Africa-Press – Mauritius. A colloquium on Family and Societal Violence was held, today, at the Grand Bay Social Welfare Centre, in the context of the International Day for Tolerance 2021. The Minister of Arts and Cultural Heritage, Mr Avinash Teeluck, and the Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS), Mr Anjiv Ramdany, were present.
Some 50 participants including students, youths, and Community Leaders brainstormed on the causes and effects of societal violence as well as means and ways on how to promote and strengthen peace and mutual respect amongst family members in the society.
In his address, Minister Teeluck recalled that with the economic and social development brought about by the increasing number of tourists in Grand Bay, the number of drug cases and indiscipline has escalated in the region.
He therefore urged everyone to become ambassadors of peace and appealed to parents to shoulder their responsibilities and to supervise their children. The need for parents to be role models and positive influencers for their children was also emphasised by the Minister.
In view of the increasing violence and scourges in society, Minister Teeluck appealed to religious leaders to work hand in hand with the Government, NGOs and Social Welfare Centres so as to sensitise the population on the different societal ills and how to tackle them.
He stated that children should grow in a healthier society where discipline prevails. Speaking about COVID-19, he said that the Delta variant is more infectious and leads to increased transmissibility, hence the need to abide more rigorously to all sanitary precautions.
He observed that people are not abiding by the precautionary measures and cautioned against a resurgence of cases. For his part, PPS Ramdany acknowledged that social problems such as drugs, alcohol, smoking, delinquency, and poverty have increased which are leading to an increasing number of violence within families.
He underlined the importance of consulting a psychologist as counseling and therapy help to address major life changes so as to manage mental health conditions, like depression.
International Day for Tolerance 2021
The International Day for Tolerance is marked every year on 16 November in order to create awareness about the principles of tolerance. It is a day for respecting the cultures, beliefs and traditions of others and understanding the risks posed by intolerance.
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