SWOVA Community Development and Research Society is a non-profit society and registered charity in Canada. The society has been working for two decades to prevent violence in all forms. All of the work of the society is based on solid research and evaluation. SWOVA is an incubator where strategies and solutions for violence prevention are created, nurtured and shared.
Our Mission:
SWOVA empowers youth to have healthy and respectful relationships through education and skill building programs and as a result, develops the leaders of tomorrow.
Our Mandate:
To work to prevent violence and abuse by:
- promoting respectful and healthy relationships;
- supporting and enhancing evidence-based prevention education in schools;
- building and fostering youth leadership;
- developing solutions in partnership with community;
- and contributing to research in violence prevention education and skill development.
Our Roots video
Our organization was created in response to a horrific incidence of violence against a woman and her daughter in our community a number of years ago. A small group of women came together and chose to take this incident as a ‘wake-up call’ for action. The formation of SWOVA is an example of the positive energy that can rise out of such tragedy.
Our goal is to create a world where women and children are valued and able to live without fear of violence and abuse. We are committed to working in our local community to provide education, raise awareness, and develop solutions to prevent violence and abuse. We also work much further a field, providing resources, training, and education to communities seeking solutions and strategies for violence prevention.
Through our free resource library, schools-based violence prevention education programs, Respectful Relationships, community events, and outreach to other communities provincially, nationally, and globally, we are working to make the world a safer and more respectful place.
