Key Points
- NSW Government is organising a training program aimed at preparing religious leaders from multicultural communities to respond to family violence.
- A special two-day course has been organised in conjunction with NSW TAFE and gets underway on 7 October.
- Religious leaders from Christian denominations as well as the Islamic, Sikh and Hindu faiths are participating in the program.
Multicultural communities across NSW are embracing a special domestic violence training course for community and religious leaders.
A Department of Communities and Justice spokesperson said the main goal of the training is to empower leaders to respond to domestic and family violence situations appropriately.
"The training will give leaders the tools, confidence and skills to effectively respond to those impacted by family violence or those that use violence within their domestic environment. It will also ensure they know what support services are available and how to make appropriate referrals to those services."
The department says it recognises that community and religious leaders are important partners in the fight to reduce and prevent domestic and family violence. New skills will be honed through a two-day training session and a half-day justice-forward seminar.
Among those attending will be leaders from Christian denominations as well as from the Islamic, Sikh, and Hindu faiths.
Bishop Siluan of the Serbian Orthodox Church Metropolitanate for Australia and New Zealand is among those committed to making a change.
He says the clergy of the Serbian Orthodox Church will be participating in it and that the state government initiative is a positive contribution to better equipping leaders for their day to day work in the community.
"Priests are spiritual physicians by vocation, those who are entrusted to care for the well-being of the faithful,” says Bishop Siluan.
Bishop Siluan Source: Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand SOC
“The Church has always been a sanctuary for those in need, embodying the message: ’Come to me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’”
Aleksandra Alavanja is an active member of the Serbian community in south-west Sydney and works for the NSW Department of Communities and Justice.
She says it's critical that, particularly women in migrant communities get the support they need from institutions they trust.
Religious or not, Ms Alavanja says migrant communities are drawn to their respective religious institutions. She says support is critical, especially during the COVID-19 crisis when physical movement is restricted, and victims often have no choice but to be at home with abusive partners.
"Thankfully, we were able to connect with the Serbian Orthodox Church and engage with them because as an ethnic community in Australia, we do identify with our Church, our culture and religion. Within that, the Church has a vital role to play," Ms Alavanja says.
The sessions are part of already existing awareness training delivered by the NSW Government’s Diversity Services team, which has so far reached 170 leaders since October 2018.
A Department of Communities and Justice spokesperson says the training will ensure that leaders know what support services are available and how to make appropriate referrals to those services.
The sessions will cover topics including awareness training of what constitutes domestic violence, ‘accidental counselling’, managing trauma, child protection and reporting responsibilities.
Aleksandra Alavanja says the Serbian Orthodox Church is planning a separate community information seminar, aimed at all members of the Serbian diaspora.
Source: Getty Images
"Religious leaders are very supportive of our efforts in trying to engage the community and delivering, what we hope will happen in the coming months, a community session open to women, men and children.“
Bishop Siluan agrees that the Church plays a pivotal role in community cohesion and says that the clergy, as community leaders, should be helped to provide the best possible advice and support.
The first Government sessions start on Wednesday, 7 October at the TAFE St George Campus, with the remaining sessions expected to run by July next year.
National domestic violence helpline: 1800 737 732 or 1800RESPECT. In an emergency call triple-zero.
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