What does “Aloha” mean, and what would Kaua‘i look like if everyone lived Aloha? That was the question addressed by more than 100 people ranging in age from middle school students to kupuna at the Mea Ho‘omana‘o Inter-Generational Summit held
What does “Aloha” mean, and what would Kaua‘i look like if everyone lived Aloha?
That was the question addressed by more than 100 people ranging in age from middle school students to kupuna at the Mea Ho‘omana‘o Inter-Generational Summit held Tuesday at the Performing Arts Center at the Kaua‘i Community College.
Kaua‘i County Council Chair Jay Furfaro set the tone for the summit with a PowerPoint presentation on Kaua‘i’s rich and vibrant past. Kaua‘i composer and singer Larry Rivera followed with by performing his “Aloha Begins with Me” composition, a basis of the Mea Ho‘omana‘o program.
“We had na opio, or youth, makua, or middle-aged, and kupuna, or elders, all sitting down together and sharing their thoughts on Aloha,” said Beth Tokioka, director of the county’s Office of Economic Development. “A lot of wonderful ideas were brought up during the breakout sessions, and we managed to whittle them down to several that everyone agreed upon.”
These include the definition of Aloha to mean unconditional love that is purposeful and altruistic, kindness that is nurtured and nurturing, creating an extended ‘ohana and respect and a positive attitude towards others.
County public information officer Mary Daubert, who was present at the summit, in a press release presented a vision of Kaua‘i if everyone lived Aloha as a return to local and island values, the relationship between kupuna and na opio being vital and nurtured, and everyone treating each other with kindness when there are disagreements and embracing our differences.
Additionally, possible action plans for reaching residents of all ages, socio-economic levels and ethnic backgrounds with the “Aloha Begins With Me” message were developed by the summit’s attendees.
Cara Lum-Obrero, a student from Kapa‘a High School, was so moved by the day’s events, she spent her lunch hour scribbling out a new song on a napkin.
“Cara scribbled notes from the breakout sessions on a manila envelope and used that to write a song during the break,” Art Umezu, the Kaua‘i Film Commissioner, who also attended the summit, said in an e-mail. “Wow! I sat with her group, the Kapa‘a High School Mediation Group, during lunch and Cara told me that it was her auntie Loke who took time to teach her how to sing and play the ‘ukulele. I’m glad she had the courage to sing her new composition live for the audience. I think that was beautiful and special.”
Former Kaua‘i Mayor Maryanne Kusaka said a similar dialog about Aloha took place during her administration and, in her closing remarks, encouraged attendees to continue to build on what was discussed at the summit.
Mea Ho‘omana‘o was created by the late Mayor Bryan Baptiste as a way to bring residents closer together in the spirit of Aloha.
But Baptiste passed away before the program could be formally launched, and following his June 22 death, Tokioka and the Office of Economic Development picked up the theme and launched Mea Ho‘omana‘o at an informal gathering at Gaylord’s in Kilohana.
For more information on the Mea Ho‘omana‘o program, call the Office of Economic Development at 241-4946.
