We asked the Women's Ministries Team in Spain to give us some information on their Platform against Violence.
The Plaform against Violence is a project that aims to reach out, especially to all Adventist women and sympathizers who are victims of physical or psychological violence and their families. This project is also aimed at all members and like-minded of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
We intend to achieve the following objectives:
To raise awareness about violence and abuse in all its forms. To raise awareness about the divine commands concerning our body (We are the Temple of the Holy Spirit). To prevent gender violence in the home. To educate in the peaceful resolution of marital conflicts. Educate in a culture of peace within our churches. Support victims of violence To offer counseling to female victims of violence To reduce the number of cases of domestic violence. Establish ourselves as an association.
We are taking part in the worldwide challenge posed by the Women's Ministries Department of the General Conference to fight against violence, which includes the following aspects:
To cooperate with other professional services, to listen to and care for people who suffer from abuse and family violence, to highlight injustices, and to speak out on behalf of the victims. To help people who need information and to teach them how to access the help that the professional services sector has to offer. If there is a change of attitude and behavior with the possibility of forgiveness and restoration, to provide the ministry of reconciliation. To assist families in their grief over relationships that cannot be restored. To address spiritual issues in dealing with abused persons, seeking to understand the origins of abuse and family violence and developing better ways of living together to prevent the recurring cycle.
Taking into account the command we find in the Word of God in Proverbs 31:8+9 : ”Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy,” we have planned the following actions:
OFFER THE VICTIMS A PLACE OF SAFE SHELTER. OFFER TO THE CHURCH IN GENERAL (members and pastors) TRAINING ON VIOLENCE. TO SPEAK OUT, WITHOUT PREJUDICE AND CULTURAL BARRIERS. TO PREACH WITH OUR EXAMPLE. SUPPORTING ABUSED WOMEN AND THEIR CHILDREN by offering them: legal advice, psychological and spiritual care and counseling as well as education and guidance and referral. FORMATION OF SUPPORT GROUPS APPOINTMENT, TRAINING, AND SUPPORT OF A FEMALE "GUIDANCE COUNSELOR" IN EACH LOCAL CHURCH to coordinate the support groups in their local church, carry out orientation and referral work, inform women victims of violence about the services available on gender violence in their autonomous community and inform the Platform against Violence of the cases that exist in the churches.
In this way, the platform would perform the functions of PREVENTION, TRAINING, ORIENTATION, and REFERRAL.
The Platform is made up of a team of professionals in the fields of theology, psychology, law, education, and social work.
The courses offered cover two very specific areas:
20-hour weekend training courses for pastors, church officials, and guidance counselors. Weekend seminars on violence for churches that request them.
The topics focus on issues such as what is gender violence, violence in the light of the Bible, forms of violence and the identification of violent patterns, assertive techniques to prevent violence, the importance of communication, family influence and repercussions, self-esteem and personal assessment, counseling, the role of the counselor, legal and juridical aspects, and orientation on social services and referral, among others.
Added to this there is web-based information, assistance, and referral service, staffed by a graduate in psychology.
Information supplied by Mercedes Martinez, Women’s Ministries Director, Spanish Union