The leaders of Toamua Village have pledged to be a role model in being a violence free village, where its people will live in peace and harmony.

The pledge was made during the Community Day hosted by Toamua as part of the UNESCO Spotlight Initiative, where traditional performing arts was used as a channel for creative expression, to raise awareness on the importance of ending domestic violence and intimate partner violence.

“In supporting the My Village My Pride Project carried out by the Samoa Victim Support Group and UNESCO, Toamua pledges to the gathering tonight (Thursday), that it will remain a violence free village where its people will live in peace and harmony.” Said Ale Vena Ale, High Chief and Member of Parliament for the Constituency of Faleata No. 4.

According to one of the participants to the Toamua Community Day Vagana Ale Komiti, there was peace all around.

“We heard the pledge made by the Member of Parliament on behalf of our village. It was a transformative moment for our village, given the many incidents of violence in Toamua. The pledge therefore engaged the whole village in the process of becoming aware of violence, and being responsible for our actions,” he said.

The pledge by Toamua and its leaders came on the eve of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based violence which runs from 25 November to 10 December 2023, on the global theme for this year is “UNITE! Invest to prevent violence against women and girls.”

According to SVSG, the investment from Toamua and its leaders is obvious and an investment in its people, to improve their understanding on violence and to be responsible for maintaining violence free families and communities.

Shamila Nair-Bedouelle, Director of the UNESCO Office in Samoa, who participated in the Toamua Community Day where the pledge was made, emphasized the significance of community engagement in the Spotlight Initiative.

She highlighted the healing power of art, expressing hope that the arts showcased in Toamua's performance arts awareness and the pledge by its leaders, would serve to unify and heal societal wounds.

She reiterated a Samoan proverb, saying 'E fofo e le Alamea le alamea', which translates to 'The solutions to our issues lie within our communities'.

"For this year's 16 Days of Activism, we stand in solidarity with women in Samoa and around the world, to amplify the call for a world, free from violence against women and girls. Localising the actions, the progress and the momentum, ensures that the solidarity movement is not only relevant, but also inclusive. Thank you to the leaders of Toamua for the bold commitment towards a violence free community,”  said Siliniu Lina Chang, SVSG President