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.

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 Research Proposals: Feminist Internet Research Network

The Association for Progressive Communications Women's Rights Programme (APC WRP) invites you/your organisation to submit a research proposal as part of the Feminist Internet Research Network (FIRN). In this project cycle, FIRN is supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), which aims to undertake data-driven feminist research on critical and emerging issues related to technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV). The FIRN project understands that the making of a feminist internet is critical to bring about transformation in gendered structures of power that exist online and on-ground. The objective is to ensure that the needs of women and gender-diverse and queer people are taken into account in internet policy discussions and decision making. Closing date is the 2^nd of November 2023.

Opportunity: The Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance – Master of Development Policy and Practice

A multi-disciplinary School, designed to make public service an aspiration for the most talented of Africa’s rising generation. Master of Development Policy and Practice (MDPP) is the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance’s flagship academic programme. It is a professional Master’s programme designed to meet the developmental needs of mid-career professionals working in the public sector, civil society, non-profit and donor organisations. The Faculty  brings globally recognised faculty members to the classroom with a rich combination of research and practical experience at senior levels of policymaking and implementation. 

New Prevention and Early Intervention programme: RISIHA Programme

The Department of Social Development introduces the RISIHA Programme (Prevention and Early Intervention) implementation manual.  This programme has been developed by DSD and is in the process of being rolled out nationally.  It provides a sound base for understanding child resilience and a response package to address key drivers of child well-being.  This programme is based on a research theory of change that the University of Johannesburg assisted in putting together.  It provides clear case management tools and procedures for understanding individual needs across seven intervention domains (child protection, psychosocial care and support, HIV and AIDS, nutritional support, general health, access to education and economic strengthening) as well as an additional package which includes tools and enablers to guide social service practitioners in the field in their interventions with children and families.