November 08th, 2021

Written by: Kathy Fitisone, Asst. Office Mgr.
​Given today’s multimedia technologies and the Internet that can give us access to anything from ancient history to breaking news, we are almost guaranteed a “world at your fingertips” lifestyle.  As advocates, as stewards, and as educators, having access to multimedia is a vital part of our daily work here at the American Samoa Alliance against Domestic and Sexual Violence. 
 
We have several different social media platforms in place including the ever-popular FaceBook, Instagram and YouTube.  We maintain an active website with high quality resources and publications.  We produce a monthly newsletter providing great insight and valuable information, it also serves to highlight past, current, and future events of the Alliance.  In the multimedia realm, we offer access to numerous podcasts, webinars, video conferences, and pre-recorded events.  We are also proud to say that we were the first organization in American Samoa to host a live, fully-virtual proclamation signing for the opening of this year’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
 
We work tediously to incorporate our Mission and Vision in to our social media and multimedia platforms.  Our projects and programs are planned well in advance so that we can roll out our media campaigns.  The campaigns include creating slogans, promoting activities, and highlighting events throughout a project period. 
 
For example, based on input from several different sects of the community, it was noted that often times in response to violence, people are quick to say “that’s just how we are” or “it’s part of the fa’asamoa” and so we were determined to “Reform the Norm” to educate people that violence has no room in us as people or within our beautiful culture.  We promoted #reformthenorm with our Youth Summit as well as DVAM events.  
 
We recently partnered with several agencies, Government departments, and organizations to promote our DVAM activities.  It was an awesome partnership that pushed a Purple Thursday campaign of wearing purple on Thursdays in support of Domestic Violence Awareness.  If one were to look at the pictures on our FaceBook page, we had tremendous support from our schools, the business community, and the faith-based community as well.
 
Some may ask if this is media overload.  The answer is NO!   The more people are given access to positive, constructive information the more opportunity we have to change mindsets.  The sayings “See something, say something” and “Silence Hides Violence” need constant presence in a space that is accessible and all over the world to both victims and perpetrators, to those who stand by and those who stand up and stand out. 
 
Some may ask if having that large of a social media and multimedia presence is really that important?  The answer is YES!  Why?  Because it allows us to continue the dialogue.  It allows us to share info through a cultural lens.  It allows us to bring about awareness of current community attitudes.  Our media presence pushes social norms and stresses the call to action and social change. 
 
So, with the world at your fingertips we encourage you to browse all we have to offer on the World Wide Web.  Follow us and like what we have to offer.  We encourage you to broaden our community by joining us, sharing our pages and posts, disseminating our information and resources, and getting involved in changing community attitudes in order to reduce domestic violence.  Above all stay connected, continue the dialogue and comment, we are listening!