The Talanoa Principles, were developed by Ina Fautua and her mother, in partnership with Talking Matters. They are rooted in the Samoan understanding of the Va, which shapes how Samoans, relate to and connect with each other.

“Va is the space between, the betweenness—not an empty space that separates, but a space that connects, holding separate entities and things together in the Unity-that-is-All. It is the space that provides context, giving meaning to things. These meanings shift as relationships and contexts change.” (Wend, 1996).

The Va breathes life into the Talanoa Principles, where matua (parents) connect with their fanau through physical, spiritual, and metaphysical bonds. The Talanoa Principles are broken into components of practice that help consolidate and strengthen the relationship between parent and child, language, and identity within a holistic system.

Serve and return (Fe’auaua’i) is embedded in the Va through reciprocity and encompasses key Samoan values such as Fa’aloalo (respect), Alofa (love), and Tautua (service). In this partnership, each person takes turns to be heard and listened to.

In the context of a baby or young child, they are born trying to make sense of the world, naturally interacting with their surroundings. When a baby babbles, cries, or raises their arms and an adult responds with eye contact, words, or a hug, this back-and-forth interaction builds and strengthens neural connections in the baby's brain, supporting language development and social skills.