, it does not really portray the number of women and children living with domestic violence on a daily basis, Ms Wilson said. Teaching our sons to have respectful relationships was a powerful way for individuals
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to make a difference, Port Macquarie’s Ms Westaway-Griffiths said. “Fathers and other men with children in their lives need to role model respect for women,” the 26-year-old said. “The most basic relationship a child has is with their parents. • Continued Page 5
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THE 2016 White Ribbon Coastal Walk will take place in Port Macquarie on Sunday, 27 November. The 9km walk will begin at Tacking Point lighthouse at 8am, 3km walk from Flynns Beach at 9.30am, and 1km walk from Town Beach along a fully paved surface – all ending at Town Green. Bus transport is available - for more information phone 6584 9102. The Kempsey 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence campaign will hold a White Ribbon barbecue at the Clyde Street markets on Thursday, December 1 from 10am to 2pm. Men are invited to attend and swear the oath.
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