K.A.V.A. Talks
Knowledge Above Violence Always (K.A.V.A.) is a men’s support, education, and advocacy group with a cultural focus on Pacific Islander men, though all men who are looking for a support system are invited to attend meetings, events, and seek guidance.
K.A.V.A. Talks educates members on violence and connects them to the resources they need to take responsibility, heal, and grow. We engage men across all ages and communities to be part of the solution in ending all forms of violence.
KAVA Talks provides culturally relevant Education & Resources. We challenge our members to examine and re-examine alternative narratives of masculinity, cultural practices as well as provide opportunities for self-reflection and dialogue to better serve themselves, their households, and the wider community
A brief history
K.A.V.A. Talks started out as a Tongan & other Pacific Islander men’s Domestic Violence Advocacy Group, certified by the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition, using the counter-storytelling methodology.
K.A.V.A. Talks aims to meet man-to-man, discussing men’s roles in relationships, and exploring cultural ideas of masculinity and the intersection of violence and Pacific Island traditional beliefs in relation to norms of restorative justice and non-violent culture.
K.A.V.A. Talks founder, Simi Poteki, was inspired by his attendance at an Asian American Pacific Islander Violence Prevention Conference in 2014 in San Francisco to take action in his community. He recognized the gap in services for men in the Pacific Islander community and wanted to provide a safe space for them to gather to resolve conflict. He envisioned the concept of the Kava Ceremony as a way to bring men together to discuss issues and to get an education that might otherwise be looked at as taboo or non-masculine. We was moved to organize K.A.V.A. Talks with a strong belief that “No woman or child should live their life in fear.”
K.A.V.A. Talks meets weekly to have peer discussions guided by a facilitator about a number of topics including the serious issues that affect our community such as domestic violence, sexual assault, and other types of violence that are prevalent in our culture.
K.A.V.A. Talks men meet every Thursday at 6:00 PM MST online on Google Meets. The last Thursday of each month are co-ed groups where men and women discuss issues from their own perspectives and seek to find solutions and common ground.
K.A.V.A. Talks weekly Talk Story Space is open to all men who seek to be educated allies and are eager to join the movement of internal and external effective change. You don’t have to live in Utah or be Pacific Islander to particiapte. You can join regardless of location, age, and background. Meeting link and details below: