By CASEY NEILL
THE Great Debate: Is Family Violence a Crime? is designed to get people talking.
Organiser Linda Watson, based at support service WAYSS in Dandenong, said the free event at the Drum Theatre on 20 November aimed to bring the issue of family violence in the foreground.
“But in a format that was a little bit different to what was traditionally done,” she said.
“Sometimes when people hear the same thing they stop hearing it.
“The idea was to also raise some issues that perhaps traditionally haven’t been raised, like people with disabilities.”
The Outer South Peninsula Integrated Family Violence Partnership event will also cover culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities.
Ms Watson said new arrivals to Australia needed to be informed of their responsibilities as well as their rights.
“It is about talking about that it (family violence) is not acceptable here,” she said.
“Lots of them talk about it being discipline or something like that.”
Debaters will discuss what constitutes family violence and how law and order and the community answer the question ‘is family violence a crime?’.
Comedian and health promoter Nelly Thomas will be the MC and indigenous elder Aunty Di will provide an opening address.
Debaters will include Magistrate Pauline Spencer, Southern Metropolitan Region Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius, Women with Disabilities Victoria CEO Keran Howe, inTouch Multicultural Centre CEO Maya Avidibegovic, Federation of Community Legal Centres senior policy advisor Dr Chris Atmore and Monash University law professor Adrian Evans.
DV Victoria CEO Fiona McCormack will provide closing remarks.
“We’re hoping because we’re presenting some things that are different to what’s usually presented about family violence, that people will stimulate a public conversation and talk about it in some different ways,” Ms Watson said.
The event will run from 1pm to 3pm, followed by a light afternoon tea.
The Drum Theatre is on the corner Lonsdale and Walker streets, Dandenong.
Seating is limited. Bookings are essential via the the Drum box office on 8571 1666.
For help or support regarding family violence call the 24-hour Women’s Domestic Violence Crisis Service Victoria (WDVCS) on 1800 015 188 or visit www.asksomeone.org.au.
Those who are in immediate danger should phone triple zero.
