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Our position statement
As a Pacific organisation dedicated to supporting people of the moana to unleash their full potential, Le Va is committed to championing the wellbeing of Pacific Rainbow communities1 in culturally safe and grounded ways, reflecting our responsibility to both the communities we serve, and Pacific Rainbow people within our organisation. Pacific Rainbow communities refer to the diversity of sexual orientation, gender identity and culturally specific identities within Pacific populations, including mahu, vakasalewalewa, palopa, fa’afāfine and fa’afātama, akava’ine, fakaleitī or leiti, fakafifine, and takatāpui, sometimes commonly known as MVPFAFF+. We recognise the interconnectedness of Māori and Pacific wellbeing and commit to approaches that uphold mana across both.
At Le Va, we honour and celebrate the diversity, strength and leadership Pacific Rainbow communities contribute to our collective identity, and acknowledge that identities are diverse, evolving, self-defined and not fixed. We are committed to nurturing and maintaining an environment of respect and belonging. We will achieve this by embedding inclusive attitudes, behaviours, processes, policies, values and belief systems within our organisation, programmes and resources.
Our commitment is guided by the following principles:
Equity, inclusion and belonging
- We are inclusive of diverse gender identities within the Pacific Rainbow communities.
- We recognise the intersection of cultural, gender and sexual identities and avoid homogenising or generalising Pacific Rainbow communities.
- We move beyond equal access to ensure fair and just experiences and outcomes for Pacific Rainbow communities.
- We create safe and inclusive spaces across our mahi where all people feel valued and respected.
- We set clear expectations for all staff to uphold equity and inclusion, ensuring that the safety, dignity and wellbeing of Pacific Rainbow communities are not compromised by the discomfort of others.
Collaboration and partnership
- We are committed to active participation, voice and leadership of Pacific Rainbow people, not just their safety.
- We collaborate with Pacific Rainbow organisations, communities and allies to strengthen collective impact.
- We seek partnerships that enhance and deepen our understanding and capacity to support Pacific Rainbow communities.
- We value and welcome the knowledge and perspectives of Le Va’s Pacific Rainbow staff, while affirming that responsibility for inclusion sits with the organisation, not individuals.
Respect, dignity and relational practice (va)
- We honour the va, the sacred relational space that connects people, culture and community. The va sits at the centre of our practice and guides how we engage with Pacific Rainbow communities in ways that are safe, respectful and grounded in care.
- Our approach is shaped by the core values of the Va model of relationships: Respect, Love, Trust and Connection. These values are expressed through how we show up in practice:
- We act with reciprocity, recognising relationships as mutual and accountable.
- We demonstrate service and humility, placing community needs at the centre.
- We create environments where people feel safe, valued, empowered and a strong sense of belonging, honouring their identities and experiences.
- We do not accept discrimination, bias, prejudice, inequity, harassment or bullying, and we show courage by challenging it wherever it occurs.
- We actively uphold and protect the va by ensuring our interactions, environments and systems are culturally safe, inclusive and grounded in dignity.
- We recognise the diversity within Pacific Rainbow communities and avoid assumptions or generalisations, ensuring our engagement reflects different lived experiences, identities and contexts without homogenising needs, experiences or aspirations.
Support, advocacy and accountability
- We advocate for the wellbeing of Pacific Rainbow communities within our organisation and beyond.
- We provide and prioritise resources and support that respond to the specific needs and aspirations of Pacific Rainbow communities.
- We are committed to a safe and supportive organisational environment, ensuring our actions, processes and policies enhance wellbeing and do not cause harm.
- We recognise that people who identify as part of Pacific Rainbow communities are best placed to define harm and to determine whether it has occurred. Their perspectives guide how we recognise, respond to, and prevent harm.
- We support staff to act in ways that protect and uplift Pacific Rainbow communities, including where this requires growth, reflection and accountability.
- We are committed to ongoing reflection, feedback and continuous improvement to ensure harm is actively monitored and addressed.
Capability building and awareness
- We are committed to ongoing learning, unlearning and building our staff capability in relation to Rainbow identities, rights and experiences within Pacific contexts. We define learning as moving beyond knowledge to changes in behaviour, practice and decision-making.
1Le Va recognises that there are various identities that people align themselves with eg: MVPFAFF+, LGBTQI+, SOGI, etc. However, for the purposes of consistency and inclusivity we are utilising an all-encompassing Pacific Rainbow terminology.
