The Safety Center works with Asian Pacific Islander communities to address community norms and develop responses to end violence against women and children. A central concern of our work is the challenge of changing society's established ideas and practices regarding violence against women and children in their homes.

We believe we can change the climate of tolerance for violence against women in our communities if we strengthen grass roots organizing. It is this organizing that has the greatest chance of changing long-standing social and institutional practices that tolerate and support violence against women and that dehumanize women, children, and men.

We see that our main job is to "reframe the picture." We need solutions that are community based, not individual based. While helping women and children escape from dangers on a case-by-case basis, may address the immediate individual need, they do not solve the long-term problems of safety, justice, accountability, economic support, and opportunity.

We need to change policies, attitudes, and institutions based on religious, moral, and cultural belief systems which sanction violent solutions to problems.

We are also committed to solutions that are rooted in the community's culture, history, and worldview. The solution must be long-term, built upon trust, respect, and relationships.