The People: Organizations concerned with domestic violence, responsible fatherhood, and healthy marriage including The Johnson Foundation, the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), and the National Council of State Legislatures sponsored a conference.

Conference participants included practitioners, academics, government officials, activists, and policy makers from networks concerned with domestic violence, responsible fatherhood, and healthy marriage

 

The Challenge: Thirty-five leaders from the fields of domestic violence, responsible fatherhood, and healthy marriage shared the goal of fostering healthy and safe families. But their different perspectives, agendas, and competition for funding often caused them to behave as adversaries, sometimes leading to clashes over policy. The leaders from these three different fields needed to get beyond stereotypes and misunderstandings, and build relationships with each other in order to move forward on collaborative tasks and activities.

 

The Shift: PCP designed and facilitated a groundbreaking conference, Building Bridges: Marriage, Fatherhood, and Domestic Violence. There was concern for all voices to be heard and none to dominate. Participants realized they did not know one another's fields well. While real concerns had kept the fields apart, individuals also realized they share common ground and could work together. The leaders developed a statement of shared principles and made plans to cross-train and co-author publications. Following the conference, participants continued to share about their work and goals, to develop new collaborations on funding, and to address issues jointly.