M1 - NEW UPDATE ON MY INITIATIVE

I am sharing my new update from the previous update of my initiative. I need financial resources and a team of supporters to create a movement, an NGO, or an organization. So, I decided to work on building my reputation to get my message out, let people know about the current situation, and create a network of supporters. Violence is increasing, and victims are afraid to report and break the silence. The responsible agencies, governmental and non-governmental, are not providing the necessary safety to report and justice in court.

My next step is raising visibility. 

1. Framing the problem that victims are facing:

RAISE VISIBILITY ABOUT number 1: victims need to feel safe to report and want to receive justice from the law and court. But the problem is that there is no cross-checking for previous violations of the perpetrators in court, and victims face secondary victimization in court because previous violations should be presented. Unfortunately, abusers are not in jail because of this. There is a need for a central database between governmental and non-governmental organizations and exchange of data reporting before the victim reaches trial. In addition, there is a need for an organization that will deal with the representation of abuse victims in court and fights for victims' rights. Also, support victims, educational programs, research, helpline, court reporting, and policies and procedures improvements. It's terrifying for a victim to escape abuse without help and support, and this organization will provide the necessities the victim needs to break the silence and escape. 

RAISE VISIBILITY ABOUT number 2: Victims shouldn't lose their money and possessions after escaping abuse. Many victims have joint loans with their abusers, joint bank accounts, and other controls. 

Unfortunately, there are delays in the procedures by the law, court, and Bank. These delays result in losing their money. For example, according to the law, three years after the divorce, a settlement must be made of all joint money and possessions and be shared equitably between them. But what happens if they have standard loans? First, they have to pay the loan and then the sharing. This procedure takes many years, resulting in the victim losing all money and possessions. 

2. Explaining the issue through:

Storytelling- Sharing my story of what happened to me and why I am doing this today

My story was awarded: https://www.worldpulse.org/story/cyprus%3a-i-escaped-abuse-and-now-i-am-thriving-22969

I faced victimization in my life from my parents, and my abuser, for 20 years. Also, I met victimization from the court while my abuser was, set free, paying a small amount for the repeated abuse he caused me for 20 years instead of going to jail. On top of all this, he was suspended for two years. For beating someone else besides me, and the authorities knew about it. But he was presented in court with a clear criminal record and that it was his first episode of abuse, which was a lie.

I also faced victimization from the Bank because I had signed up for the abuser to get a loan, and the Bank took all my money and possessions away from me because my abuser never paid the money back to the Bank for the loan he got to revenge me.

Also, I own half of the house that my abuser is living in, and I can't get my share because I missed out on the law deadline, which says three years after the divorce. I had to complete the sharing procedures, but I couldn't do that because there was a loan to pay first and then the sharing of all possessions. So that leaves me now without a house. Victims shouldn't have to lose all their money and possessions when they escape an abusive relationship and face repeated victimization from the Bank, court, law, and the state.

My intention in sharing my story is not to blame my parents or ex-husband for carrying out the abuse they learned from their parents but to raise awareness that Violence is carried out from generation to generation, and we need to break the circle and escape. 

Showing my Expertise in the issue- through my two research 

· During my studies, I researched the causes of domestic violence in Cyprus. My proposal included ways to improve legislation gaps, creating a new NGO that will deal with justice in court, representation of victims, and support of victims during the trial. 

· I also did a case study at the University of Cyprus on campus violence for my master's thesis. My proposal included good practices, policies, procedures, and structure for the new university office dealing with campus violence. As a result of my work, the university instituted my recommendations.

· My experience taught me and my research that I have done that women endure abuse for many reasons: the existence of children, financial dependence, traditional perceptions that the father is considered necessary, and the fear of abandonment that she will not succeed alone. 

· And the responsible agencies (governmental or non-governmental) are not providing the required assistance that is needed for victims and survivors to escape Violence and end repeated victimization that they are facing from the abusers, court, banks, and the state. I have encountered many others now facing the same as I did.

· Many women cannot see alternative ways out of their relationships, trying to focus on survival. However, I believe that recommendations like mine can help women to overcome abuse. 

· In my research, I also found out that through establishing a patriarchal society, girls and boys are socialized based on some standards that are followed and learned. Girls are socialized to be obedient and dependent. Unlike the boys who grow up in an environment that promotes their superiority because of their physical strength. 

· The "Way of upbringing" implies social and cultural norms. Society itself encourages male dominance based on cultural standards. It is located in the social structure, values, traditions, customs, habits, and beliefs linked to gender inequalities, and all that I have mentioned are based on my research findings. 

· Another finding from my research is that Violence is learned in an environment where the child grows up experiencing it daily. 

I am showing my Expertise in the issue- through my books (healing tools to recover from abuse)

Before we train ourselves to forgive and be good, positive, and happy, we need to heal the trauma, pain, and wound to recover from past events. I have researched and studied Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Joseph Luft, and Harrington Ingham's theories. For example, Freud believed that 10% of our mind is conscious and awake, 50-60% is the subconscious mind and is not fully awake and influences our actions and feelings; 30-40% is the unconscious mind that is not aware; its the storage of feelings, thoughts, urges, memories, pain, anxiety, and conflict. 

