Tagaloatele Peggy Fairbairn-Dunlop said people had been saying old family values of fa'asamoa have weakened and it's now time to go back to traditions like evening family prayers.

She said the Commission would be recommending an agency to disseminate uniform messages on family violence.

Tagaloatele said it was also felt the public health system should be the agency to deal with domestic violence.

Parents needed to engage with their children and stop normalising family violence. Families also needed to feel less pressured by church and fa'alavelave or big family events.

She said men and women had different knowledge and strengths but it did not mean one gender had control over the other.

Public presentations to the Commission have revealed that domestic violence is a real problem and on the rise.

Many presentations indicated that domestic violence has become normalised in Samoan society.

The Samoa Observer reported that the country's attorney general, Lemalu Hermann Retzlaff, told the Commission that while there are "strong legislation and protective laws" in place, the question is whether they are being implemented.

He spoke of the No Drop Policy which was introduced in 2013, but said the implementation of such protective laws depends on social attitudes.

Tagaloatele taught at the University of the South Pacific Alafua School of Agriculture in Samoa for over 15 years.

She has held posts with UNDP, UNIFEM and UNESCO and worked with national planning offices and NGOs in most Pacific countries before her return to New Zealand in 2006.

In 2009 she became inaugural Professor of Pacific Studies at the Auckland University of Technology and has been teaching, researching and publishing on Pacific development issues.

Source

• RNZ
• RNZ
• AUT
• Samoan Biographies
• Image: c.tadest.com

But RNZ's Samoa corespondent Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia says families are more inclined to be traditional when it comes to funeral costs.

"When you talk about a funeral in Samoa, every Samoan living overseas knows exactly what they're going to prepare to bring to Samoa."

"Lots of money, lots of fine mats and lots of food because Samoan funerals are very expensive, I tell you."

"I believe Samoa is very very very different how they feel about their loved ones when they prepare a funeral, whether they are a low income family because in Samoa everyone contributes, everyone shows their love of the person."

He says it'll take a few years for Samoans to catch on and consider insurance.

The two focus group sessions were organised by the Regional Disaster Resilience in the Pacific Small Island Developing States (RESPAC) and the Pacific Financial Inclusion Programme (PFIP).

Separate focus groups of employees and employers looked at the concept of funeral expenses insurance.

Participants agreed the insurance would be an attractive option. They said they would be willing to take up as it would help them deal with the high cost of funerals.

Affordability and trust in the organisation providing the insurance were the two main priorities highlighted as being important to them when deciding to purchase funeral expenses insurance.

Source

• RNZ
• Scoop
• PFIP
• Image: Travelling with matches

However, that ban comes with exceptions, urging that "wisdom and conscience" are used.

C.C.C.S. Secretary General, Reverend Dr. Iutisone Salevao said the decision was finalised during last year's gathering.

Speaking to the Samoa Observer yesterday, Dr. Salevao made it clear that the change is to "lighten the burden on people".

Reading from the Annual Meeting's Resolution 2013 booklet, he said, "There shall be no more traditional presentation of fine mats inclusive of food feasts presentation in dedication of church buildings."

Around this time last year, at the 2013 conference, many Reverends voiced their dismay on the traditional practices causing "people to leave churches".

One of the Ministers told the conference last year that the church should set an example to "stop taiga sua to avoid the heavy burden on people".

"If we take these gifts away we would feel a lot cooler and relaxed."

Under fa'alavelave custom, family and friends are expected to donate money, food, clothing and artefacts during a wedding, funeral or other significant occasions.

This is on top of regular tithes, with some church goers donating up to half of their income.

Source

• Samoa Observer
• Samoa Observer
• Image: unesco.org

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