2011 NATIONAL INDIGENOUS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CONFERENCE

THE GATHERING

The National Indigenous Domestic Violence Conference is scheduled to be held in the Gold Coaston 17-19 May, 2011. The conference is designed to be the largest national Indigenous gathering of community based groups, government and non-government agencies who are all devoted to highlighting and showcasing successful programsin the area of domestic violence, with the united goal of eradicating domestic violence in society through the empowerment of people and workers in the field of Domestic Violence.

Over countless generations, society has developed into what we term “our modern day lifestyle”. In years gone by, violence was part of daily life. As society has moved forward into structured communities, the incidence of intra-tribal violence has slowly faded into the past. Unfortunately one of the most destructive influences on many communities and families in particular is Domestic Violence and the abusive power by men. Although Domestic Violence is not limited to males on women and children, men are by far the biggest perpetrators.

Many Indigenous grassroots groups and communities have worked hard in addressing the incidence of Domestic Violence within the Indigenous community. Both non-government and government agencies have developed some great programs in addressing these problems. The Gathering is devoted to highlighting many of these successful Domestic Violence programs from all corners and states of Australia.

Gender equalization and the abuse of rights of Indigenous women and children have also played an important role in highlighting violence within the domestic lifestyle of society. Some great initiatives have been developed to stem the incidence of domestic violence. Abuse takes place in all areas of society from the rich to the poor, from indigenous communities through to mainstream society.

This gathering will focus on issues such as psychological, physical, emotional and mental abuse, including research, community and governmental programs and the dissemination of information to the whole community with the aim of providing positive outcomes.

At the 2011 event, we have taken a decision to focus on and include indigenous works in the field. As such we are making a special invitation to Indigenous groups from around Australia. Many of these communities have strong and powerful leadership in areas of the control and prevention of domestic violence. These groups have developed superb initiatives both within their country and in their Indigenous communities.

THE LOCATION

The location for the National Indigenous Domestic Violence Conference is set for the Gold Coastwith the scheduled date on the 17-19 May, 2011.

The venue will be at the Sea World Resort. It has been chosen because of its proximity to the Gold Coast Airport at Coolangatta. From the airport, it is just 15 minutes drive to this relaxing resort.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO HELP?

Would you like to contribute to the success of the fight against domestic violence and although not be part of the formal program?

1. We would be grateful and keen to hear of any suggestions and ideas regarding subject matters or topics to be added in the conference agenda.

2. You can help by volunteering at the event either by facilitating a workshop or being a Master of Ceremony.

3. It would be of great benefit to the event if you could promote the event to your own contacts or having your organization create a link to our website at (reciprocal link).

4. If you or your organization registers four (4) people to attend the event, we will sponsor (1) delegate from a grassroot organization.

5. By joining and registering online to be a member of the Domestic Violence’s network, you are therefore increasing access to information as well as providing other organizations access to the network.

THE AIMS

This conference aims to:

Reduce incidenceof Domestic and Family Violence at all levels

Provide an open and frank forum for discussion

Lend support to individuals and families working in the field of Family and Domestic Violence

Help establish and grow a worldwide network and resources through information sharing

Show that Domestic Violence is no longer tolerated or acceptable in today’s society

To bring together men, women and organizations as a united voice against domestic and family violence

WHO WE ARE

The Global Coalition Against Domestic Violence (GCA-DV) was established by concerned individuals and members of community groups in the hope to establish a unified voice and vision to promote the eradication and control of domestic violence, ensure safety of victims, public awareness on services available to the survivors of domestic violence and hold perpetrators accountable of the crime they committed.

After the Kuala Lumpur conference, it was resolved at the meeting that the coalition needs to engage more Indigenous people and increase its memberships and as such worldwide small networking conferences are being established with conferences planned for 2011 in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Africa and Europe. The Coalition should not be seen as a political lobby groups for any one particular country or organization.

In fact GCA-DV’s sole aim is to provide information to individuals, community based and government organizations in relation to successful programs being adopted throughout the world. Thus, this conference should be seen as training seminar and as such a certificate of attendance shall be provided at the completion of the event together with a conference CD andan overview of the event to each participant and their organization.

THE POWER OF NETWORKING

In our everyday working life, we work hard and under great stress to develop great strategies and programs for our communities and rarely we get the chance to develop our own careers in our field of expertise without impacting on our own families. Hence where a networking event comes along such as this which brings together people from a broad spectrum and diversity of life, every opportunity would be made both from an individual and organization.

However because of our busy and demanding workloads, we do not access or have the opportunity to see what is just around the corner; let alone what’s in the next town or state. This conference will take you and your organization not just to the next corner but to as far as you could possibly imagine. The event will bring Australia and even the world to your doorstep. Just ask yourself how valuable this experience could be to see how other programs work.

