FAMILY HONOUR PROJECT

Launched in February 2012 amid national media attention and ahead of the verdict on the Shafia murder trial, the Family Honour Project seeks to provide families with honorable alternatives to addressing family conflict.

Goal: To interrupt so-called “honor-related” violence in families who come from collectivist cultures within the London community and beyond by improving services and responses necessary to keep victims safe.

In a truly innovative partnership with the Cure Violence (formerly CeaseFire) project of Chicago, we are developing a program that will engage the community to change behaviors and beliefs surrounding violence.

The original Cure Violence project is internationally recognized for its evidence-based approach for effectively dealing with community-based violence, by providing alternate dispute resolution mechanisms. This partnership is in large part a result of the efforts of Sheema Khan, a columnist for the Globe and Mail, who identified common themes of honor between the two settings. The Family Honour Project is in on-going development and research. More recently, a group of community members, mainstream service providers, and MRCSSI staff and volunteers came together for a three-day workshop to incorporate the Cure Violence model in responding to “honor” related violence.