DEITY Trailer
WARNING: This trailer contains “strong language” - Viewer discretion advised.
It's the final few weeks of school for the year 12 students of Mt Druitt high School & they just want to get through it off the radar.
With big dreams for the big world they are ready to switch classrooms with the hustle of young adulthood - well, that’s the goal anyway.
But something is not right in the corridors of Mt Druitt High & Jacob, a Sāmoan kid with the world against him can feel it.
Literally. Something is coming & whatever it is, its coming for the Pasifika kids of Mt Druitt High School.
DEITY is a nod to being young, brown & Pasifika in Australia & about celebrating the stories of West Sydney's Pasifika Community.
DEITY’s pilot episode premieres on January 4th @ 6pm AEST via the @pelesasapics Facebook page & youtube channel.
Follow, Like, Subscribe.
March against growing Youth Violence in Melbourne kicks off hopeful New Year
The rising number of youth violence incidents in Melbourne’s West has prompted members of the community to take action to voice their concerns.
The ‘Youth Violence is not OK’ march will take place next Saturday, January 2nd at 10am and will begin from Tenterfield Park, Caroline Springs and end behind Sunshine Police Station in Brimbank.
The march, which welcomes all, is being organised by the Samoa Community Advisory Council Victoria Incorporated (SCACVI) with support from the Victoria Police, local government councils and other notable community groups.
It urges people to march in solidarity in an effort to combat youth violence by raising awareness and helping to find solutions.
Incidents involving youth this month alone include a 15-year-old boy who was bashed and stomped on in Caroline Springs. This week, five teenagers were arrested in Tarneit charged with assault, theft and robbery. Two of the arrested were out on bail.
Earlier this year Brimbank teenager Solomone Taufeulungaki was fatally stabbed by a youth gang while walking home from school.…more
JuJu Pays Off $25,000 of Layaway For Christmas!
Samoan NFL player Juju Smith-Schuster and the Juju foundation paid off over $25,000 worth of layaway gifts earlier this week for families in need.
JuJu and his family teamed up with Pay Away the Layaway volunteers and Burlington Stores in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Compton, California to pay off Christmas gifts and essential products for over 170 families in need.
“I am truly blessed to be able to give back to families in Pittsburgh and California during the holidays,” said Smith-Schuster, about the donation. “We hope paying off these layaway balances will cause a sense of relief and lift the spirit of all of these families.”
Especially during 2020, this donation is a huge weight lifted off the shoulders of people and families in need during a holiday season that has been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, JuJu was able to help others and give a lot of people a reason to smile as the year is winding down.
Ashneel & Benita // Indian-Samoan Wedding
The wedding of Ashneel & Benita.
Check out the beautiful wedding ceremonies held for Ashneel (Indian) and Benita (Samoan) - a celebration of marriage and a celebration of two cultures coming together
Video credit: Canaan Ene
A1 Presents: The Producers Behind ONEFOUR
ONEFOUR is a breaking hip hop group from Mount Druitt, in Sydney, Australia.
Meet the producers Rick, i.amsolo, willstah and Khaled, who helped shape the sound and stories behind ONEFOUR's explosive debut EP 'Against All Odds'.
Listen to the EP in A1, Spotify Australia's flagship hip hop playlist, here: https://spoti.fi/A1HipHop
How to help in the Pacific when they've been affected by a natural disaster
If you come from the Pacific, chances are you’ve lived through a cyclone, flood or other natural disaster.
If your family and community back home is affected by disaster, naturally, you’re going to want to help.
But what if the way you choose to help is doing more harm than good? Would you change the way you donate?
Our friends at Donate Responsibly.Org have come through with some helpful tips and suggestions on their website that they organised with the World Food Programme
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We've got the information to share with your communities in English, Samoan, Fijian and Bislama.
Check them out below -
ENGLISH
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BISLAMA
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FIJIAN
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SAMOAN
Samoa hard hit by climate change super cyclone - worst floods ever seen.
A mass clean up begins today in Samoa as the country gets back on its feet after extensive flooding just before Christmas.
The severe flooding on Friday forced families to be moved into evacuation shelters as the country begins to count the cost of one of the worst floods in recent memory. A gym in Tuanaimato set up by MNRE was also set up as an evacuation shelter.
“This was the worst flooding we have ever seen in the history of Samoa” local resident Cecelia Keil says. “And so close to Christmas too. A lot of people have lost everything and nowhere to stay. There's a family of 10 now living next door to us flooded out of their home at Faatoia. It’s the worst thing to happen to people already suffering from no income this year”
This morning a massive clean continues to be underway with off duty police and low risk prisoners working hard to clear damage.…more
FIJI: Tropical Cyclone Yasa aftermath
“My fellow Fijians .. the storm is passing, the sun has risen and we are still here…” Fijian PM Frank Bainimarama
Three fatalities have been confirmed in Fiji as a result of yesterday’s Cyclone - a 45yr old man near Labasa, a 67yr old man near Yadua and a three-month-old baby from Narua Settlement. Fatalities are sadly expected to rise.
Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama says Fiji will recover, rebuild and once again prevail following the ‘assault’ caused by Category 5 Tropical Cyclone Yasa that tore through the island nation in the past 48 hours.
“Due to climate change these storms may be getting stronger but they will never be stronger than we are..”, encouraged Banimarama who was seen visiting rural communities in most affected areas of the storm immediately after it had passed.
Super-cyclone Yasa’s assault on Fiji began in the Yasawas yesterday afternoon. The storm made landfall as a category five system last night in the Bua Province of Vanua Levu with wind speeds up to 345 kilometres per hour.…more
Say Something - Breaking Silence
PG (Parental Guidance Recommended for Younger Viewers)
Domestic abuse affects many families in Pacific communities in New Zealand. But finding people to speak to about it was tougher than Simonne expected. Abuse is shrouded in secrecy and shame and people rarely speak publicly about it. So, when Simonne discovered a video called Say Something, which dramatised domestic violence in a Pacific family, she went to visit the actors.
Samoan New Zealanders Landa, her husband Ace and their 19 year old son Lavahki participated in the Say Something video. The video was produced by Pacifica Proud, a Ministry of Social Development initiative to curb domestic abuse in Pacific communities. Once released on social media last year the video touched a nerve. It’s been viewed over 220,000 times without any promotion and Lavahki and Ace have been inundated with messages. Many of these were to thank them for creating space for Pacifica to speak out about their own experiences of abuse.…more
ZEKE LAU UNLEASHED - SURFING IN HAWAI'I & HOW I START MY DAY
ZEKE LAU UNLEASHED: a raw and authentic vlog series showcasing native Hawaiian Zeke Lau’s life as a professional surfer; giving you an inside look at surfing around the world, his training & recovery, and what he does to get his adrenaline pumping.
In Episode 1, Zeke opens up about how he likes to start his mornings and takes you along with him for an offseason day of surfing his home break in Honolulu, Hawaii, with some of his best friends.