Footy teams get behind ending an issue in which no-one wins
THERE wasn't a single 'eureka' moment that moved ABC Darwin sports broadcaster Charlie King into action, more a growing realisation that men should be included in trying to work out solutions to end domestic violence.
King is behind the "No More -- Be Strong, Say No To Family Violence" campaign which aims to include men in fixing the problem with Aboriginal football teams the vehicles to promote the cause. It was officially launched last year but a calendar with the message featuring teams from the Northern Territory was released last week. Already the Federal government and Australian Football League want to get on board.
There are plans to release more calendars, with the first month being any month, of teams across the country. The movement has begun to bear fruit: AFL Central Australia club Santa Teresa is going to ban any man from their team this season who has a domestic violence order against him.
Outside the ABC, where he is revered for his sports broadcasting, King has been involved in child protection for almost 15 years.
"I was doing these consultations with Centrecare across the (Northern) Territory regarding family violence and noticed that in the audience it was always the women; the victims," King said. "The men were the perpetrators but they weren't there. It's the men who have to fix it. You can spend millions of dollars on safe houses and the like but that won't solve it because the violence won't stop if men don’t stop doing it.
"It's about giving men the responsibility that they can fix the problem if they're allowed the opportunity. It's no good ostracising men. Of course, it's wrong and they should be made to know it but for it to end men must have support programs behind them to help them end it."
The campaign's symbol is men linking arms at football matches. At the February 7 Indigenous All-Stars v Adelaide match in Darwin at Marrara Oval, the AFL teams were joined by representatives from Santa Teresa and the crowd in linking arms while the national anthem was sung.
"That is to show solidarity on the issue," King said. "It's important, too, that we're saying it's not just for football players but for the community in general and it's not just Indigenous men either."
The "No More" motto came from a visit to a remote community.
"I was at Papunya talking about this and an old man came up, shook my hand and said, 'No more, no more'. When it's put to the men, that's what they're saying," King said. "With what Santa Teresa are doing to their men, it's saying, 'We want to support you but we don't want you if you're beating up your wife and kids'.
"Football was a natural vehicle for it and now it's catching on. In two weeks' time we're having talks with the AFL because they want to support it and so does the Federal government. It's like that saying, 'From little things, big things grow'."
Football teams from across the country are invited to support the campaign by sending in a team photo.
DARREN MONCRIEFF
Darren@AboriginalFootball.com.au
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Last Modified on 15/02/2009 23:14