“Sharing the Knowledge” - Pacific Prevention of Domestic Violence ...

We had a wonderful feast and we all had to get up and dance to celebrate the
end of the workshop. The Nuns who run the Women’s Crisis Centre invited us
for lunch the next day and we had a lovely time there. They baked us a cake,
which we had to officially cut and they had great pride in their centre and what
they were accomplishing. It was unfortunate that Sister Meretina was unwell
and unable to be there. After lunch we visited the MBM village and were
treated to a performance in their Maneaba of local dancing, and given another
feast of local food. They are very serious about preventing domestic violence in
their village and are making a real difference. It’s great to see that change can
happen and hopefully their message will spread into neighbouring villages.
Jim and Jo at community meeting.
Jo at the school.
We attended two functions: at the NZ High Commissioner’s residence and at
the Australian High Commissioner’s residence, where I met an amazing array
of people from various parts of the world, all with the same agenda of making
Kiribati a better place for the Kiribati people. I was extremely proud to hear
from many people what a great job my husband was doing and to see the
respect shown to him. My trip to Kiribati came to a close far too early, so after
a wonderful lunch at the Alcohol Anonymous and Family Recovery Centre run
by Sister Theresa, it was off to the airport for start of our journey home.
I was apprehensive about going to Kiribati and very conscious of not wanting
to offend anybody or any customs. I was hesitant to ask many of the questions
I would have liked to, but the Kiribati people that I met were full of smiles
and humour and made me so very welcome. I wish now that I had gone for
longer than 6 days, so that I could have experienced more and been able to
help more. It will be so much easier when Jim goes back there in the future
as I can now visualise where he is and understand his desire to improve the
safety of these wonderful people. I’m so glad that I was given the opportunity
to experience their culture and hope to return there in the future, but for now
I will have fond memories of the people I met in Kiribati.”
Jo James-Sole
Wife of Kiribati Mentor, Senior Sergeant James-Sole
Declaration
The PICP Declaration on Domestic Violence is proving to be a “living document.”
The commitment made by the 20 Chiefs of Police at Wellington in October 2007
has been produced as an A3 size poster and signed copies of the Declaration
have been provided to all of the Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police members.
Framed copies hang in the various domestic violence prevention offices around
the region. A perhaps unforeseen positive spin-off to the Declaration has been
the enthusiasm shown by the various NGO’s and agencies working against
domestic violence that have seen the declaration as their mandate to engage
the local Chief of Police around domestic violence. Many a Pacific Chief of Police
has received a knock at their door by community groups holding a copy of the
declaration.
The Declaration is also used as a key item in all of the presentations and meetings
we attend for the PPDVP. The recent litigation skills workshop in Vanuatu, and
pre-deployment courses for New Zealand Police members before they serve
overseas, are examples of how widely it is being applied.
Superintendent Togimanu Annandale (Executive Director -
Pacific Island Chief Police (PICP) with Cam Ronald
acknowledging the significance of the Declaration.
This is a commitment by two parties to work together against domestic violence. The Chiefs of Police have made their commitment in
writing and they now look to the PPDVP to assist them and to meet their country needs. The request from the Micronesian countries for
assistance from the programme is an example and this is one which the PPDVP will scope and work for a solution in the new year.
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