Innovative Strategies for Engaging Survivors and Allies in Violence Prevention
Virginia Pérez-Ortega, Prevention Director
PO Box 8919, Albuquerque, NM 87198. phone 505-246-8972 www.enlacenm.org
Introduction & background information
Explore ideas on how to recognize the strengths of communities
Explore effective strategies to engage marginalized communities into the Violence Against Women Movement
Promotoras Project
Recommendations: what works
Youth Leaders Project
Promotores Project
Primary Prevention Classes
Social Norms & Outreach Media Campaigns
Limitations and challenges
Conclusions and lessons learned
Workshop Goals
is a social justice organization led by Latina immigrants in
Central New Mexico
Our mission is to eliminate domestic violence and foster
healthy families in the Latino immigrant community through :
o comprehensive domestic violence intervention services in
Spanish,
o preventative community education, policy advocacy and
leadership development.
o We work with all survivors and all types for families
Our comprehensive services benefit the entire community by
raising awareness about domestic violence and by
empowering survivors and allies, regardless of gender, age,
immigration status, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status
to take back their lives.
Our community engagement identifies ways to eliminate domestic
violence and its causes and advocate for policies that enhance
the rights of survivors.
Theory of
Change
Confidential intervention services for families affected by domestic violence
o Crisis intervention
o Case management including safety planning
o Assistance to secure housing, food, clothing and
other necessities
o Transitional housing
o Play therapy
Confidential intervention services for families affected by domestic violence (cont.)
o Support groups
o Individual counseling for adults and children
o Family counseling
o Legal advocacy and representation
o Referrals to diverse service organizations
o Life skills and parenting classes
What is Community?
Community is best defined as a network of social
relations marked by mutuality and emotional bonds. —Thomas Bender, Community and Social Change in America
Community Organizing
(Mobilization)
Community organizing is characterized by the
mobilizing of volunteers. Staff roles are limited to
helping volunteers become effective, to guiding
the learning of leaders through the process, and to
helping create the mechanism for the group to
advocate on their own behalf—Center for
Community Change
Prevention Leaders at May 1º March, 2014
“Best of Show” Marigold Parade 2014
Prevention Programs &
Collaborations Promotoras Project
Youth Leaders Project
Promotores Project
Primary Preventon Classes
Social Norms and Outreach Media Campaigns
Trainings & Collaborations
Promotoras
Project
Survivors who receive training and support to volunteer
as community leaders
After an intensive leadership development training, the
Promotoras work to prevent family violence through
information sharing opportunities and community
presentations
Promotoras 2016
Building Social Capital
Recommendations on what works
o focus on ipv/dv as a social problem to increase
prevention impact
o work with dv survivors
o share personal dv stories
o leadership self-identity
o importance of group identity
o create opportunities for ongoing participation
o increasing social capital is an important goal
o professional development for promotoras is
important
Promotoras Generacion 2015
Logistical Recommendations
o presentations must be dynamic
o audience size
o develop strong community partnerships
o mission-based presentations and community work
o stipends
o the necessary tools
o stand alone presentations
o participatory program implementation and
evaluation
Promotoras 2010
Fundamental value of organizing
Facilitate the application of new understanding and skills in to action
Start from history and dreams
Identify key elements of inspiring struggles
Once awaken, one can no longer be silenced.
Continue exploring ways in which one is making meaning and contributing to the wider culture on the daily basis.
Youth Leaders
Youth ages 12-17 who may have witnessed domestic
violence in their homes and who may have received
intervention services.
Some of the training topics include:
Do’s and Don’ts of a Relaionship
Dynamics of teen dating violence
What is Healthy Relationship?
Healthy Breakup
Bystander intervention and what to do (limit setting)
EC Youth Leaders at
OYE 2015 Conference
EC Youth Leaders Training
Spring 2015
Teen Dating Violence
training by
Youth Leaders
Youth Leaders training 2012
Organizing
A fundamental value of organizing is respecting the knowledge
and experience of all participants.—
Denise Nadeau, Counting Our Victories
Youth Leaders
TDV Awareness Month
Promotores Project
Spanish speaking Latino immigrant men to
become allies to end gender violence.
Trained promotores become co-facilitators of
Entre Amigos workshops and participate in
information tables at different locations.
Promotores Project
Entre Amigos.
Workshops co-facilitated
by promotores.
Topics include:
socialization of men
and violence,
detecting, stopping and
preventing sexual &
intimate partner
violence
Primer grupo de promotores
The way to educate and organize is to
uncover the value of knowledge and experience
help people collectively analyze what they know
add new information (theory & skills)
Engaging Men 50 messages
Prevention Classes
As part of our work to strengthen Latino immigrant families and their communities, Enlace Comunitario offers classes free of charge in Spanish for community at large
Relaciones Saludables. Touching on topics such as self-esteem, communication, couples relationships, and sexuality
Padres en Acción. Helping parents build essential parenting skills within the context of their lives as immigrants and with consideration to systems issues
Diálogos Comunitarios. Introduction to gender equity topics
CRITICAL ELEMENTS
Identify values and interests
Questions can create leadership and spark engagement
Facilitate a dialogue
Allow true stories & inform people about issues,
Solutions will come from them
When Engaging Communities
Identify skills
Make a connection
Inspire action
CRITICAL ELEMENTS
When Engaging Communities
Inspire action
Showing people how personal & social factors merge to shape issue
Perspectives will come to surface
ALLOW DISCUSSION ABOUT COMMON EXPERIENCE
Building leadership
Create a colleague
Create a partnership
When volunteers reach their limits, step in as needed to reach the goals
Social Norms and Outreach
Media Prevention
Campaigns
Creation of messages, voice the radio ads, and are
featured in the print media.
Some examples of prevention campaigns include the use
of radio ads, TV, billboards, bus panels, posters, and
newsletters.
Youth Leaders’ Social Norms Campaign 2010
Youth
Leaders’
Social
Norms
Campaign
2010
Youth Leaders’ Social Norms
Campaign 2013
Youth
Leaders’
Social
Norms
Campaign
2013
Youth
Leaders’
Social
Norms
Campaign
2013
Billboards
Radio ads
Men’s Media Campaign 2013
Each Men can be Strong without being violent
Barriers to Reaching Marginalized Communities
By definition, these communities feel little connection to the
different issues such as politics and are skeptical of
practitioners. Convincing people that their participating will
make a difference is hard work. —Politics the Wellstone way.
The South Valley Men and
Young Men’s Initiative
a) build relationships
between the
Hispano and
Immigrant
communities in the
South Valley and
b) positively impact
the life trajectories
of young men in our
community.
Video
¡Gracias!
It takes a community to eliminate domestic violence.
Get involved!
Contact us: 505-246-8972 www.enlacenm.org