In 2024, a group of Latin American women in Queenstown partnered with Shama to address sexual violence prevention within their community. The group was primarily organized by Latin Americans for New Zealand, an organization known for hosting the annual Cultural Latin Festival in Queenstown. Their motivation came not only from seeing the growing Latin American population in the area but also from recognizing the need for resources and tools to prevent violence.
After a workshop with Shama, the group explored different ideas for engaging the community. A key priority was involving men in the conversation about healthy relationships. Initially, they considered organizing an obstacle course – a popular event in Queenstown- but specially dedicated for Latin Americans on Saint Valentine’s Day. They thought about games to encourage couples to reflect on healthy relationship practices. However, as some members began traveling, organizing such an activity became challenging.
Instead, the group chose to participate in the Latin American Festival of Queenstown by applying for a stall focused on sexual violence prevention. They were awarded a spot and decided to create an artistic space where participants could contribute to cloth painting and a community mural where they could reflect about healthy relationships.
The group asked Juanita, Shama’s prevention lead, to support the activity, helping facilitate conversations with festival attendees. On the day of the festival, the group set up their stall early. Community members stopped by to discuss healthy relationships, share their experiences, and contribute to the mural. One elderly Latin American woman cried of surprise when she saw the mural, reflecting that such conversations did not exist during her youth and might have prevented the violence she experienced in the past. Others, both Latin American and from other ethnic backgrounds, engaged in discussions inspired by the mural, which featured themes such as respect, mutual learning, joy, support, and vulnerability.
The activity successfully co-created a mural and fostered meaningful conversations about healthy relationships. The response was very positive, with people of all ages -men, women, and children- participating. The event also provided an opportunity to raise awareness about family and sexual violence services available to ethnic communities. Following the festival, an NGO expressed interest in hosting the mural in their space to continue these important conversations with diverse communities.
