Aloha Aina PROJECT A Hawaiian Kingdom Commission

Aloha Aina Project Narrative

Aloha Aina PROJECT A Hawaiian Kingdom Commission

About Aloha Aina Project

The Hawaiian term, Aloha Aina literally means, love of the land. In its deeper sense, Aloha Aina means love of the people, family (past, present and future), the community, nature, the environment, and all that physically and spiritually comprise Hawaii. Hawaiian traditional values reflect Aloha Aina, incorporating the ancient Hawaiian practice of utilizing the talents and skills of everyone in the community, all working responsibly together in harmony, with a commitment for the present and a heart for future generations. We believe that the time-honored traditional approach of shared vision, shared responsibility and industriousness also holds the key to a vibrant, modern society. It is upon this love for Hawaii and its people that Aloha Aina Project is built.

Organizational Status Aloha Aina Project, is a special commission established and appointed by, and under the direction of, Alii Nui Moi Edmund Kelii Silva, Jr. to be a catalyst in developing and implementing urgently needed sustainable practices and programs for the Hawaiian Kingdom.

Mission The mission of Aloha Aina Project is to help build the people of Hawaii into a vibrant, healthy and prosperous society, by using a comprehensive approach to raise and improve the overall quality of life in the Hawaiian Islands.

Impending Crisis Despite outward appearances, Hawaii is at risk of experiencing a devastating societal collapse due to serious flaws inherent in the systems, structures, programs and policies that currently prevail in Hawaii.

Philosophy Aloha Aina believes the solution to the problem of dependency is self-reliance. Aloha Aina believes the best way for Hawaii to mitigate the harm that would follow from being cut off from the lifeline of imported goods, is to stop being so dependent on imported goods; to become essentially self-reliant. Aloha Aina believes that Hawaiis health problems must be addressed and resolved, and that a large part of that solution is through a healthy diet and healthy lifestyles. Aloha Aina believes that Hawaiis housing and high cost-of-living crisis is a reflection of a dysfunctional economic system that must be resolved. Aloha Aina believes the best way to provide Hawaiis people with a bright and meaningful future is for Hawaii to become inherently self-reliant. Not only would this put us out of danger, but the process of achieving self-reliance would serve to build a much stronger, more productive and caring community.

Primary Objectives The primary objectives of Aloha Aina Project are: to extricate Hawaii from its current vulnerable state of abject economic slavery (dependence on imported food, fuel, commodities, etc.); and to transform Hawaii into a self-reliant, thriving, productive, prosperous, safe and vibrant island community.

The Aloha Aina Project proposes to achieve this by being a catalyst to initiate pro-active measures to meet Hawaiis most crucial needs in the following two ways:

1) To carefully identify, evaluate and select those existing programs that are contributing to the improvement of the health and well-being of Hawaiis people, and to channel financial and human resources to infuse said programs with sufficient means to ensure their effectiveness and success; and

2) To bring together and mobilize ideas, practices, programs and people to eliminate (or at least, greatly reduce) those systemic problems that are the root causes of the impending crisis, and to establish sound policies and practices that will ensure sustainability and continued effectiveness for the long-term.

Partnerships Aloha Aina will act as a catalyzing partner to assist the various agencies and organizations to formulate an integrated, comprehensive strategy to facilitate, coordinate and mobilize a concerted effort to turn Hawaii from its present high-risk track into a productive, invigorated, stable and sustainable society. The key to success for Aloha Aina Project will be its willingness to work together with others for the betterment of all the people of Hawaii. This will be done by carefully listening to the people, carefully assessing the problems, carefully formulating proposals to address the problems, and respecting the work and knowledge of those who are already in the field. Voluminous studies and profuse discussions involving government agencies, scholars and experts, business round-tables, private think-tanks, in-the-field individuals, and hands-on practitioners, have already identified the seriousness of Hawaiis vulnerabilities. Many worthwhile programs to solve these problems have been proposed and many initiated. But because of chronic under-funding, disjointed bureaucracy, misplaced priorities, lack of urgency and lack of cohesive, long-range vision, practical implementation of these crucial programs have been marginalized and otherwise seriously hampered.

For example, in the area of alternative energy, Hawaii has reached and passed the proverbial tipping point to replace oil-generated electricity with alternative, renewable sources such as solar energy. The technology is here; the private sector and utility companies have mounted excellent marketing campaigns to sway public support and encourage individual homeowners to convert to solar energy. The cost of generating electricity from photo-voltaic (solar) cells is practically free, but the high hurdle is the steep initial cost of the photo-voltaic panels. Aloha Aina will help to institute government-provided incentives, industry rebates, low interest loans from banks, direct grants from the private sector and foundations, etc. to offset the initial cost of conversion. (See Project Departments in this narrative for more details)

Style For all the impact that Aloha Aina Project intends to exert, whenever possible, it will operate with a low profile, in the background, to quietly and effectively support and empower those people, organizations, co-ops, companies, who are really doing the hands-on work.

