Above me along the walls in my office march the five Hawaiian values Partners in Development Foundation has claimed to define who we are: aloha, lōkahi, mālama, pono, and po‘okela.

As Partners in Development Foundation was formed, it was very clear that we wanted to have traditional Hawaiian values and perspectives at the heart of the organization. Thanks to the help of language and cultural experts we came to the choice of the above five values and then began our journey.

Throughout the years, we have learned the power of traditional values and perspectives and have become aware of the importance of making them practically applicable to the challenges of our clients. As the Foundation continues to expand and as we deepen our involvement in the community, these five values have also become a growing challenge to us as we serve our community. I feel continually challenged to ask: are these values just cosmetic treatments to cover our tendency to use modern organizational principles, or are they truly the core and anchor values for our lives, our organization, and for the work we are committed to do with the children and families we serve? Big and unnerving questions.

What does “aloha” look like if I don’t like you?

For example, considering “aloha”, I must ask how this foundational value manifests itself in the life of the Foundation, in the ways we interact with each other and with the communities we serve? Further, in claiming this value professionally, I am pushed to ask how aloha appears in my daily behavior, thoughts, and particularly, in my personal engagement with others. For example, what does “aloha” look like if I don’t like you? Or if I don’t believe in what you are trying to do? As you can see, the process of putting Hawaiian values as a proclaimed set of anchors for an organization quickly intrudes into our personal lives and behavior. We are challenged to get serious about the values we have proclaimed as the “organizational language and culture” of the Foundation; our behavior should demonstrate to those watching that the core values are alive and that they are the framework in which we relate to each other and those we serve.

If they are not clearly present, we need to continue to challenge one another to make it so.

While this challenge perpetually stands before us, at the same time, this is an empowering moment when we see how relevant and useful these values are in facing individual and organizational challenges and opportunities of the 21^st century. As we practice, we are undeniably tied to the kūpuna and traditions of Hawai`i nei. A most worthy and necessary task, but not an easy one!