From July 5th to 9th, we hosted “Preventing Domestic and Gender-Based Violence: A Project for Kazakhstan” in eastern Iowa, hosting seven delegates from Kazakhstan. The program aimed to explore rehabilitation programs for offenders, prevention and intervention techniques, and resources for those affected by domestic violence.
The delegation began with a visit to the Johnson County Attorney’s Office. Accompanied by Global Ties Iowa Communications Fellow Ondrea Li and Global Ties Iowa Alisa Meggitt, the delegation engaged with Johnson County Attorney Rachel Zimmerman Smith and learned about the process of how the Attorney’s Office provides assistance to victims and prosecutes those accused of domestic violence.
After their meeting, they met with the Johnson County Sexual Assault Response Team (JCSART) at the Iowa City Public Library. Katy Rasmussen led the discussion on JCSART’s role in aiding and advocating for victims of sexual assault as they move through the health care and criminal justice systems.
For the rest of the evening, the delegation had the opportunity to explore different activities in downtown Iowa City like the Stanley Museum of Art and the University of Iowa Museum of Natural History.
The next day, the delegation had the morning to explore the variety of shops, restaurants, and attractions in Iowa City. The first program of the day started with the Iowa Domestic Abuse Program at the Iowa City Public Library, accompanied by Global Ties Iowa volunteer Ellen Osinska. The delegation met with Male Intake Coordinator Cleo Hester and Female Intake Coordinator Joey Matousek to discuss the rehabilitation programs available for both male and female offenders.
Following their meeting with the Iowa Domestic Abuse Program, the delegation walked to The University of Iowa Counseling Services for a meeting with Staff Psychologist and Social Media Coordinator Tianyi Xie. During their meeting, they discussed the free counseling services that the University of Iowa provides for their students, as well as Tianyi’s integrative approach to therapy that focuses on meeting individual client’s needs in a culturally congruent way.
After their meetings, the delegation enjoyed the rest of their evening off.
The next morning, the delegation departed eastern Iowa City for Rochester, New York.
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Ondrea Li, Alisa Meggitt, and Ellen Osinska for taking the time to volunteer with this delegation. Your time and effort have been crucial to our success. Additionally, thank you to the Johnson County Attorney’s Office, the Johnson County Sexual Assault Response Team, the Iowa Domestic Abuse Program, and The University of Iowa Counseling Services for their resources and expertise.