Dear VPF Friends, 

Welcome to the Violence Prevention Forum newsletter. On a bi-weekly basis we will be sharing job, funding and training opportunities, details for webinars relevant to violence and its prevention, and links to new research and guidelines. We hope you find this a useful resource.

Call for Abstracts: It Is Time to Take Stock Of The Realities Of Children Within The SADC Region

The Child Rights Network for Southern Africa (CRNSA) in collaboration with the Government of Botswana will be hosting the inaugural Child Rights Conference. The CRNSA invites SADC member states, civil society organisations, development partners, individuals, academics and researcher institutions to submit abstracts on the reality of children, good practices, lessons and promising practices.

The goal is to reflect upon and discuss progress made in promoting all rights for all children and appreciate existing gaps to inform the regional child rights advocacy agenda. Abstracts should be submitted on or before Thursday the 5^th of October 2023.

You’re invited! GERI Online – MeToo to WeTogether

Join Gender Equity and Reconciliation International (GERI) for an interactive and experiential online Journey. Developed over 30 years, and conducted with thousands of participants on six continents, the GERI process applies principles of Truth and Reconciliation to open new pathways to healing, respect, intimacy and collaboration between the genders.

Together we can begin to re-form relations between women and men, and all people, without blame or shame, and move through the often unspoken, unconscious attitudes, fears and reactions around gender and sexuality, to reclaim the mutual harmony and reverence that is our birthright. This Online Intensive will take place from the 13^th of October to the 15^th of October.

Reflections: Looking back at the Western Cape VPF

On 18 September, the Western Cape Violence Prevention Forum met at MOSAIC, an NGO that provides prevention and response services to address domestic violence. The 36 participants came from government departments, NGOs delivering violence prevention and response services, research institutions and the business sector.

We discussed and debriefed the violent taxi strike that took place in August in the Western Cape.  We heard how the violence had impacted individuals, organisations and government departments, and how the conditions for recurrence are still in place. We agreed that we must be proactive, and not wait for the next crisis, and that the Forum is a resource and a partner in our efforts to prevent violence.

OpportunityExtension: Wellbeing, Self and Collective Care Consultancy to support the SVRI Forum 2024 

The SVRI Forum is the world’s key research conference on violence against women and other forms of violence driven by gender inequality in low and middle-income countries. The SVRI Forum provides a global space where delegates build knowledge, expand their network, create collaborations, and share knowledge with key decision-makers in the field of violence against women. See more about the Forum here.

The purpose of the consultancy is to develop and implement a Wellbeing, Self and Collective Care Strategy to ensure the SVRI Forum 2024 in South Africa is trauma informed. Preference will be given to a team living and working in Cape Town, South Africa but global applications will be considered. The team must be fluent in English. Knowledge of issues related to weaving care, kindness and well-being into an international conference is desirable. Applications deadline has been extended to the 22 of October 2023.

Save the Date: The CRNSA Regional Child Rights Conference

The Child Rights Network for Southern Africa (CRNSA) in collaboration with the Government of Botswana will be hosting the Regional Child Rights Conference in Gaborone, Botswana. There is a dire need to have regional dialogue that explores ways to build sustainable and coordinated regional approach to the child rights advocacy agenda. The theme of this conference is “It Is Time To Take Stock Of The Realities Of Children Within The SADC Region.”  A number of aims of this conference include reflecting on the living conditions of children in the region, identify existing gaps within regional, continental and global child rights instruments and reviving and strengthening child rights coordination mechanisms. The Conference will be taking place from the 30^th of October to the 2^nd of November 2023.

Call for Comment on Discussion Paper on Domestic Violence: The Criminal Law Response

The South African Law Reform Commission (the Commission) has approved the Discussion Paper on Domestic Violence: the Criminal Law Response for publication. The discussion paper is preceded by an issue paper. The focus of this investigation is on an aspect which has not formed part of the recent review of the legal response to gender-based violence, namely the need for a specific domestic violence offence or offences and the related criminal law response. Closing date for comment is the 30^th of October 2023.