I just had a chance to reflect on the various topics of my blog over these past six months and think about what topics make sense for this new year. I’ve come to the conclusion that the past posts might be an agenda for the coming year, as all of the issues seem to be related to facets of our island community that we need to reflect upon and pay attention to. Let me summarize and preview for you what I hope to write about, but please feel free to leave a comment about topics you would like to discuss.

Early Education:
We need to pay attention to our children as soon as they are born and intentionally work to provide them with opportunities to develop the cognitive, motor, and sensory skills necessary to successfully enter the formal education cycle. To do so, we as parents, grandparents, and caregivers need to be prepared ourselves with an understanding of how best to approach early education in the lives of the children we love. We could probably go on and on just in this area of need, but each of us should at least inventory where we stand in this most important area of preparing our children to take the reins of our communities.

Reconnecting to Cultural Roots:
When I was teaching many years ago at the University of San Carlos in Guatemala, I learned that the Mayan Indians conceptualized the past and the future opposite from the way most of us do. We view the future directionally, as the horizon in front of us and the past as something behind and done, and not necessarily connected to us. Mayan Indians however, view the future as being behind them as it is not yet visible and the past in front of them, something they can see and understand. They embrace the past as the key to understanding their path in the present day. It is from the understanding of the past that they can navigate the future as it unfolds and moves from behind, becoming visible in the present. I believe we need to explore this concept as it relates to the host culture. We need to intentionally embrace the lessons of our Hawaiian kupuna through the chants, stories, personalities, and values they gifted us.

Civic Engagement:
Another theme I hope to continue to explore is the urgent need for people to get engaged politically. We have the worst voting numbers in the United States and this is a major source of our inertia and passivity when it comes to the policy making process in our community. A vibrant democracy demands an active, informed, and engaged constituency and we suffer when this is not the case. I am not promoting any specific political agenda other than an agenda that gets our people informed, engaged, and involved in the governing of our community. “No Vote, No Grumble” is a motto that is both a threat and a call to action. Which one will it be for us.

Embracing Displaced Minorities:
I would like to end this short list of topics for the year with the issue of how we treat those who are different from us, in terms of culture or physical capabilities, in our community. Many of us have been blessed to be a part of families clearly committed to embracing those around us who are struggling with poverty, discrimination, or disabilities. Yet we see that there is still a growing intolerance, frustration or disregard in Hawai‘i. We’re often quick to blame the migrant, the poor, the homeless, or those with disabilities for the social ills of our day. We turn our back on the Hawaiian tradition of mālama, kōkua, and aloha when it comes to these populations. How easy it is to blame the newest migrants or homeless for the crime and litter that we see on our streets. We often think that removing the homeless and poor from our sight solves a problem that continues to grow and expand because we fail to address its roots. People with disabilities are also often ignored or treated with minimum effort or interest. Where has the Hawaiian heart of our community gone? What can we do to restore a passionate sense of need to pursue what is pono for our families and our communities? I hope we can explore some of these issues as the year unfolds.

Blessings to all. E hana pono kākou! Me ke aloha piha.