I used violence.
My father used violence.
My grandfather used violence.
Three generations of my male family used violence.
And violence had to stop with me.
Because there’s a fourth generation in my son
And I realised that if not with me, then who.
I wanted to be a part of the Stop it at the Start campaign
Because I believe in the next generation.
My name is Devon Cuimara.
I am a Whadjuk Yued Noongar man.
I am the founder of the Aboriginal Males Healing Centre.
Our purpose is to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men who use violence.
It’s not an easy process when you are wanting to share
With others that you use violence.
But once you elect to be truthful to yourself the process then becomes a lot easier and recognising where it comes from
You weren’t born like that, you learn violence.
Respect for me came about because I didn’t want to be alone.
And when you use violence and when you disrespect
You’ll always be on your own and you’ll always be lonely.
Because you don’t respect yourself and you don’t respect others.
So you have to turn it on it’s head.
Culture for me when talking about respect
Was about listening and learning about what the old people were telling me.
About how to hunt, even simply about how to light a fire.
And learning really the structures within our families
And the sons and the history of our people.
As a father, as a grandfather, as an uncle, as a brother, as a son.
You know I teach my children, my grandchildren respect.
All the young people in my life about respect.
Is by respecting who they are as young people.
Having humility or walking in their shoes is not forgetting
That I was once a young person and how I would want to learn about respect.
Respect for one’s opinion, respect for one’s choices
Respect for the indivdual, whether you know them or not.
It’s everybody in the community’s responsibilty to teach young people about respect.
From Elders, down through all the adults, young people.
It’s a conversation that needs to be ongoing.
It’s a conversation that should never stop because respect has to never stop.
Don’t be afraid to say ‘How do you respect people?’
We have to lead by example.
We have to speak by example.
And we must live by example.
