Under the theme, “Moved with compassion”, church leaders, members, and advocates gathered in Nassau, The Bahamas, on August 22, for the South Bahamas Conference’s EndItNow March and Rally 2026, as part of a global Seventh-day Adventist initiative against abuse and violence.

 The event began with participants marching down East Street, holding posters and banners with messages calling for an end to violence. The march concluded at Rawson Square, where the rally was broadcast on the country’s national radio station.

At the rally, organizers, church leaders, and community members joined forces to raise awareness about domestic violence, child abuse, and gender-based violence.

Among the supporters was Ann Marie Davis, wife of the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, who highlighted that the evening’s theme called for both care and action.

“Compassion is not only about caring,” Davis shared. “It is about allowing that care to move us into action. We are making a decision collectively to refuse to be silent about abuse and violence. We are choosing to stand with those who have experienced it, to support those who are healing, and to help create communities where every person feels safe and valued.”

The guest speaker of the rally was the Hon. LaShell Adderley, President of the Senate of The Bahamas, who highlighted the role of the church and its moral responsibility to against abuse. She explained that when the church remains silent in the face of suffering, it fails its moral calling.

“When the church remains silent while abused women cry out for help, it falls short of its calling to promote healing and reconciliation,” Senator Adderley stated. “It becomes little more than empty norms rather than a force of justice and compassion.”

“If we are truly moved with compassion, then our churches must be prepared to use their collective resources to help establish, manage, and sustain shelters for those in urgent need of protection,” she added.

Addressing this year’s theme of compassion, Adderley reminded the audience that behind every statistic is a human being, a family, and a community carrying pain that may last for generations.

She expanded the definition of compassion to include empathy for devastated parents, spouses, and families, as well as for communities living in fear and young people searching for purpose and hope.

In her address, Senator Adderley also pointed to recent governmental initiatives as evidence of progress, noting the passage of the Protection Against Violence Act, the opening of the domestic violence unit and family courts, and the opening of the Protection Against Violence Commission and Gender and Family Affairs building.

However, she emphasized that these structural changes must be matched by a shift in attitudes and behaviors in society.

Adderley called for a re-examination of societal norms, “including aspects of patriarchal culture that have from time to time reinforced male dominance and diminished the dignity, worth, and protection owed to every individual.”

Other members of the community also showed their support for the campaign against violence. Cleopatra Christie, Administrator of the Bahamas Crisis Center, reinforced the importance of collaboration among organizations to create change, emphasizing that no single institution can solve the crisis alone.

Dr. Marissa Mason-Smith, Chairperson of the Protection Against Violence Commission and Zonta International Area Director 3, urged Bahamians to be proactive in identifying and addressing harmful behavior within their communities.

She highlighted the danger of silence, noting, “Whenever we are silent, we are endorsing what is taking place….It will end with only one decision by all of us that we will not condone violence, even if it is our own child.”

Dr. Mason-Smith reminded the crowd that advocating against violence in The Bahamas must continue beyond the evening’s program and called for everyone’s involvement.

 “This evening we march with compassion, but tomorrow we must act with courage while our hearts and voices are united,” Mason-Smith shared.

“We must say no to violence because one voice sustained by action, can become a movement. And a movement committed to protecting people, restoring dignity, and demanding accountability can help us create The Bahamas we deserve.”

VIEW PHOTOS HERE