By DANE LILLINGSTONE
DOMESTIC violence is the often silent war fought regularly in our own backyards but some in the Southern Downs community are taking a stand.
The Zonta Club Warwick and Warwick Safe Haven will be teaming up over the next few months to present a range of activities in Warwick to raise money and awareness for victims of domestic violence.
The organisations will be holding planned events over the next couple of months that will co-incide with the international 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence. It will commence on 25 November, White Ribbon Day, and conclude on 10 December, Human Rights Day.
Safe Haven president Bette Bonney said they originally wanted to get Rosie Batty to come and give a talk but she couldn’t. Ms Batty’s office sent Safe Haven a DVD of the documentary The Nice House to show exclusively to the Southern Downs.
“It’s an impacting but sensitively produced re-enactment of some things that were happening in her home and also features interviews with her after the death of her son,” she said.
“It’s very impacting.”
She said it would not be appropriate for those under 18.
The screening will be on Tuesday 10 November, at 5.30pm, at Williams Memorial Hall. There will be refreshments, guest speakers and a Q&A session.
Zonta’s main event will be a breakfast held on Friday 20 November. It will start at 6.30am at Kings Theatre at the Warwick RSL and tickets are $35 with money going to the organisation to end domestic violence.
Zonta Club president Jacinta Fromm said their organisation was about raising awareness and money to stop domestic violence.
“Zonta is committed to doing as many activities as possible to raise awareness, information sessions and fund-raising,” she said.
“We want to try and put some money towards the root cause and things like prevention techniques and education.”
The Local Government Association will also be raising awareness through a candlelight march on Thursday 10 December, from 5.30pm, at Warwick Town Hall.
White Ribbon ambassador councillor Neil Meiklejohn said domestic violence needed to stop.
“As a White Ribbon ambassador it’s about men taking a stand with men saying ‘no it’s not OK’. Too often it’s seen as a women’s issue, Men have a role to educate other men and say it’s not OK and they need to stop,” he said.
“Prevention is so much easier than cure.”
“The destruction of women’s and children’s lives can’t keep going on.”
