BY SIMONE J. SMITH
The first time that you got pushed; it was a sign.
You ignored it; chalked it up to a bad day.
The next time for some reason, even though they said sorry, it felt intentional.
You become used to the occasional cuss out, slap, sometimes even a punch,
It is just a part of life.
It is interesting; for some of us reading this, it might just be a regular day for you. You have ignored this behaviour for so long, so if you can ignore a problem then chances are it isn’t bothering you THAT much. Ignoring this problem has led to serious challenges in your life, some of which have become hard to face.
Now, I want you to consider that there are people in the Caribbean community who continue to ignore big emotionally packed problems that arise in their lives. Problems like: splintered relationships, abuse, hurtful words, misdeeds, misunderstandings, undeserved criticisms, bashed reputations, and fractured friendships.
In 2021, a survey on the prevalence of domestic violence was carried out in five CARICOM Member States. The reason they did prevalence survey data is because administrative data never fully gets the depth of incidence and prevalence of domestic violence or intimate partner violence. The statistics drawn from this survey were startling; it was revealed that:
- 39% of the women in Grenada have experienced some form of intimate partner violence over their lifetime, and 12% stated that they had experienced it within the past 12 months
- In Jamaica, 39% stated that they experienced intimate partner violence in their lifetime and 13% said theirs was current
- In respect of Guyana, 55/5 of the women surveyed said that they experienced violence in their lifetime, and 25% of them have experienced it within the last 12 months
- Suriname reported 48% of the women surveyed experienced it in their lifetime and 11% was current
- In Trinidad and Tobago, the figures stood at 44% for women who experienced violence in their lifetime and 11% of women said that it had happened to them within the last 12 months
Located in New York City, the Caribbean Voice is engaged in suicide and abuse prevention across the Caribbean and Diaspora, and utilizes a range of free services and initiatives including: research and info dissemination, sensitization, prevention training, counseling, advocacy, networking and collaboration building, online panel discussions, outreaches, and an online quarterly magazine.
The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research defines change agents as: “Individuals who formally influence or facilitate intervention decisions in a desirable direction.” It is within this framework that The Caribbean Voice (TCV) is launching Project Change Agents (PCA) to tackle domestic violence specifically and violence in general in the Caribbean.
The project aims to involve schools, ministries of education, the media and other stakeholders in a process that will hopefully result in young people being identified and trained to become anti-violence change agents in communities across the English-speaking Caribbean (all 17 nations), with special focus on domestic violence. They want to equip these young people with skills sets to address sexual abuse, child abuse and hopefully substance abuse.
At the crux of the project is an essay contest on the topic: What would you do to eliminate domestic violence? The plan is to secure the support of ministries of education in these nations with respect to getting domestic violence on the curricula for the 2023/24 school year enabling students to engage in research within their communities. This will provide them with the information they will use to write their essays during the 2023/24 school years.
TCV will provide prizes for regional winners as follows:
US$3,000 plus a certificate and a plaque
US$2000 plus a certificate and a plaque
US$1000 plus a certificate and a plaque
They had a “Fundraising Virtual Concert of Hope,” an on-going series of concerts that bring performers from across the Caribbean and Diaspora. This concert was on October 22nd, 2022 from 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm, and was aired live on Facebook.
This concert had everything: steel pan, Chinese dancing and a host of chutney, Bollywood oldies, reggae, soca, R&B, spoken word performances, tassa drumming, African drumming, folk songs and much more.
In addition to Project Change Agents, TCV is also organizing the re-launch of the global Caribbean Voice Awards in the form of a gala that also includes a cultural component and a banquet, and to mark Global Mental Health Awareness Month, TCV is organizing a virtual panel discussion on October 28th, 2022, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm EST.
Toronto Caribbean Newspaper would like to congratulate The Caribbean Voice for taking action on a topic that is sensitive, but must be addressed. WE cannot let this continue into the next generation.
