Seven representatives from American Samoa traveled to the Virgin Islands for the “U.S. Territory Summit on Violence Against Women” hosted by the national organization of Sisters of Color Ending Sexual Assault (SCESA) and the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women.

The theme of the summit “Our Communities, Our Islands, One Voice” gives U.S. Territory Coalitions and STOP (Services, Training, Officers, Prosecution) Programs a chance to come together to share information and strategies to further strengthen coordinated, effective and collaborative partnerships to end violence against women.

In addition to delegations from Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands, there are seven local representatives who were invited to attend.

The areas of law enforcement, prosecution, criminal justice, victim advocate and youth programs, children and family services, family advocates and alliances were represented by Poutoa I’amanu (DV/SA Supervising Detective, Department of Public Safety-Criminal Detective Investigation), Mitzie Jessop (Deputy Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General), Vaopunimatagi (Tu) Reed-Vele (Program Manager VAWA, Criminal Justice Planning Agency), Mona Uli (Samoan Victim Support Group), Celestine Faumuina-Nix (Assistant Director, Children and Family Services Division, Department of Human and Social Services), Luvis Lim (Family Support Group), and Faaalu Faletoese (Executive Director, ASADSV) respectively.

The team plans to follow up and follow through on planning collaborative initiatives to help address the issues of violence in our territory.