Social Violence in the Caribbean will be the focus of a Webinar to be hosted this evening, July 29, by The Diocese of Jamaica & The Cayman Islands for the Church in the Province of The West Indies.
The Webinar, which will begin at 6.30 pm in Jamaica, 5.30 pm in Belize, and 7.30 pm in Barbados, will feature some of the Caribbean’s leading advocates in the campaign against social violence. It has been organized against the background of the increased incidence of inter-personal conflicts and domestic violence across the region, especially since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
The aim is to sensitize members of the Church about the factors that contribute to violence, its many forms and its impact on the lives of victims, the family and the wider community; and to encourage greater focus by the Church in engaging both victims and abusers within its membership.
Among the issues to be covered in the discussion are A Situation Analysis of Violence in the Caribbean; as well as the ways in which the Church may have contributed to the problem, and its response.
Presenters will include Dr. Leith Dunn, former Head of the Institute for Gender and Development Studies at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona; Dr. Herbert Gayle, Social Anthropologist and Lecturer in the Department of Sociology, Psychology and Social Work at the UWI; and Dr. Elizabeth Ward, Chairman of the Violence Prevention Alliance in Jamaica. The Church will be represented by The Rev. Dr. Sonia Hinds, Rector of St. Leonard’s Church, Barbados, advocate and counsellor; and The Very Rev. Dr. Shelley-Ann Tenia, Dean of The Holy Trinity Cathedral in Trinidad & Tobago.
Veteran Broadcaster, Mass Communications Specialist and Personal Transformation Coach, Elaine Wint, will be the Moderator for the Webinar which will be mounted on the ZOOM platform.
In an effort to strengthen the involvement of the Church in the Province of the West Indies as an agent of healing and transformation, a series of follow-up workshops is being planned for clergy and lay leaders, congregants and young members.
