Domestic violence is not unique to a particular country or culture. Its destructive power reaches across geographical boundaries and affects families everywhere. Project Harmony Program Director Edward Cronin has stated that "the problem of violence in families is the most challenging problem faced by police in the world today." Raising public awareness of the problem, establishing solutions and supporting victims are among the challenging tasks faced by the staff of Project Harmony's Domestic Violence Community Partnership Program.
The problem of domestic violence has recently come to light as a public policy and community development issue in the Caucasus country of Georgia. This realization has brought the desire to implement, monitor and sustain quality programs to address the issue. In Phase I of Project Harmony's Domestic Violence Community Partner-ship program, United States trainers conducted an interactive seminar-style program with participants from medical, legal, law enforcement and social service fields. The curriculum covered the dynamics of domestic violence, the cycle of abuse, the impact of domestic violence on children and models of criminal justice response to the problem. Attendance was phenomenal, involving more than 1,100 individuals and 41 organizations.
After the Phase I program, a domestic violence prevention coalition was developed in Tbilisi. Four coalition groups have formed with the vision of combating domestic abuse. These groups represent legal advocacy, social service, public awareness and public relations. Among their goals are demonstrative lectures for parents, educators and adolescents; the creation of a database of services for victims; and sharing resources and information among organizations. Also planned is a round table discussion on the unique Georgian model of law enforcement as it pertains to domestic violence, and the need for adequate response from the district police.
Phase II of this exciting program took place from June 18th through June 29th in Tbilisi, Georgia. In the first segment of the program, coalition members identified their interests and needs, and the resulting program reflected those areas identified. The second segment of the program was designed to provide participants with specifically requested skills and to enable them to work with the local coalition to establish a domestic violence resource center.
A further development that has generated tremendous excitement is the construction of the first Georgian language web site dealing with the issue of domestic violence. This unique site contains pertinent program information, educational materials and resources, program history, domestic violence statistics, hotline information for victims and much more, all in the country's native language. This valuable Internet tool allows Project Harmony to facilitate regular communication channels among coalition participants.
There are many challenges ahead for Project Harmony in the field of domestic violence prevention in Georgia, including a lack of financial resources. We are meeting this challenge by actively searching for grant opportunities and other forms of funding. Furthermore, Project Harmony must continue to be sensitive to cultural and historical influences while designing and implementing programs. Our goal is not to press the American experience on the Caucasus, but to listen, learn and work together with our Georgian colleagues to achieve our common goal of eradicating domestic violence.
The Domestic Violence Community Partnership Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State/Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.
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