MVP Program inspires leaders

The NO MORE Campaign hosted a three day interactive training, the Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) Program, facilitated by Dr Shannon Murdoch. The MVP Program is designed to empower adults and adult educators to feel confident to intervene in violent situations. It’s a leadership program focused on preventing all forms of men’s violence against women. The MVP model utilises a bystander approach to prevention and intervention that empowers leaders to think more critically and personally about gendered violence.

The two underpinning values of the training are the importance of leadership and emphasizing the potential power of a bystander. The simplistic ideas that everyone can be a leader in some capacity and that everyone can intervene to stop violence, are the major contributing factors to the program’s success. Seventeen men and women working in family violence related services across the NT were in attendance.

NO MORE Campaign worker Peter Ulbrick, who works with men on the Tiwi Islands, said he has gained a greater understanding around the confronting and horrible issue of gendered violence.

“This is a men’s issue and every man should be presented with the information we learned in this training. It is quite shocking to realise how much our society perpetuates gender inequality through colloquial and everyday language, advertising, media, work environments etc. and the challenges and potential dangers that ultimately present to our daughters, sisters, mothers, partners and friends. It all seems to stem from a fundamental disrespect for women. I now feel empowered to challenge the thinking and ignorance surrounding the subject, and look forward to sharing what I have learned with others. The facilitation of this work has the potential to literally save lives,” said Ulbrick.

CatholicCare NT Family and Community Wellbeing Team Leader Jacqueline Fidler said that the program had a profound impact on how she interpreted violence.

“Bystanders, such as myself, my colleagues, my sports club, my community, EVERYONE, have the power and influence to prevent violence. Moving forward, my aim is to continue to raise awareness with others in the community and continue the commitment to prevent, confront, interrupt harmful and violent actions and behaviours directed towards women and girls,” said Fidler.

The change that was seen in the participants’ personal behaviours over the three days was evidence in itself of the impact the program had. With seventeen men and women now trained to run sessions about the importance of being a leader in preventing gendered violence, the Northern Territory is sure to be one step closer to providing a safer community for people to live in.