HIS Royal Highness Prince of Wales, Prince Charles has launched the 2019 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence (GBV) in the country, Sunday.
Prince Charles lit a candle to launch the event during a Royal Service held at the Saint Barnabas Cathedral.
Thousands of people including Governor General Sir David Vunagi, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, other government officials and diplomats were present to witness the launching.
Speaking at his sermon, Archbishop of the Church of Melanesia (ACoM) the Most Reverend Leonard Dawea said the country is currently experiencing stronger GBV but not too sure if the country has done enough to be able to pin down its causes.
Rev. Dawea said on the outset, the causes of GBV in the country are hardly located.
“Despite that, the application of violence in general, even if we cannot specifically define it, has been the actions of men including some very devoted christians.
“GBV most specifically is violence committed based on gender or violence at the expense of the other, usually the inferior gender. This is especially when the other is seeing wrongly as subordinate and accorded less respect,” he added.
He said primarily action of violence either general or gender based is raising the hand or leg the other with the intention to hurt.
Rev. Davea said it has been a general realisation that GBV is unaccepted and a lot of effort has been done to eliminate this form of violence.
“While there has been some positive responds, the issue still remain at large in our societies,” he said.
He said it a big question for the country especially what could be the answer if such a deadly issue affecting our human community?
He added when such an issue was raised to Paul by the church in Corinthians, he offered Christ to them as the answer to their requests.
“He offered Christ as the basis for what they had become as christians or as a church.
“All the different members of the church, regardless of whatever their background, he is part and member of the same body of Christ,” he added.
With the high GBV in Solomon Islands and as a Christian country, Rev. Dawea said he believes the only answer to those problems is to take Christ as Lord and Saviour.
By IAN M.KAUKUI