excellent example of a Village Fono using its position to help protect and prevent family violence and the Inquiry also heard of broader approaches being taken too. Case Study 25: Judge Tusipa’s Village of Anti-Violence In Lefaga Judge Tusipa sits on the Village Fono and as a result of the awareness raising programmes they have been involved in have started to take active steps to prevent family violence within their community. Among the early initiatives they have implemented are:    Bringing all village men together twice a month to remind them of their responsibilities towards their wives and children; House visits to identify early warning signs of family violence and to discourage risk behaviour such as alcohol abuse; Community service programmes to prevent idleness and to improve the economic prosperity of the village. “We are really trying to push our matai to be good leaders. Because sometimes it is the matai who are the worst perpetrators. That’s the only way that your untitled men will follow suit. If you talk to these men twice a month about not beating your wife and children but they see the matais doing it, how is that going to change anything?” Tusipa Masinalupe Tusipa, Matai participant and Land and Titles Court Judge, Inquiry Public Hearings Judge Tusipa’s village shows what can be achieved with an understanding of family violence and good leadership. Whilst there will be certain activities and approaches that can be universally applied, there will also be room for villages to develop their own responses to preventing family violence. In this example, Judge Tusipa and his fellow matai identified family violence as occurring more when men sat around bored. Their community service programme not only addresses that trigger of family violence but also contributes to the economic development of the village and will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the mental well-being of its participants. It is this kind of leadership that will be essential if family violence is to be defeated. Worryingly, the Inquiry had far more evidence of matais as perpetrators and a declining standard of traditional leaders than it did of good examples such as the case study above. The Inquiry represents an excellent opportunity to reverse this trend in quality of matais. In doing so, they need to take steps towards the prevention of family violence. The first step is to remove any bans on the prohibition of female matais and strengthen programmes of women’s leadership. As a result, the competition for matai positions will strengthen and the standard required to be afforded such a title should increase. Secondly, the criteria by which matai are appointed and removed should also be revisited to incorporate principles of non-violence. One of the biggest barriers to addressing family violence is the prevalence of perpetrators with matai titles. Section 20A(1)(b) of the Lands and Titles Act 1981 sets out the eligibility