Community members are invited to Tesch Park, next to the Maleny Library, on Wednesday May 10 for a special time to remember those who have lost their lives as a result of domestic and family violence. People are asked to gather at 5pm with guest speakers and live music from 5.15.
The vigil is an initiative of Speak up Now – Stop Domestic and Family violence, with Maleny Neighbourhood Centre, as a mark of respect during Domestic Violence month.
The ceremony will include the placing of candles in an empty shoe for each of those who died in Queensland over the past year, as a result of domestic and family violence. This will be followed by a contemplative walk to the Neighbourhood Centre in Bicentenary Lane where there will be informal discussions and a barbecue.
Established in 2020 by the combined services clubs of Quota, Zonta and Rotary, Speak up Now aims to bring awareness of the challenges of domestic and family violence to the community of the Blackall Range, a spokesperson said.
“We aim to raise awareness and educate our community about the effects of domestic and family violence within families, how to identify indicators of the various forms of domestic and family violence, and how to help victims find the support they need. We have already published a booklet, Dating Without Violence, for young people, and hope this month to publish a free booklet on elder abuse, to follow on from three successful forums we have held in Maleny,” they said.
“This evening is a tribute to those throughout Queensland who, tragically, have not been able to be helped. It is hoped that this community gathering is a way of making sure they have not died in vain and that their memory will empower others to find solutions, and to speak up against it,” she said.
Speakers will include former cabinet minister, Dr Karen Struthers, now CEO True Relationships and Reproductive Health Queensland, Maria O’Brien representing Queensland Police Vulnerable Persons Unit (VPU), Ashton Wood CEO of DV Safe Phone, and Winston Johnston, local Sunshine Coast Councillor.
Dr Struthers brings wide-ranging skills to her support for progressive policy, and legal and service reforms that counter male violence and advance reproductive rights for women. Her career spans leadership roles as a member of parliament and cabinet minister, human services manager, researcher, consultant and policy leader in university and government sectors.
CEO of DV Safe Phone, Ashton Wood says the group’s aim is to get a safe phone into the hands of every victim of domestic violence in need.