The event will spotlight many of this country’s most successful programs which will provide a unique opportunity to see the power of people networking together in one place, at one time with similar goals. In creating new strategies or programs it usually takes time, manpower and yes, that thing called money. Because of our limited networking opportunities, more than likely your idea has been tried and implemented somewhere in the world and either been adopted or discarded.

For example, in many cases it is possible that you maybe re-inventing the wheel. Program development is an essential part of the growth of an individual and organization. One of the pitfalls of introducing a new program structure or idea is that research needs to be carried out, then adopted or discarded, hence after all the hard work the program & outcomes may not be implemented and achieved.

The conference may or may not save you or your organization time, money and manpower however, one thing the event guarantees is the opportunity to enlarge your networkand information base thus empowering the delegates to make greater informed decisions. Furthermore it has been proven time and time again that events such as this empowers and reinvigorates workers with new ideas and with enthusiasm, with a greater feeling of support and contacts that may be utilised for the betterment of their own or local community.

With the invention of the internet, affordability and comfort in international travel has brought the world closer to everybody’s doorstep and afforded networking opportunities like this to take place. With all this in mind, we invite you to not only join the network but to actively participate in the event.

THE AGENDA

1ST DAY (17 MAY 2011)

09:00 HRegistration & Opening: Welcome Address

09:30 HKeynote: Koori Men's Network on Taking Responsibility for Our Action

10:15 HMorning Tea

10:45 HKeynote: United Voice Against Family Violence

11:30 HKeynote: Cry in Overcoming Domestic Violence Guest International Speaker (Philippines)

12:15 HLunch Buffet

13:15 HWorkshop: Community-Based Program (Working Together)

13:15 HWorkshop: Community-Based Program (This is Our Story)

13:15 HWorkshop: Community-Based Program (Our Families, Our Culture)

13:15 HWorkshop: Community -Based Program (Emotional Violence)

14:00 HKeynote: Panel Discussion (United We Stand, Divided We Fall)

14:45 HAfternoon Tea

15:15 HKeynote: Spreading the Word (We Are the Chain)

16:00 HKeynote: Cross-Cultural Awareness in the Government (From an Aboriginal Woman’s Point of View)

2ndDAY (18 MAY 2011)

09:00 HRegistration of Delegates (2nd Day)

09:30 HKeynote: Save the Children (Our children, Our future)

10:15 HMorning Tea

10:45 HKeynote: Protecting the Community (From a Government’s Perspective)

11:30 HKeynote: Conserving the Family (Working with Relationships)

12:15 HLunch Buffet

13:15 H Workshop: Community-Based Program (Breaking the Cycle)

13:15 HWorkshop: Community-Based Program (Working with the Courts)

13:15 HWorkshop: Community-Based Program (Providing Education and Career Opportunities)

13:15 HWorkshop: Community -Based Program (Looking after me while looking after others)

14:00 HKeynote: Panel Discussion (United We Stand, Divided We Fall)

14:45 H Afternoon Tea

15:15 HKeynote: Closing the Gap (We All Have Rights)

16:00 HKeynote: Panel Discussion on Working with Communities (The Future is Looking Good)

19:30 HConference Gala Dinner (Formal Attire)

2ndDAY (18 MAY 2011)

09:00 HKeynote: The Māori people The Kiwi Way Guest International Speaker

09:45 HKeynote: Alcoholism and Family Violence

10:30 HMorning Tea

11:00 HKeynote: Domestic Violence is more than Just Arguments (We have a plan and its working)

11:45 H Video: Case Presentations on Stalking in the UK

This is a draft agenda that is subject to change without prior notice. The agenda has been posted at the website at this stage simply to show and give guidance to people and organization who are considering submitting a paper for the conference. However, the theme behind the presentations will be constant.

CALL FOR PAPERS

To ensure grassroots community programs are highlighted, no less than 50 percent of the conference proceedings are and is devoted to community groups. If your paper is selected, you may have more than one presenter to present your paper. However, only two presenters will be entitled to the registration discount. The intricate part of the network is the sharing of information. Therefore if you are chosen to present at the conference, your paper will form part of the conference proceedings and be distributed at the conclusion of the event with all other presenters.

Guidelines in Submitting Paper:

Papers should not contain offensive language and must take in account cultural sensitivities of Australia.

Papers may treat one or more of these themes in a manner that contributes to a discussion of furthering conference aims.

Conference papers must be presented in the finish format not less than 90 days prior to the event.

First Closing date for papers will be on December 25, 2010. First round closing date will be set once all papers have been evaluated.

Papers that are not chosen in the first round may be resubmitted in the second round.

Papers should be submitted in Microsoft Word format.

