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Vision for Non-Violence conference slated for Sylvan Lake this fall

A conference aiming to raise awareness on dealing with various forms of violence is coming to Sylvan Lake this fall.

A conference aiming to raise awareness on dealing with various forms of violence is coming to Sylvan Lake this fall.

The second annual Creating a Vision for Non-Violence will take place Nov. 3 at the Community Centre, following its successful inaugural event in Innisfail last year.

Offering such a wide variety of subject matter that covers anything from bullying to domestic violence, the conference will be beneficial to a wide audience, including anyone from service providers to victims of violence, according to Krista Carlson, co-chair of the Sylvan Lake Vision for Non-Violence coalition.

“The main goal is to bring awareness about violence within Central Alberta and how it affects our communities and our residents,” she said. “The conference shares resources, ideas, solutions and initiatives that will tackle the issues around family violence and bullying.”

Carlson added violence is often prevalent in rural communities, which she said comes as a surprise to some. For that reason, she feels events such as the conference are essential in helping educate and raise awareness of the problem.

“People are more isolated in the rural communities, whereas in the city, people keep each other in check more,” she said. “People get stressed and they get angry and they don’t know how to deal with those frustrations, and they take it out on the people closest to them sometimes.”

Conference attendees will also learn what other communities are doing to deal with similar issues. Through group work and idea sharing, plenty of new ideas will be explored.

“It brings new life and awareness to (dealing with violence) so it’s not brushed under the rug anymore,” said Carlson. “This is still a real issue in all of our communities, and we need to deal with it. “People need to know that they are supported and that they can get help with those situations.”