Seminar on Domestic Violence Held in Tbilisi, Georgia

Seminar for and about Victims and Perpetrators of Domestic Violence
Process Based on the Duluth Curriculum
Location: Tbilisi, Georgia
Event Date(s): July 29, 2004 - July 31, 2004, Location: Courtyard by Marriott in Tbilisi, Georgia
Participating Countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, and Ukraine
Trainers: Michael Paymar and Rose Thelen from Duluth, Minnesota (USA)

Seminar Objectives
* to give participants an understanding of the Duluth Model coordinated community response to domestic violence, accountability of offender programs, the philosophical framework of the curriculum, and what makes an effective teacher/learner;
* to give participants an understanding of the themes of the curriculum, how the classes are conducted, how the control log is used, and exercises on teaching non-controlling and non-violent behavior;
* to give participants an understanding of the reality of battered women, safety planning, and advocacy; and
* to give participants an understanding of some of the strategies for working with children, education groups for women, and the role of advocacy programs in a coordinated community response.

Seminar Topics
1. The Duluth model, including:
* the role of an offender program in a coordinated community response;
* policies and standardized procedures;
* monitoring and tracking cases; and
* partner contact.
2. Program design, including:
* intake and orientation;
* sentencing recommendations (working with probation officers and the courts);
* re-offense (developing protocols);
* building safety into programs;
* discussing country specifies;
* moving from theory to practice;
* theoretical underpinnings of the curriculum;
* helping offenders understand their pattern and intention of abusive behavior; and
* helping offenders understand how their beliefs are linked to their behavior.
3. The role of the facilitator, including:
* facilitating reflective/critical thinking;
* dialogue;
* maintaining an atmosphere that is challenging, compassionate, but not colluding; and
* posing questions.
4. The curriculum: Creating a Process of Change for Men Who Batter, including:
* the action plan;
* eight themes of the curriculum; and
* defining the elements of equality.
5. From theory to practice, including:
* helping offenders understand how their feelings are linked to their beliefs;
* helping offenders understand the effects of their behavior; and
* challenging minimizing, denying, and blaming.
6. Teaching non-controlling behavior, including:
* role-playing;
* exercises used in week three of a theme; and
* teaching non-controlling and non-abusive behavior.

Creating Options for Battered Women
1. Living with the violence, including:
* historical overview of advocacy programs;
* what traps a battered woman: How community agencies respond; and
* risks for battered women.
2. Providing advocacy and options, including:
* lethality assessment;
* safety planning;
* education and support groups; and
* legal advocacy and shelters.
3. Law enforcement and the courts, including:
* calling the police—risks and benefits—and
* the criminal and civil orders for protection.
4. Strategies for working with children, including:
* the effects of violence on children and
* child safety centers.
5. Advocacy programs in a coordinated community response, including:
* monitoring the system and
* identifying gaps and problem solving.

Source: Stop Violence Against Women (website: http://www.soros.org/initiatives/women/events/duluth_20040728)