Vanuatu pastors commit to ending violence in their homes

Transcript

Nearly a hundred chiefs and church ministers in Vanuatu have committed to ending violence within their own families.

They attended recent workshops run by World Vision's Channels of Hope programme to learn how they could provide effective counselling on family violence within their communities.

Indira Stewart has more.

Programme manager Pastor Fiama Rakau says it was the first time community leaders had addressed violence as an issue in Vanuatu's culture.

FIAMA RAKAU: It is now known by faith leaders and chiefs that violence is an issue and we need to address it.

Pastor Rakau says the leaders wanted to make a change in their own homes before trying to counsel other families.

FIAMA RAKAU: We had stories from participants who said when they were thinking of violence they were thinking of violence as something outside of them. But now they realise that they need to begin at home in their relationship to their spouse and as well as in how they treat their children. So, yes that's a very powerful approach in our counselling workshop because change should begin with us.

A counsellor Kara Duncan-Hewitt helped facilitate the workshops and says the pledge by the leaders could have a unique impact on the country's culture of violence.

KARA DUNCAN-HEWITT: I'm just amazed at the courage of the leaders in actually doing this - where, if you can get the leaders, such as faith-leaders and chiefs, in Vanuatu to take this work on - there's huge potential and possibility for change. It is a process but it's vital that the leaders have a really good understanding and get it at a heart level.

Ms Duncan-Hewitt says working with community leaders is crucial to help challenge where faith and culture is being used to cover up abuse.

KARA DUNCAN-HEWITT: It's really really important that the things that are sacred in faith and culture are never never used to cover up abuse. So sometimes things masquerade under faith but really, it's just abuse under the guise of faith. And so it's important for the leaders to really challenge that stuff and really re-claim what is sacred and not let it be misused to oppress.

Fiama Rakau says he hopes the Channels of Hope programme will help more chiefs and church ministers to become champions in addressing gender-based violence.