animal cruelty is family violence!

On Friday I helped facilitate the Domestic Violence and Animal Abuse Prevention (DVAAP) Committee's 2nd annual Building Community Partnerships workshop at the Humboldt Area Foundation. The purpose of the workshop was to raise awareness about the connection between animal cruelty, domestic violence, and child abuse and to increase inter-agency communication and collaboration in Humboldt County. As an intern and co-chair for the committee, it was exciting to see the product of the months of planning we have put into the workshop (since last year’s). Service providers from the fields of domestic violence advocacy, child welfare and animal welfare (as well as any interested community members) were invited to participate and contribute to community building activities and discussions around the issues associated with these intersections of violence.

Last year we only did a half-day workshop and we received feedback from some participants that they would have liked to spend more time on the subject so this year we did the workshop in two parts- Section A in the morning was basic education about the intersection of family violence and animal abuse and Section B in the afternoon focused on more in-depth conversation around “Next Steps” to violence prevention. I think that overall, the workshop went really well. I was glad to see all three of the areas represented by local service providers, including several social work students. Individuals were able to share their experiences with barriers they have faced in the field and strategize with others about how services could be more inclusive and supportive. At the end of the day, each participant was asked to fill out a “commitment card” which named one thing that they could do with the information they gained at the workshop, such as taking actions to strengthen relationships between community organizations, reviewing laws concerning issues around violence in unfamiliar fields (i.e. DV workers looking into animal cruelty laws) ect…. We also brainstormed ideas for the DVAAP committee including doing more abuse prevention education in schools for students as well as faculty and staff and trying to include animal control officers in DVERT (Domestic Violence Enhanced Response Team) based on a model program in Colorado Springs.

I was able to make some connections with participants who want to be involved in some of the “Next Steps” that I am focusing on through my internship including giving anticruelty humane education lessons to local third grade classes. I feel energized to continue my work on the committee and expand our outreach as suggested and supported by workshop participants. If interested, there is quite a bit of information out there about the connection between child abuse, animal abuse and domestic violence. Here is just one place to start

http://www.americanhumane.org/human-animal-bond/programs/the-link-of-violence/

Community Collaborations

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Here, behind the Redwood Curtain, we recognize both October 22nd and 23rd as Days of Action Against Police Brutality, remembering and resisting for our young brother, CHRISTOPHER BURGESS, who was fatally shot on October 23rd, 2006 at the age of 16 by a Eureka Police officer.

-Redwood Curtain CopWatch website

Although I was only able to help out for a couple hours in the morning, I was excited to be a part of a collaboration between several local community action groups. Arcata Food Not Bombs (which I am regularly involved in- it operates out of the house I live in) was invited to cook at PARC (Peoples' Action for Rights and Community) for participants in Redwood Curtain CopWatch's Days of Action Against Police Brutality march, vigil and speak-out. We also collaborated with some of the folks from the Eureka Food Not Bombs chapter and other community members to cook the meals. The event received several generous donations, including one of the largest squash I've ever seen!
I met some active community organizers who work to to build strength against discrimination and oppression here in Humboldt County. It was inspiring to see so many people coming together around issues which are typically silenced by those few in power. While I was not able to participate in the march or vigil, I felt honored to be able to contribute in some way to the event. My thoughts are with all of the survivors of and families of those killed by police violence.

The Days of Action are powerful times for going up against police repression, because it brings together those of us directly under the gun of police violence with sections of society who are not under the gun. It challenges the "divide and conquer" lies and cover-ups that keep us apart, bringing people of different backgrounds to stand together to expose and oppose these outrages. Across the country, in many cities and through various means of expression, we raise a resounding "NO" to these to these police raids, government attacks on youth and immigrants, and destroying of lives in the 'name of the law'.

-Redwood Curtain CopWatch website: http://redwoodcurtaincopwatch.net/node/336

....

I had a major wakeup call in class this week. I realized that rather than challenging myself in this course (and others), I've become passive in my learning. I've let myself avoid this blog assignment and fall behind because I was unsure of myself and uncomfortable pushing myself to learn in a new way. Although I've been thinking about blogging a lot and formulating ideas in my head and on paper about what I would blog about, the act of sitting down and doing it has been slow coming- but here it is! I am going to make an active effort to stay on top of this assignment from now on because I am beginning to understand the importance of it to my learning (finally 'connecting the dots' as Professor Yellow Bird says).

I think a lot of my apprehension about this first semester in the MSW program has been about my own continued struggle with finding my identity as a social worker.

When I transferred to HSU as a sophomore I had not yet declared a major. As a survivor of childhood trauma which involved animal cruelty, I knew I wanted to be a part of breaking the cycle of violence which I had experienced. Before moving, I had volunteered with the local animal shelter where I was introduced to humane education, animal assisted therapy/activity and the concept of “the link” which exists between family violence and animal abuse. After meeting with Sheri Johnson during orientation and receiving her support, I was excited to pursue a bachelor’s degree in social work because it seemed like the perfect avenue to explore these concepts as well as other important social justice issues. Over the past two years as a BSW student I have been given several opportunities to develop social work practice skills in unique volunteer and internship placements which have allowed me to integrate my passion for supporting both human and nonhuman animals.

At the same time, however, it has been challenging at times to conceptualize and apply my non-traditional social justice framework to my learning experiences as a student. I am hopeful that this blog will continue to allow me to explore, synthesize and share what I have been learning in class with community practice to my development as a social worker working with human and nonhuman animals in my community.

Illustration above from:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/miniminiature/132041517/in/set-235314/