RELIGIOUS leaders from across Gippsland will be given the opportunity to do their part in curbing family violence.
A resource kit that promotes equality and respect has been brought to the region with an aim to help different faith communities.
Its purpose is to assist faith and spiritual leaders to understand the issue and causes of family violence, as well as how they can take action to prevent and respond.
“The key issue is the minimisation of domestic and family violence,” Gippsland Ethnic Communities’ Council secretary and Gippsland Interfaith chair Murray Lobley said.
“To do such a thing is to equip religious leaders and congregations to minimise this scourge in conjunction with looking at the three recommendations that are now available (from the Royal Commission into Family Violence report).
“Each faith tradition I think is going to have to look at these and see how these recommendations impact on their practices.”
The resource kit was developed using state funding as part of the CHALLENGE family violence project – a partnership between the City of Casey, Cardinia Shire, City of Greater Dandenong and Monash Health.
GECC and its Gippsland Interfaith counterpart brought it to the region following the launch in Dandenong last year.
Its pages are filled with fact sheets on different forms and myths of violence; ideas for promoting gender equality; support service contact information and various faith perspectives.
Mr Lobley said in Gippsland there were many religious entities who were concerned about the subject, but there were also several organisations “doing an excellent job”.
He hopes the message of gender equality and respect will spread throughout Gippsland’s religious communities who choose to use the kit.
“That’s what this kit is designed to do, to promote equality and respect and if you adopt it in your congregation, that’s what you aim to do, using the principles that are in here,” Mr Lobley said.
A Gippsland launch will be held on Tuesday, 20 September at Latrobe City Council’s headquarters on Commercial Road, Morwell.
Doors will open from 7pm for nibbles, before a 7.30pm start.
For more information, phone Murray Lobley on 0402 152 160 or email jm.lobley@bigpond.com