Authors of papers presented at the conference will be formally notified of their acceptance.

Registration fee of $400 will apply to all persons submitting papers payable upon acceptance of papers.

Papers should explore ways in which the themes show up in the philosophy of the conference.

All papers must be presented in a positive and informative light.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

  • Domestic violence workers
  • Community groups
  • Family relationship workers
  • Community leaders
  • Indigenous women and men’s groups
  • Psychologists, Social Workers, NGOs
  • Women groups, Human Rights Enthusiasts
  • Nurses / Doctors/ Psychiatrists, Police Officers
  • People who are interested in combating Domestic Violence
  • Government Representatives, Community Leaders
  • Consultants / Legal Professionals
  • Domestic Violence Field Workers, Teachers

UNITED NATION’S DECLARATION

UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women recognizes the urgent need for universal application to women of the rights and principles with regard to equality, security, liberty, integrity and dignity of all human beings, affirming that violence against women constitutes a violation of the rights and fundamental freedoms of women and impairs or nullifies their enjoyment of those rights and freedoms.

And concerned about the long-standing failure to protect and promote those rights and freedoms in the case of violence against women, recognizing that violence against women is a manifestation of historically unequal power relations between men and women, which have led to domination over and discrimination against women by men and to the prevention of the full advancement of women, and that violence against women is one of the crucial social mechanisms by which women are forced into a subordinate position compared with men, concerned that some groups of women such as women belonging to minority groups, Indigenous women, refugee women, migrant women, women living in rural or remote communities, destitute women, women in institutions or in detention, female children, women with disabilities, elderly women and women in situations of armed conflict, are especially vulnerable to violence certificate.

REGISTRATION

We have engaged a local professional conference organizer from Brisbane to distribute and collect registrations to encourage early registrations. To save your organization’s money, we have introduced a system of staged payments so that the earlier you register, the more your organization can save.

All registration fees will go to staging the event and in addition to this, a draw will be conducted in which two (2) delegate’s name will be chosen and then sponsored to the next global domestic violence event.

The OzAccom Group

PO Box 104

RBH POST OFFICE QLD 4029

PH: +61 (0)7 3854 1611 / (0)7 3854 1611

FAX: +61 (0)7 3854 1507

Email:

REGISTRATION

Please complete this form clearly and return to the conference secretariat by e-mail at By completing this form, you are agreeing to attend the NationalIndigenous Domestic Violence Conference on the Gold Coast on 17th to 19th of May 2011.

Organization’s Name: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Delegate’s Name ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Delegate’s Address: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…

City/Town …………………………………Zip Code/ Postcode ………………………..Country …………………………

Work Phone Number:………………….….. E-mail Ad: …………………………….. Fax Number:…………………...

REGISTRATION FEES are as follows and are inAustralian Dollars: (register early to get a discount!)

November 30, 2010....$ 426December 31, 2010.....$ 476January 30, 2011..... $526

February 28, 2011..... $576 March 30, 2011...... $626April 30, 2011..... $676

May 1, 2011...... $726May 10, 2011...... $ 926 May 17, 2011 ...... $1,026

SPEAKER’S REGISTRATION FEES

Registration fee of $426 will apply to all persons submitting papers and only payable upon confirmation of acceptance of your paper.

PLEASE NOTE: Conference dinner and the Pre and Post Conference Events are not included in the registration fee.

Conference Gala Dinner Formal Attire: $ 85 (Please Highlight) YES NO

Payments can be made either by direct bank transfer, credit card or by check and must be forwarded to:

Ozaccom Group Ptl Ltd

Queensland Head Office

PO Box 104

RBH Post Office, QLD 4029Ph: 07 3854 1611Fax: 07 3854 1507

Payments made by credit Card

Name as on Credit Card......

Number on Credit Card......

Exp Date on Credit Card......

YOUR TOTAL PAYMENT IS ______

It must be noted that any questions in regards to registration should be directed to Ozaccom on the above numbersor by email to

Questions in relation to the staging of the event including the agenda ONLY should be made to

Registration fees include all day access to the event, available conference papers, daily buffet lunch and refreshments, for registered delegates only. Fees do not include travel costs or accommodation. Each delegate’s registration is only applicable to that particular person and shared delegate participation is not permitted.

Registration fees must be received within 7 days from bookings. Otherwise, bookings will not be considered. Delegates are urged to register as soon as possible as limited seats are available. We are expecting a very high demand for the event so the earlier you register, the earlier you secure your place at this prestigious event.

For enquiries or bookings, please feel free to contact us through our e-mail or by postal address as below.

E-MAIL: Registration Inquiries

E-MAIL: Call for Paper Request

E-MAIL: General Inquiries

Phone International: +668-3642-1511 / +668-6973-8074