A Dialogue on Family Violence in Culturally Diverse Communities : Practical Approaches to Prevention and Response

The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP), in association with the Coalition on Community Safety, Health and Well-being, entered into a contribution agreement with Justice Canada on 29 November 2010 to hold a national conference on family violence: "A Dialogue on Family Violence in Culturally Diverse Communities" Practical Approaches to Prevention and Response". Six Coalition partners - the Canadian Nurses Association, Canadian Pensioners Concerned, the Child Welfare League of Canada, the Halton Regional Police Service, The Salvation Army and YWCA Canada - and the Institute for the Prevention of Crime at the University of Ottawa contributed time and expertise to the planning and delivery of the conference. This multi-disciplinary national consultation took place at the Sheraton Toronto Airport Hotel and Conference Centre on 6-8 March 2011. The conference addressed new and emerging manifestations of family violence with the objective of: exploring current response challenges and highlighting how some community agencies and police are reaching out to culturally diverse communities; clarifying the roles and responsibilities of sectors such as justice, public health, immigration and education in family violence prevention, intervention and response; identifying policy and program changes that would support more effective family violence prevention, intervention and response; and sharing information, including promising practices, on community-based approaches to family violence prevention, intervention and response in culturally diverse communities. This national consultation concentrated on family violence across the lifespan in culturally diverse communities, including immigrants, refugees and other established ethno-racial communities as well as First Nations and Inuit.