SOCIAL JUSTICE

Engaging Black men and boys

ABSW Non-Violence Project

BY DIVINE GBEVE-ONYENIKE

This past year, the Association of Black Social Workers (ABSW), in recognition of the limited culturally-specific resources available to African Nova Scotian men and boys, provided two six-series workshops that focused on encouraging Black men and boys to take an active role in ending men’s violence against women. The sessions provided culturally-specific information and resources on how Black men can make a difference in preventing dating and domestic violence against women and girls.

They were able to identify how to step in when witnessing violence or hearing negative talk about women in their families, schools or communities.

Throughout this series, participants were able to learn several skills, including: what healthy relationships and healthy communication look like, how to have and show respect for women and girls, model respectful behavior with other men and boys, and how to be a “responsible bystander.” They also had opportunities to develop skills and practices that reflect leadership in the community and in the school environment.

The Black Men and Boys Nonviolence Project (BMBNP) had six objectives:

1. Build awareness and education around the use of violence for control as a pervasive, global problem.

2. Examine the negative effects of violent behavior on relationships, partners, children, friends, and the participant himself to help create a willingness to change.

3. Consider the cultural and social contexts in which violence is used against a partner. This can include physical violence, emotional/mental abuse, sexual abuse, and economic abuse.

4. Provide the participant with practical information on how to change abusive behavior by exploring non-controlling and non-violent ways of relating to women.

5. Encourage the participant to become accountable to those he has hurt by encouraging him to acknowledge his actions and accept responsibility for its impact on his partner and others.

6. Examine triggers of violent behaviour and educate on how to shift anger in a nonviolent way with tools and treatments that can help effectively manage those triggers.

Six workshops were created for African Nova Scotian men to help address the above-noted objectives and take participants on a journey of realization of how certain ideals, attitudes and behaviours support violence against women. After consultation with service providers including the Nova Scotia Brotherhood Initiative (NSBI) and Correctional Services Canada, as well as potential participants on what they would like to see in these workshops, the following themes emerged:

• History of Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence

• Anger Management

• Emotional Intelligence

• Relationship Building

• Art Therapy

• Qigong

Working with men and boys on such an important and critical global issue as intimate partner violence and domestic violence makes a significant contribution to community-based programming for a group that is typically excluded from such programs.

In this workshop series. specifically geared to Black men and boys, awareness was created about the broader context in which violence occurs. The sessions helped to educate them on the connection between domestic and partner violence and the racism, stereotypes, and other forms of oppression experienced by men of African descent. Participant feedback on the sessions highlight the value of the content delivered by various presenters, and the significance of this work to help stop violence.

DIVINE GBEVE-ONYENIKE is a second-year social work student who is doing her field placement with the Association of Black Social Workers. She was born and raised in Ghana until the age of ten when she relocated to Nova Scotia with her family. Her interest in social work stems from her desire to help others; from a young age she has always had a passion for making a difference in the lives of others. She has chosen social work as a career, as she believes it will provide her with the opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of people who are socially marginalized, disadvantaged and excluded, through helping to meet their basic human needs, promoting the realization of their potential, and helping them recognize and exercise their rights.

About the ABSW

Association of Black Social Workers logo

The ABSW is a charitable organization consisting of Black Social Workers and Human Services Workers throughout Nova Scotia. It was formed in 1979 by four women who were concerned with the responsibility of transforming a system that was not responsive to the problems and concerns of African Nova Scotians The key mission of this organization is to act as a support group and professional development resource for African Canadian social workers.

The ABSW provides structure and a forum through which Black social workers and workers in related fields can exchange ideas, offer services, and develop programs in the interest of the Black community at large. ABSW offers educational and community-based programs ranging from clinical counselling to professional development, and conducts awareness sessions on social issues such as mental health, substance abuse, gambling, parenting bi-racial/ Black children, palliative care etc.

The goal of the ABSW is to contribute towards the health and wellbeing of people of African descent in Nova Scotia. The vision of this organization is to provide access and equal opportunities for under-represented communities.