![\"domestic-violence-women\"](\"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/domestic-violence-women.jpg\")
A series of seminars themed \u201cInspiring Change by Raising Voices\u201d will help familiarize 300 community leaders, including young people, with social crime prevention strategies to prevent gender-based and teen dating violence.<\/p>\nA series of seminars themed \u201cInspiring Change by Raising Voices\u201d will help familiarize 300 community leaders, including young people, with social crime prevention strategies to prevent gender-based and teen dating violence.<\/p>\n
This series will take place between Monday and Tuesday, November 24 \u2013 25, 2014 on Nassau and four Family Islands\u2014Abaco, Exuma, Eleuthera and Grand Bahama\u2014in recognition of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.<\/p>\n
These seminars are being launched with support from the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF), the U.S. Department of State\u2019s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), the U.S. Embassy in Nassau, The Crisis Center Bahamas, Ministry of Social Services and Community Development, and the Royal Bahamas Police Force.<\/p>\n
This initiative is part of the broader Resistance and Prevention Program (RAPP), which aims to build mutual trust between the police, the government, and Bahamian youth. The event will promote the development of relationships, families, and communities in which the voices of women and children are heard, their rights respected, and their lives free of violence.<\/p>\n
The RAPP effort falls under the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI). Local partners include the Ministry of Social Services and Community Development, The Royal Bahamas Police Force, The Royal Bahamas Defense Force, The Bahamas Bar Association, the Ministry of Legal Affairs, The Ministry of Education\u2019s Guidance Department, civil society organizations, the business sector and youth groups.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe support wholeheartedly Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon\u2019s philosophy that to combat violence against women and children requires a chorus of voices calling for an end to violence that includes our youth, the police, community and religious leaders, teachers, social workers, and agents of change on every level of society.<\/p>\n
This chorus must also include lawmakers and people who play key roles in the transformation of young minds. As we begin the process of creating new villages, we continue to believe the dream of creating a violence free Bahamas,\u201d said Dr. Novia Carter, PADF Local Coordinator and a psychologist with the Department of Education.<\/p>\n
Dr. Carter added that one of the student-focused seminars called \u201cRespectfully Me\u201d promotes respect and nonviolent dating relationships among adolescents, and the creation of a community mindset that can help break the cycle of abuse.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis environment fosters and supports healthy adolescent relationships which enables teen voices to be heard, their rights respected, and empowers them to hope that together we can create a village free of violence,\u201d said Carter.<\/p>\n
The Director of the U.S. Embassy Nassau\u2019s INL Section, Kristin Gilmore, expressed her enthusiasm for \u201cInspiring Change by Raising Voices,\u201d the first activities implemented within a larger engagement of \u201c16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence,\u201d beginning November 25th.<\/p>\n
According to Ms. Gilmore, the seminars \u201coffer an opportunity to renew the global commitment to free women and girls from violence,\u201d at a local level. \u00a0She added, \u201cIf violence occurs in our own neighborhood, or on distant shores, violence against women and girls damages us all\u2014men and women alike.\u201d<\/p>\n
The \u201cInspiring Change by Raising Voices\u201d seminars are free and open to the public. \u00a0To register, visit: \u00a0http:\/\/goo.gl\/lTKHKG<\/p>\n
New Providence
\nMonday, November 24, 2014
\n8:45-11:00am
\nTransfiguration Baptist Church Hall, Market Street<\/p>\n
Grand Bahama
\nTuesday, November 25, 2014
\n5:30-7:30pm
\nSir Charles Hayward Library, The Mall Drive, Freeport<\/p>\n
Abaco
\nTuesday, November 25, 2014
\n5:30-7:30pm
\nSt. John the Baptist Parish, Marsh Harbour<\/p>\n
Exuma
\nTuesday, November 25, 2014
\n5:30-7:30pm
\nSt. Andrew\u2019s Anglican Parish Hall, George Town<\/p>\n
Eleuthera
\nTuesday, November 25, 2014
\n5:30-7:30pm
\nSt. Patrick\u2019s Anglican Parish Hall, Governor\u2019s Harbour<\/p>\n
North Andros
\nTuesday, November 25, 2014
\n5:30-7:30pm
\nNorth Andros High School, Nicholls Town<\/p>\n
BACKGROUND<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n About PADF<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n PADF is the non-profit foundation of the Organization of American States, established in 1962 to implement integral socio-economic development programs for disadvantaged people, to strengthen civil society and community groups in support of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, and to aid victims of natural disasters and humanitarian crises. In 2013, it helped more than 10 million people in 23 countries. Headquartered in Washington DC, PADF has field offices in Haiti, Colombia, Suriname and Honduras, and projects throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. www.padf.org<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n About INL<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) advises the President, Secretary of State, other bureaus in the Department of State, and other departments and agencies within the U.S. Government on the development of policies and programs to combat international narcotics and crime. \u00a0INL programs seek to reduce the entry of illegal drugs into the United States; and to minimize the impact of international crime on the United States and its citizens. \u00a0http:\/\/www.state.gov\/j\/inl\/<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n About CBSI<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n The Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) is a regional security partnership between the United States and the nations of the Caribbean to combat the drug trade and other transnational crimes that threaten regional security. \u00a0The United States, CARICOM member nations, and the Dominican Republic are improving citizen safety throughout the Caribbean by working together to: substantially reduce illicit trafficking, increase public safety and security, and promote social justice.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A series of seminars themed \u201cInspiring Change by Raising Voices\u201d will help familiarize 300 community leaders, including young people, with social crime prevention strategies to prevent gender-based and teen dating violence. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":24253,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_10223285771444175_51037792744":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-90228","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90228","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90228"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90228\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24253"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90228"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=90228"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90228"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}