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Government will provide $2.25 million
over the next five years for a new violence prevention initiative as
part of its ongoing commitment to addressing the problem of violence.
Premier Brian Tobin and Julie Bettney, Minister Responsible for the
Status of Women, announced the new initiative at a news conference on
March 13, 2000.
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$250,000 will be spent during the
2000-2001 fiscal year, $500,000 will be spent on the initiative in the
2001-2002 fiscal year, and the remaining funds will be phased in over
the following three years.
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This violence prevention initiative has
grown out of the Provincial Strategy Against Violence (PSAV) announced
by government in 1995. The PSAV�s focus is on finding solutions to the
problem of violence against women, children, the elderly and other
vulnerable adults. It officially ends on March 31, 2000.
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The PSAV is an interdepartmental
initiative, coordinated by the Women�s Policy Office, involving the
departments of Justice, Education, Human Resources and Employment and
Health and Community Services, working in conjunction with
nongovernmental organizations. These parties will continue to be
involved in the new violence prevention initiative.
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The two major goals of the PSAV are to
prevent violence and to improve the delivery of services to victims of
violence. These goals will remain a priority under the new initiative.
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The PSAV has undertaken a range of
activities aimed at reducing violence including: improving direct
services to victims; educational campaigns for the general public and
the schools; producing publications; and legislative and policy changes.
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As with the PSAV, a key objective of the
initiative is to build partnerships between the provincial government
and community agencies working in the area of violence prevention to
find solutions to the problems of violence.
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The PSAV team has consulted within
government and amongst community stakeholders involved in violence
prevention work to determine how best to continue to find solutions to
the problems of violence once the PSAV concludes.
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The feedback from community stakeholders
has been that anti-violence work must continue and needs to be
coordinated within government with continued collaboration with
community groups. The new violence prevention initiative reflects these
recommendations.
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Most of the money will be spent in the
regions through regional coordinating committees set up under the PSAV.
This recognizes the expertise that already exists in the regions in the
area of violence prevention and builds on this capacity.
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Funding for the regions will be phased in
over two years. This year the central, western and eastern Avalon
regions will receive the majority of funding for coordination of
violence prevention services in those areas.
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Minister Bettney says coordination within
the Labrador region represents special challenges due to its geography
and this will be taken into account in allocating the funds. The
northern, eastern and Labrador regions will be phased into full funding
next year. The Women�s Policy Office will continue to coordinate the
violence prevention initiative.