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End Violence Against Women
Governor General Michaëlle Jean and other Prominent Women to Speak at Provincial Conference on Communities Working Together to End Violence Against Women
Kitchener - National and global experts will be gathering in Kitchener-Waterloo to share their experiences and knowledge in the field of domestic violence at a provincial conference to be held from February 25 – 27, 2008. This conference for leaders and professionals from community services, health, education and justice sectors, will provide the opportunity to explore leading edge approaches to prevent and eliminate violence against women.
Naomi Judd, five-time Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter, actress, talk-show host and domestic violence survivor will provide the keynote address at the opening banquet on Monday evening, February 25th.
Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, will deliver a speech at the conference luncheon on Tuesday, February 26th.
Hosted by the Family Violence Project of Waterloo Region, and funded by the Ontario government, the Communities Working Together to End Violence Against Women conference has also attracted several keynotes and workshop presenters, both nationally and internationally. Conference Master of Ceremony Daiene Vernile, CTV Anchor and Producer of ProvinceWide, will lead the conference through six plenary sessions and 32 workshop presentations. These presentations include Carolyn Thomas, a powerful domestic violence survivor and advocate who changes lives with the impact of her story, and Brian Vallée, writer, editor, producer and director who is acclaimed for CBC’s award-winning documentary program The Fifth Estate and his non-fiction book, the best-selling Life with Billy about an abused wife who took the law into her own hands.
“Women have a fundamental right to be safe and secure in their own homes and in their communities,” says Deb Matthews, Minister Responsible for Women’s Issues. “By helping to prevent violence against women, we are building stronger, safer communities.”
“This conference will go a long way toward enhancing support for women experiencing violence,” says Cathy Brothers, Conference Chair, Family Violence Project of Waterloo Region. “Our thanks to the Ontario government for supporting these efforts.”
Anticipating the attendance of 1000 delegates, the conference will take place at Bingemans Conference Centre, 425 Bingemans Centre Drive, Kitchener.
For more conference details or to register for the conference, visit www.communitiesworkingtogether.ca
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