NY to host panel discussion on gender and domestic abuse among Caribbean nationals
By Caribzone.com
NEW YORK, NY. Monday, February 10, 2020 -- In an effort to provide
victims and survivors of gender-based and domestic violence and various other mental
health pathology, with requisite tools, a number of Caribbean
American community service organizations have banded together to launch a panel
discussion series themed ‘Saving Lives, Empowering People’. The
series begins on February 15th at 9am, at Faith Assembly
Church, 113-20 101 Avenue, Queens, NYC, the USA on the topic of ‘Safety and
Protection for Abused Victims’. The organizers also plan to launch this series
in Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Barbados, St. Vincent and Jamaica
later this year.
Presentations at the New York panel discussion
would include: Queens
NYPD DV Unit - a
safety plan as well as the role of the police in protecting and making victims
safe; Christine Perumal, Esq., Safe Horizon – legal options
available to victims; Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based
Violence – gov’t options at the city, state and federal levels to
facilitate safety and protection for victims as well as support; Pastor
Ejaz Nabie – the role of religious institutions and faith
based leaders in making victims safe and protected and in offering support
services; psychologist, Dr. Sharla Khargi – relationship
safety, including emphatic communication and keeping children safe.
In addition to Faith Assembly Church, The
Caribbean Voice and SADHANA are partnering in this
initiative. According to Annan Boodram, President of The
Caribbean Voice, “While building awareness is important, it is generally
a reactive measure that is not solutions-oriented. After years of engagement in
suicide and abuse prevention in the Caribbean and the US, we finally decided
that in addition to awareness building, counseling and after the fact supports,
we also needed to explore ways of providing victims and survivors with
pragmatic and implemental tools that they can use to create safety and
protection for themselves and others”.
Guyanese born Dr. Taj Rajkumar succeeded
in bringing Pastor Ejaz Nabie and Faith Assembly
Church as partners in this anti-violence project. Pastor Nabie indicated
that his church is a partner in the series because he believes that “a church
should provide wrap-around services to its community and they had already
started that journey”.
Aminta Khilawan, Esq., of Sadhana stated, “A heavy question someone
experiencing gender-based violence has to grapple with as they consider leaving
their abuser is how to do so safely and with a support system behind them. Too
often, the odds feel stacked up against that possibility. And too often, we
ourselves, intentionally or unintentionally, can be part of the problem…we all
know someone experiencing gender-based violence, but not all of us are equipped
with the immediate resources to appropriately help that person come up with a
safety plan.”
The panel discussion series, which is expected
to continue over the next three years is supported by New York Assembly
Member David Weprin, Jahajee Sisters, the NYPD, Thrive
New York, NYC Mayor’s Office to end Domestic and Gender-Based
Violence, Safe Horizons, NYC Health, City Council
Candidate Dimple Willabus, NY State Coalition Against Domestic Violence
(NYSCADV) and psychologist Dr. Sharla Khargi. The
organizers are inviting other NGOs, CSOs, faith-based institutions and
individuals to come on board as they plan to use the video from each panel
discussion for mass distribution and to work with others to enable the
information accessed nationally.
The Caribbean Voice currently is engaged in
abuse and suicide prevention in several Caribbean countries and within the
Caribbean Diaspora in America since 2014.
For further information please What’s Apps
646-461-0574 or send email to caribvoice@aol.com
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