MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | MyVote MyVoice Convenes Annual Domestic Violence Awareness Roundtable Across Minnesota and Nigeria

A free virtual program on October 22 brings educators, advocates, legal professionals and faith leaders together around prevention, accountability and the teaching of healthy relationships.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN October 22, 2026

MyVote MyVoice opens its 2026 Domestic Violence Awareness Month observance with a question that reframes the conversation: what happens before violence begins?

That question anchors this year’s Annual Virtual Roundtable, themed “Before Violence Begins: Teaching Respect, Building Healthy Relationships and Choosing Non-Violence.” Rather than limiting the discussion to crisis response, the program turns toward prevention, examining the attitudes, behaviors and social conditions that shape relationships long before harm occurs.

The free, public gathering runs Thursday, October 22, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Central Daylight Time, with simultaneous participation from Nigeria at 5 to 6:30 p.m. West Africa Time. The Google Meet format makes the cross-continental program accessible without travel.

Program Leadership

Ntomchukwu Akaolisa, Servant-In-Chief of MyVote MyVoice, will deliver the welcome and closing appreciation.

Neda Kellogg, founding executive director of Project DIVA International, returns as moderator. Her work with teenage girls around financial agency, emotional regulation and mental fitness brings a youth-development lens to the program’s prevention theme. She will guide speaker exchanges and facilitate audience participation throughout.

The keynote address will be delivered by Dr. Oliver J. Williams, emeritus professor at the University of Minnesota, whose background in domestic violence research, community engagement and the accountability of those who cause harm anchors the program’s educational purpose.

The Panel

The roundtable draws together voices from community advocacy, legal practice, faith leadership, safeguarding and international humanitarian work, reflecting the reality that people experiencing abuse encounter multiple systems and institutions at different points in their lives.

Dr. Diane D. Thibodeaux, founder of Agape Oasis and author of “Abuse, The Hidden Cry,” will deliver the opening reflection and serve as a panelist. Her work focuses on supporting individuals and families affected by abuse and equipping faith communities to recognize and respond to harm.

Dr. Beatrice Onoja, executive director of Glorious Teens Ministry in Nigeria, brings a focus on adolescent development, responsible decision-making and the formation of healthy relationship expectations among young people.

Chioma Ngoka contributes expertise in safeguarding, gender-based violence prevention and humanitarian programming, with particular attention to coercive control, early intervention and organizational responsibility.

Comfort Dondo, associated with Phumulani, centers her perspective on family empowerment and the harmful social norms that can normalize or overlook abusive behavior within communities.

Attorney Ayodele “Dele” Famodu brings a legal and institutional perspective grounded in prosecution, public defense, military legal service and civilian oversight. Her service as a military Judge Advocate and as a leader of the Minneapolis Police Department’s Internal Affairs function informs her approach to accountability and prevention.

Mal. Salis Bashir Jibril, Chief Missioner of Jama’atu Nasril Islam, Chief Imam of the Federal Government College Juma’ah Masjid, President of the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria’s Plateau Area Unit, and Team Lead of the Interfaith Unit at the Plateau State Peace Building Agency, will serve as a panelist and deliver the closing reflection. His interfaith peacebuilding work connects faith communities, youth leadership and conflict prevention to the program’s broader themes.

Program Format

The 90-minute session opens with a welcome, reflection and keynote before moving into three structured discussion rounds. The first provides space for foundational perspectives shared in speaker pairs. The second addresses cross-cutting themes of accountability. The third turns toward practical prevention actions. An audience question-and-answer period precedes the closing reflection and appreciation.

How to Join

Registration: https://forms.gle/fddxmdY1hFM1Avrd7
Google Meet: https://meet.google.com/unz-vzei-szm

Attendance is free and open to the public. Both links are also available as QR codes in the official program bulletin. Speaker assignments and program details are subject to final confirmation.

Disclosure: MinneapoliMedia founder and publisher Tom Akaolisa serves as Servant-In-Chief of MyVote MyVoice, the event organizer.

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