More than 25 people took part in the two-day session that developed the mission and vision of the Community RESPECT Strategy. Submitted photo

Labrador West is a step closer to becoming a more respectful community.

Jane Hoy, facilitator of Jane Hoy Initiatives from Dungannon, ON, was in town last week to help Labrador West form a Community RESPECT Strategy.

Noreen Careen, co-chair of the Mental Health and Addictions Awareness Subcommittee of the Labrador Regional Wellness Coalition, explained the idea for the strategy came after a discussion with the Community Advisory Panel - a group of local stakeholders in Labrador West who talk about the issues affecting the towns.

"One of the issues brought to the forefront at those meetings, was the big issue we have around bullying, harassment, violence and disrespect," Careen noted. "The subcommittee then decided to take it on."

Debbie Samson, co-chair of the subcommittee, said other groups were also trying to deal with the issue, so the subcommittee wanted to bring all the groups and individuals in the towns together to form one strategy for everyone.

The subcommittee, the women said, decided to ask Hoy to facilitate the sessions because the group knew she had experience with it.

"I assist communities to mobilize and build on what they have already started," Hoy explained. "That's about focusing on a vision, finding a way and then facilitating change."

Hoy was in town from Oct. 26-30 and she worked with 26 people who were interested in forming a community strategy.

She said the group was made up of a variety of people with lots of different backgrounds and during the first two days they discussed the issues in the community, formalized a mission and vision, and made a work plan.

"I am so excited for this community," she said. "What this community is doing isn't new, but this is one of the few I know that are standing up to speak about it. We've been talking about what's happening, what needs to happen and out of that a working group is now being finalized, there's a work plan in place and the group has goals."

The vision, Hoy said, is to unite and empower Labrador West to live in an environment where each person accepts responsibility to ensure everyone is welcomed, valued and respected; and the mission of the strategy is to raise awareness of all individuals by working together to promote accountable, respectful communities.

As part of her five-day trip, Hoy also trained 11 people in Labrador West from Oct. 28-30 on the Virtues Project, which she thinks fits well with the Community RESPECT Strategy.

"The simplicity of Virtues is brilliant when it comes to personal growth," she stated. "You can use it in your family, management style, corporate world or in the community. Part of the hope is the learning that comes out of the Virtues Project is increasing the awareness of strategies that can be used every day. It's about bringing out the best in people."

Virtues, she said offers personal and professional development programs and training that is meant to inspire people to do better. Three people founded it in 1991 to counteract violence among youth and families and they discovered that virtues were at the heart of all spiritual traditions. They published a guide of 52 virtues and five strategies to restore the practice of virtues in everyday life.

"Our words are powerful," Hoy pointed out. "How we use our words needs to be carefully considered. We can use them to discourage or we can use them to encourage."

Careen, Samson and Hoy said it was a very productive week, and the strategy working group will meet again after Christmas to decide how to move the action plan forward.

Samson said the group will prepare a presentation for other groups and organizations in the community to use, which will include information on things like harassment and respect, and will then set more concrete goals on how to make Labrador West a more welcoming community.

"It's going to bring unity," Hoy said.

"Until now, it was an isolated issue, but now it has a voice," Samson said. "We have given ourselves permission to come out of denial and accept responsibility."

The women admitted they can't control how people will react and they don't know if the strategy will be welcomed, but there are people in Labrador West who want change, and they're doing what they can to make it happen.

The goal is to have healthy, happy communities, and Samson said it's amazing how much support the subcommittee has received already.

"The attitude used to be you have to be tough, suck it up," Samson explained. "We don't have to do that anymore. We're speaking up and saying it's not acceptable. It's time for change."

Hoy said the implementation of the RESPECT strategy may take time, but she thinks it will win in the end.

The cycle can be broken, and she said the group involved in the strategy is up to the challenge.

"We want it to become contagious," Samson said. "When people start standing up for themselves and for each other, that's when things start to change. There's always hope."