“When there is peace inside our homes, our country will prosper.” These were the words from Solomon Sisimia at the opening of the Family Protection Act training in Honiara.
The one-day training last Wednesday organised by World Vision Solomon Islands, brought together community leaders and representatives from Honiara’s three constituencies to interact and learn about gender-related issues.
Sisimia, who opened the training with a biblical presentation, is the Director of the National Community Policing & Family Violence Unit of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force.
“Solomon Islands is a Christian country where about 97.4% of the entire population claim to believe in the teachings of Christ.”
Yet, he pointed out that according to violent crime statistics Solomon Islands is ranked 5th in the world and 2nd in the region which contradicts this claim.
In other countries violence is occurring in the street among people who are not related and known to each other and most cases in the Solomon Islands violence takes place inside the home among family members.
“To make our ranking worse, violence is happening inside our home, the only place where mothers, girls and children find peace and shelter.
“Our society is sick and I encourage you the leaders of Honiara constituencies to make a turn-around for Solomon Islands.”
“For Solomon Islands to change, people must change and these changes must begin at home,” he urged training participants.
The training is conducted under the Honiara-Central Islands Area Program Community Vision 4 Change (CV4C2) project. The project, which is supported by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (ANCP), uses World Vision’s Channels of Hope methodology to relate gender issues to the Bible.
– World Vision Communication
