Round Table Consultation Event - Understanding domestic violence and religion: Exploring how faith-based organisations can be part of the solution

You are invited by the Social Work Innovation Research Living Space (SWIRLS) at Flinders University, University of Divinity, Lutheran Church Australia, and Christian Research Association to a round table consultation event.

PURPOSE … THE OPPORTUNITY 

This event is a national gathering to share information about initiatives and research demonstrating how churches and faith communities in Australia are working to prevent and respond to domestic and family violence. This gathering will promote inter-faith awareness of how religious organisations and communities are raising awareness about domestic and family violence, and how they understand their role in responding and providing support to congregations and affected individuals – victim/survivors and perpetrators of violence.  

The gathering also invites government and service provider representatives to share information about their work with faith communities on this issue. The event will support sharing ideas about how domestic and family violence policies, services, and other relevant resources, can further work with faith communities. 

In this space there are difficult conversations and reflections in the call for renewed knowledges, practices and initiatives that will promote safety and reduce the risk of spiritual abuse and domestic and family violence.. As religious institutions commit to addressing domestic and family violence, this gathering seeks to acknowledge the work being done to transform church and faith-community responses,  and ensure churches and faith settings are safe spaces, and support accountability and healing. 

RATIONALE

It is timely to bring together church and faith communities to share information about their initiatives because: 

• Churches and faith-communities are investing in research to understand and address domestic and family violence.  
• Churches and faith communities are seeking to understand practices and instruction that have detrimentally impacted on and risked victim/survivor safety. 
• The Royal Commission into Family Violence has recommendations for faith-communities (adopted by the Victorian Government) – the role of faith-communities is recognized as significant in supporting (or constraining) individuals and faith community members to understand, recognize and respond to DFV, and support safety. 
• Churches and faith communities can support victim/survivor and perpetrator accountability and healing. 

Responses from the consultation will be collated and a report will be produced and distributed as an outcome of this event.