Transcript
GISA DR MOSES FALEOLO: There were some objectives from a parental point of view around cultural realignment, you know, returning them back to the cultural traditions and practises and that would re-introduce them back into values like respect and humility. You know, that was the agenda between these two sets of family members - that's the extended and the family who is sending them across. And I just don't think that that was achieved. From the young people's perspectives, I think they were still, I guess, still very angry, for most of them suddenly in a new environment and they hadn't been consulted and whether they wanted to be there was another issue. And just being removed and detached from an environment like their family home, you know, and now they're in a totally different environment. So, I think having these mixed feelings would have counted against the parents' agenda or the parents' objective to try and reform them or return them back to their culture.
INDIRA STEWART: Right, so all those factors that you're talking about - where they all similar common themes among all the participants in your study - those were all contributing factors that resulted in these people, easily being able to establish themselves back into gang culture and also end up having negative impacts in their communities?
GMF: I think there are some variations in their experiences. The schooling experiences was different, their relationships with their peers and with their school friends was different as well. You know, they went from being 'Mr Popular' or very popular in their school and in New Zealand. Or even in their street life, to a nobody. To someone who was isolated and you know, ridiculed for even looking and dressing and speaking differently.
IS: So, from the findings of your study, you believe that there should be a strategy, a new kind of strategy to be implemented, that could ensure that this issue could be better dealt with in the future?
GMF: Yeah, I'm glad you asked that because that's the question I'd really like to answer. There's two things I'd like to emphasise in the time we have together. One is that there is an institution in the village life that I'm aware of and some of the young people mentioned this. It's very much like a buddy system but it involves what they call a village leader and this village leader overseas a structure or a group of Taule'ale'a or young untitled men. And so they undergo almost like courses around life skills and around respecting and also around cultural practices. And the idea is that perhaps these wayward teenagers can then be part of this aumaga or this group of Taule'ale'a and undergo the same kind of training that these young untitled men are going through. And it may not necessarily be achieving Matai status that could be the end point. But mainly around reform and rehabilitation and around attitudinal shifts and behavioural changes. I think there's an opportunity for the government to come in, and probably they already have opportunities in place to be fair. But if we've got cases - I'm assuming that this is not the first time someone like me has stumbled over this. I think that we need to have a look at that and it's about the Samoan government maybe glancing over what they've got in place already and having a look to see whether they've been effective or not and then also maybe utilizing village structures and forming a partnership with them.
