Elevate: Understanding Domestic Violence

​Elevate is back!

​Join us on Thursday, May 2, 2024, in Hive 1 at The Creative Hive for an evening of learning, story, and connection. This Elevate event will feature two stories about domestic violence and the impact that it has had and continues to have on the lives of the women sharing their experiences.

​You will learn more about domestic violence, who is impacted, what to do if you or someone you love is in an abusive relationship, and what you can do to make a difference.

​Elevate is open to everyone and is a safe space*. Tickets are by donation, with the suggested minimum donation being $10. If cost is a barrier for you, please email jocelyn@thevirtualeffect.com to arrange a community ticket.

​All proceeds from the event are going to The Today Centre, a first-stop for anyone experiencing family violence.

​Food and drinks can be purchased from Square 1 Coffee (located inside The Creative Hive).

​What to Expect:

​6:15 pm Doors open

​6:30 pm Program begins

​8:00 pm Program concludes

​8:30 pm Doors close

​About our speakers:

​Mwanga Mastallah Ashah

​Ashah is an Advocate of the High Court of Uganda, a Muslim women rights lawyer, a scholar and a survivor of domestic abuse. She is a PhD Human Rights Fellow at Makerere University, Uganda. She holds a Masters of Laws in International Legal Studies (LLM) (International women rights), Georgetown University Law Center, Washington DC, U.S. She is also an alumni of the Leadership & Advocacy for Women in Africa (LAWA) Fellow at the Georgetown University U.S.

​She also holds a second Master’s degree; M.A Human Rights. She holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development centre (LDC-Uganda’s Bar course), Bachelors of Laws (LLB) & Bachelors of Arts in Development Studies (B.A DVS).

​Ashah is a 2017 Global Change Leader (GCL) having been selected by the Coady International Institute of the St. Fx University- Canada as a young woman leader with immense contribution to women human rights advocacy and access to justice. She has also been recognized by the Women in International Security (WIIS)-Washington DC as a graduate woman peace scholar for the Next Generation Symposium.

​Ashah is Global Advisor and Africa Regional Facilitator with the Young Feminist Fund (FRIDA) where she works with young feminist groups globally. She has extensively taken on international roles to include working with the Alliance of Inclusive Muslims (AIM)-Africa as the Executive Director. She also sits on the said Board as the Global Director Family Law Reform. She is a Master Trainer of Sexual and Gender Based Violence with the Regional Training Facility of the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLRR-RTF) for 12 countries in the great lakes region which role has built her capacity to conduct research, monitor human rights violations and conduct advocacy. She is an alumni of the Coalition for Sexual and Bodily rights (CSBR) Institute in Muslim societies where has immensely contributed to the advancement of SRHR.

​Her 14 years advocacy & legal aid experience, her strategies are more often than not, those that have to do with the shifting of deeply held norms, and beliefs and attitudes against women and are not only focused on changing laws and policies.

​Jocelyn Davison

​Jocelyn is the co-founder of Bee Together, an event planning and purpose & engagement company in Edmonton, that curates connection and impact through meaningful events and purposeful partnerships.  She is also the founder of Elevate, which hosts events that create connection and aims to create a safe space to have conversations and learning on social issues including human trafficking, domestic violence, anti-racism, and houselessness.  Human trafficking is an issue that she is a committed advocate in raising awareness on.  In 2020, Jocelyn was featured as a TEDx speaker where she spoke passionately about human trafficking in our country.  Jocelyn is a mom, a wife, and a person committed giving back to the community and making an impact. 

​*Safe Space:

​SAFE 

​Share

​We are committed to actively working to create a space where everyone feels empowered, comfortable, and able to share.  At Elevate we want you to know that you can share your story, share your opinion, share your experience, and share your voice.  To create this space we encourage respectful dialogue on our social media and at our events.  We lead by example.  We share and then we listen to what others have to say, we ask questions of others, we facilitate conversations where everyone has the opportunity to be heard.  

​Accountability

​We are committed to developing and upholding accountability for ourselves and for the community.  Accountability for everyone means we are all accountable for our words and actions, we must all hold ourselves and one another accountable.  We will create opportunities for the community to hold us accountable through encouraging dialogue, having an open door policy (in-person and online) and continuing to hold focus groups, have surveys, and having specific time at events for guests to approach us directly.  Accountability within the community means that we are all able to challenge one another, in a respectful way, for comments and actions.  Through questioning comments and actions we can learn and gain insight and create opportunities for growth.  

​Freedom

​We are committed to the growth of the Elevate community.  A key part of that growth is ensuring that it is inclusive and that everyone feels welcome.  We want everyone to have the freedom to show up as you are and as who you are.  Through diversity in the community, there is endless opportunity for growth and learning.  Everyone will be welcomed at Elevate, and behaviour of the contrary will not be tolerated.  

​Experience

​We understand that your experience is unique to you and through the richness of everyone’s experience, there is no limit to what can be shared and learned.  We also understand that experience shapes the lens by which we view the world and that everyone’s perceptions and experiences need to be valued, respected, and heard.  

​We are committed to ensuring everyone that connects with Elevate has a good experience, that they feel and experience the values of the community, and that they feel respected, comfortable, and SAFE.  We know this will be a journey and a constantly evolving action, but we are committed to achieving this goal. 

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