Family Violence Initiative

COMPENDIUM OF PROMISING PRACTICES TO REDUCE VIOLENCE AND INCREASE SAFETY OF ABORIGINAL WOMEN IN CANADA

INTERACTIONS WITHIN COMMUNITIES

Raising Awareness in the Broader Community

Program Name:

Indigenous Rights Program (part of KAIROS)

Organization/Community:

KAIROS

Location:

Ottawa, Ontario / Serving 80 network groups across Canada

Website:

www.kairoscanada.org

Goals and Objectives:

To provide assistance to Indigenous organizations and individuals who are working on issues of violence against Indigenous women. Encouraging wider public awareness of issues.

Target Group Description:

Everyone.

Program Description:

The program works closely with women who are victims of violence through partnerships that enable network groups to better support the individual organizations. This includes assisting groups that assist victims of violence and working to eradicate the root causes of that violence. The focus is on targeting the roots of violence. It involves visionary, forward thinking education on systemic issues, such as historical causes of injustice, colonialism, racism, oppression and raising awareness of their effects in the mainstream community. The hope is that by doing this the Program can lessen and eliminate those effects. To Indigenous Rights Program relies on the expertise of the groups that the program works with; all events regionally reflect regional traditions in that initiative, through the partnerships.

Program Successes/Impact:

The program has significantly raised awareness of the issue within its member Churches. Program staff have become more sensitive to clients daily living conditions.

Key Lessons/Challenges:

Overcoming the lack of knowledge in mainstream Canadian communities concerning issues facing Indigenous peoples

Program in operation since:

2001.

Program:

Ongoing.