No to Violence, Yes to Peace

More than 150 Israelis of Ethiopian origin from throughout the country gathered in Kiryat Moshe, Rehovot -- a neighborhood heavily populated by Ethiopian immigrants which often appears negatively in the media -- on July 28 for a day long seminar on preventing domestic violence in the Ethiopian community. The seminar was organized by Yachdav (Together), the SHATIL-led Ethiopian Women's Coalition to Address Domestic Violence.

The gathering was conducted in Amharic so it could be accessible to new immigrants. As they entered the Kiryat Moshe Community Center, which the Rehovot municipality donated to the event, women and men of all ages donned blue and white T-shirts specially made for the occasion with the message, "No to Violence, Yes to Peace" in Hebrew and Amharic.

In the past 10 years, 22 Ethiopian immigrant women have been killed by their frustrated husbands, many of whom then committed suicide. The Coalition works on many levels and with many partners to address the roots of the violence and to reduce it. The conference was part of the Coalition's public education efforts.

Coalition Coordinator Shulamit Sahalo launched the day by saying, "This is a difficult day. But we'll overcome the difficulties for the goal of peace in the home."

Introducing Absorption Ministry Director Erez Halfon, Shulamit said: "This is what we want you to say: Next year we'll increase the budget to address violence in the Ethiopian family. We have seen that if we invest in parents, we have to invest less in children later."

Halfon welcomed the participants and agreed to Shulamit's demand. The Prime Minister's Authority for the Advancement of the Status of Women head, Mirit Danon, praised the Coalition's collaborative effort to reduce domestic violence and Rehovot City Councilman Abeye Zewada dubbed the Coalition's efforts a "sacred project."

The entire audience rose to its feet as a group of kessim (highly respected spiritual leaders) chanted a prayer for peace in the home especially composed at the Coalitions' urging. The audience, most of whom arrived by busses chartered by the Ministry of Absorption, also heard talks from Coalition members and others about the nature of domestic violence in general and in the Ethiopian community, police handing of the issue and means of treatment and prevention.

"This is an important event and I hope it helps," said Ahuva Wanda, who arrived from Ashdod, where she works with Ethiopian immigrants. "One day isn't enough; I hope it's duplicated around the country. We need more awareness, more information campaigns. Every man and woman needs to know about his/her rights and responsibilities in the home and not to forget our tradition, but to blend it with the new reality."

The cultural sensitivity of the organizers was evident in all aspects of the day - including the fact that lunch (sponsored by the Ministry of Health) consisted of injara and wot - traditional Ethiopian foods.

The event was co-sponsored by the above mentioned government bodies as well as the Ethiopian National Project and Bahalachin, which works for Ethiopian cultural preservation.