We are in the pleasant position to announce that in the context of the GEAR against IPV-II project (co-funded by the DAPHNE III Programme of the European Union), a 2-day European Conference, entitled Building Healthy Intimate Relationships, will be held with the participation of policy makers, stakeholders, governmental and non-governmental organizations' representatives and experts in the area of preventing and combating Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) in adolescents.

The Conference, which is jointly organized by the European Anti-Violence Network (EAVN) and The Smile of the Child, will be held on 22-23 September 2016 in the Amphitheater of the Acropolis Museum, Athens, Greece.

Conference program: http://www.gear-ipv.eu/images/news/Conferences/Program_EU_Conference_GEAR_against_IPV_II.pdf

During the 1st day of the Conference the presentation will focus on the GEAR against IPV approach, its philosophy and its material; on the basis of the Master GEAR against IPV Package, 7 National Packages have already been developed, culturally validated and evaluated. Representatives from all partner Organizations (7 Member States) who participated in the GEAR against IPV-I and -II projects, along with the projects' external evaluator, will present and share their experience from developing their National Package as well as of training teachers and implementing Workshops with adolescents in their country.

At the end of the first day Experts' Working Groups will be held (closed session): more than 30 experts in the field of prevention and combating IPV and GBV in adolescents from EU Member States, candidate and potential candidate MS will work together in order: 

to record and discuss existing policies/practices/interventions that are implemented in the schools of their countries with teenagers and/or children aimed at primary/secondary prevention of IPV and GBV to assess the compliance of their countries with the CoE's Istanbul Convention's articles for primary prevention of VAWG (with emphasis on Articles 14 and 15) to evaluate the GEAR against IPV approach, in terms of its usefulness and the feasibility to be implemented in the schools of their country to formulate proposals and recommendations (at National or European level) for the implementation of interventions for primary/secondary prevention of IPV and GBV, in the school setting During the 2nd day of the Conference, the results and conclusions of the Experts' Working Groups will be presented and discussed with the audience.

The Closing Session entitled “CoE's Istanbul Convention as roadmap towards an effective European strategy for the prevention of IPV and GBV in future generations: the role of school”, will include presentations and discussion about the crucial role school can/must play in prevention of IPV/GBV in relation to the provisions of the Istanbul Convention.

The working language will be English/Greek (in parallel translation).