On the other hand, Carl Jung believed that we are all connected and our ancestors through a set of shared experiences and that there are four theories of consciousness, the persona, shadow, anima/animus, and self. So I studied his shadow work, the unconscious parts of our personality that our conscious ego doesn't want to identify. 

Furthermore, Joseph luft and Harrington Ingham created a self-awareness tool to help people get to know one's self. It's a framework for the understanding conscious and unconscious bias that can increase self-awareness and awareness of yourselves and others.

I wrote my books based on these theories and intended to make the unconscious conscious in my readers' lives. I tried to make the unseen seen. I wanted to show my readers how to live on the other side of life. To uncover the hidden, go back to the backstage of our lives that we are unaware of, not awaken, and make the unconscious or subconscious part of our personality known. That part in us to become seen and heal the past events that keep us stuck, forgive others, rewire, reprogram our minds, heal and become whole and reach authenticity.

 By shutting down our minds, trying to forget what happened, or stopping thinking about past events, we unconsciously repress our feelings, blocking or avoiding unwanted thoughts that are traumatic events, and we are unaware of what we are doing. In reality, we hide behind our smiles, conceal our pain, scars, sadness, fear, frustration, anger, and hatred, and we are screaming inside, and we are not showing it.

Shutting down unwanted thoughts we are trying to forget or not think about painful or unwanted thoughts; we shut down our thoughts consciously. We attract what we don't want by suppressing feelings, memories, and emotions. We project to others anything inside of us and are unaware of doing this. But if we deal with past events or traumas, we will stop attracting what we don't want. It's best to face what we are feeling and accept it.  

In my books, there are different sets of tools to help you change your thinking processes and move forward in your life. We grow up with many things we should do in our minds that others planted, and with my book, Live life to its fullest and never look back, you will be able to escape this imprisonment of your mind. Most of us have several blocks of rules, norms, or habits in our subconscious minds that are carried over from generation to generation. We grow up with lots of things we should do and feel trapped. Within my book, you can open the Johari window to understand yourself and others. There are also tools to bring balance to your life, change your thoughts and past events, create your new life, and even attract the love of your life for all single people out there. And I am passionate about inspiring people through my writing and stories and helping them free themselves and heal. 

Sharing my book link 'Live life to its fullest, never look back on amazon: 

amazon.com/author/elenageorgiou

3. Explaining my Vision and Proposal for Change:

My vision:

I imagined a world where victims could feel safe to report and receive justice from the law and the court; that is my vision and mission. 

It's terrifying for a victim to escape without help and support. But, being a victim myself, I obeyed rules, felt not enough, was ashamed of who I was, and was not allowed to raise my Voice and have an opinion.

Children that grow up in an abusive, controlling environment are scared to free themselves from victimhood even after adulthood. Because their parents never gave them space to flourish or allowed them to make their own choices or decisions. They controlled them; they tended to walk in life seeking approval and were afraid to escape their miserable life and free themselves from victimhood. So, it takes much courage to walk away and say no to abuse. I know because I was a victim.

My proposal for change:

1. Require compensation paid to the victim by the perpetrator.

2. Provide an accessible representation of a lawyer to all victims.

3. Courts must sell immediately and distribute properties and require loans to be repaid equitably so that the victim does not continue to suffer secondary and repeated victimization from the abuser for many years, as happened in my case. Victims shouldn't have to lose all of their money and possessions when escaping an abusive relationship. Unfortunately, there are delays in the procedures either from the court or the Bank. Although this delay benefits the perpetrators, unfortunately, it keeps victims stuck and the continuation of their revenge against their victim.

4. Create a central database among the police, welfare system, NGO, and court for recording domestic Violence to protect the victims from secondary victimization in court. There is no monitoring of the perpetrators by authorities in Cyprus for previous violations. When abusers perpetrate Violence, we need all the documentation to protect victims from further abuse.

5. Create shelters with educational programs for perpetrators to learn about zero tolerance for abuse and the benefits of a healthy family.

6. Create a new NGO for victims to report incidents and provide them with psychological support amid court proceedings until they recover from the cycle of Violence. This NGO will collect all their recordings to present them in court from the police, welfare, and NGOs. This way, there will be cross-checking for previous violations, valid documentation will not be hidden anymore but shown in court, and the abuser will finally be in jail because they should be there.

7. Educate children on violence-related issues to help change prevailing social norms.

8. The court trial should occur immediately, not as it is happening now but without further delays. But unfortunately, it takes many years for the final decision.  

9. Victims want justice and protection from the law, court, and the state to escape Violence, and perpetrators should be in prison, not set free, paying a small amount for the repeated abuse they caused to their victims and clearing their records to set them free.

4. Whom am I going to connect or network with:

4.1 Victims

4.2 Survivors

4.3 Advocates

4.4 NGO's 

4.5 Conferences on abuse or events on abuse

5. Why am I doing this?

· I want to inspire, influence an audience, and create a Social movement for justice in court

· I want to inspire, influence an audience, and create an NGO

· I can advise on how to reduce abuse as an opinion leader, researcher, expert, and influencer

· I decide to use the power of my Voice and be the Voice of the voiceless 

· Speak at events, conferences, TEDx, and social media

· Increase my visibility and build my reputation as an opinion leader, researcher, expert, and influencer