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Lali is a culturally grounded Pasifika sexual violence workforce development collaboration, jointly coordinated by Pasifika-led organisations Le Va, Alo Fā and Poutu Pasifika, funded by Pasefika Proud.
The Lali initiative, established in 2026, brings together the expertise and leadership of these organisations to provide a shared framework, principles and training programmes to strengthen how our workforce prevents and responds to sexual violence.
It recognises the important role held by trusted community members, leaders, churches, parents, caregivers, peer supporters, practitioners and specialist services in supporting safer Pasifika families and communities.
Grounded in Pasifika values and relational practice, Lali supports capability and capacity across every part of the Pasifika workforce continuum, from trusted community members and church leaders through to specialist practitioners.
Le Va, Poutu Pasifika, and Alo Fā have combined their strengths under Lali. Le Va leads capability building with our informal workforce and communities, Alo Fā strengthens formal workforce and organisational responses, and Poutu Pasifika supports specialist supervision, reflective practice and clinical capability and capacity.
Together, this partnership creates a more connected and consistent response across the continuum.
Meaning behind the name
‘Lali’ is the Samoan, Fijian and Tongan name for the large wooden slit drum found throughout the Pacific. A significant part of traditional Pacific culture, the drum is used as a form of communication to announce important events over long distances and summon people to gather together.
We chose this name because Lali is a call to action, a call for our Pacific communities to unite together against sexual violence.
The Lali framework and training programme will enable the sexual violence support and prevention workforce to know when and how to act, with the guidance of best practice principles.
There is an old Samoan proverb, “E tū manu ae le tū logologo” which means that birds tire and must rest, whereas the telling of stories and news never stops.
In this same way, our organisations will continue to speak out against sexual violence, and not rest while our communities need support.
Lali workshops
Our village, our responsibility
Drawing on the knowledge, relationships, prevention frameworks and workforce development experience established through Le Va’s existing Atu-Mai violence prevention programme, Le Va has created the Our Village, Our Responsibility workshop as culturally grounded sexual violence prevention training for the informal workforce.
Pasefika Proud, an initiative from the Ministry of Social Development, supported the development of the workshop, which forms part of the wider Lali workforce development partnership.
Our Village, Our Responsibility is grounded in the belief that sexual violence is not consistent with Pasifika values and that communities already hold important strengths, relationships, and cultural knowledge that can support prevention. The programme uses Pasifika values as a foundation for exploring safety, accountability, consent, respect, healthy relationships and collective responsibility.
The training supports participants to increase their understanding of sexual violence and its impacts, challenge harmful attitudes and misconceptions, recognise warning signs and unsafe behaviours, strengthen confidence to have prevention-focused conversations, respond safely to concerns and disclosures, and connect people with appropriate support services.
Participants are encouraged to reflect on the role they can play in creating safer families, churches, workplaces, youth spaces and communities.
The Lali approach
Pasifika-led. Lali is shaped by Pasifika worldviews, lived experience and community leadership, reflecting the diversity of our languages, cultures and faiths.
Relational. Practice is grounded in the vā – the sacred space between people – with talanoa, trust and accountability at the centre of every conversation.
Healing-centred. Lali moves beyond a deficit lens, drawing on cultural identity, connection and collective wellbeing as pathways towards healing.
Culturally safe. Every space created through Lali aims to be one where people feel respected, heard and safe to talanoa about sensitive kaupapa.
Evidence-informed. Training and practice draw on sexual violence prevention evidence, specialist knowledge and Pasifika research alongside community wisdom.
Community mobilisation. Lali recognises the power of churches, aiga, peer networks and community leaders in shaping safer norms and supporting prevention.
Pasifika values such as vā, respect, love, service, reciprocity, spirituality, integrity, collective responsibility and cultural humility sit at the heart of everything Lali does – guiding how programmes are developed and delivered across our communities.
Lali will continue to grow through ongoing partnership, consultation and community input as this collaborative work evolves.
For more information about Lali and the Our village, our responsibility workshop, please email admin@leva.co.nz