Structure The Commission

The seven commissioners of Aloha Aina Project will be appointed by Alii Nui Moi Edmund Kelii Silva, Jr. and will meet regularly to set the direction, policies and objectives and to insure the project is on track with its mission.

Executive Director The job of the Executive Director of Aloha Aina Project is to carry out the objectives and policies set forth by the Commissioners.

Chief Financial Officer Aloha Aina will appoint a Chief Financial Officer responsible for overseeing its financial activities and practices. The CFOs responsibility would be to develop proper management and accounting systems for the various accounts of the project, including the main operations and the individual departments.

Department Chiefs Aloha Aina will appoint seven Department Chiefs, each one eminently qualified to head his or her department. Their duties will be to define their departments key projects, identify the factors involved (budget, timetables, personnel, etc.), set the priorities, create the networks (consultants, implementers, etc.) and direct their projects to accomplish the objectives set forth by the Commission and executed by the Executive Director.

Qualifications The Department Chiefs will be capable and experienced experts in the area relating to their departments. They will have strong management skills and the ability to set the course of action to meet goals and milestones. They will come under the supervision and guidance of the Executive Director of Aloha Aina. There will also be frequent inter-action among the department chiefs and other leadership staff including regularly scheduled meetings, retreats and brainstorming sessions to keep each other appraised of progress in their respective areas, to cross-pollinate and incubate ideas, and to maintain focus and continuity of the overall objectives of Aloha Aina.

Consultants The scope of activity of Aloha Aina is expansive. To achieve its objectives will require seeking input, advice and guidance from experts in the sub-fields of the designated project categories from academics to research and development to hands-on-the-ground practitioners to public policy makers. Special attention will be given to education and development of public awareness and support.

Operations The Headquarters of Aloha Aina will be located in Honolulu, on the island of Oahu. The 3,000 square feet of space will house the offices of the Executive Director, the Assistant Executive Director, the Chief Financial Officer, the seven Department Chiefs, the Commissioners, support staff and conference and planning/operations rooms. Headquarters will also be outfitted with the necessary computer and communications equipment, furnishings and two mini-van or SUV vehicles. Aloha Aina will operate satellite offices on Hawaii (2), Maui, Kauai, Molokai and Lanai. The six satellite offices will each house an Office Manager and appropriate staff to serve as a

two-way conduit for field operations. The six satellite offices will each be outfitted with the necessary office equipment, furnishings and a mini-van or SUV. As necessary, there will also be field project facilities (office trailers, warehouses, etc.), operated and funded through the budgets of the individual departments. An example would be the motor pools of co-op farming equipment located at strategic points across the islands for co-op farm use. Aloha Aina will also acquire and maintain a conference center for seminars, workshops, training, retreats, public meetings and other uses for the project and the community.

Projected Yearly Operations Guided by the policies and goals set by its Commissioners First Year $400,000,000 During the first half of the First Year, Aloha Aina Project will secure, occupy and bring its headquarters into full operation. Aloha Aina will retain the various administrative personnel (Assistant Executive Director, the Chief Financial Officer, the seven Department Chiefs, and support staff). The seven Department Chiefs will pull together their teams to assess, identify, prioritize and produce strategies for immediate and long-term action for their respective departments. The public relations department will find ways to engage potential partners and network them together with Aloha Aina. The public relations department will also produce and implement a protracted campaign to inform and persuade the public to embrace and adopt the concepts of self-sufficiency, sustainability, community and healthy lifestyles. By the end of the First Year, Aloha Aina will have begun allocating finances and resources to implement immediate-priority projects (e.g. activating partnerships to provide homeless shelters, low-cost housing, import composting systems to begin rejuvenating agricultural lands, subsidizing food programs, supporting energy programs, and healthcare, etc.). Aloha Aina will have begun operations of its satellite offices and continue developing plans and bringing cooperative projects online. By the end of the First Year, Aloha Aina will have allocated $50 million toward administrative operations and initiating designated projects of the seven departments. Second Year $400,000,000 During its Second Year, Aloha Aina Project will continue developing plans and strategies and continue networking and funding cooperative projects, both immediate-priority and long-range. By the end of its Second Year, Aloha Aina will be actively supporting new projects as well as those started from year one. Third Year $400,000,000 During its Third Year, the departments will each realize a significant increase. As additional projects come online, initial projects and enterprises will begin to become more self-supportive. Thus, there will be a net expansion of programs and projects in all areas. During this period, projects will reach their stride and begin to produce positive results.

Fourth Year $400,000,000 During its Fourth Year, Aloha Aina will see each of the initial projects and programs up and running and self-sustaining. New projects will continue to be added with the goal of self-support by the end of the five years. During this year, Aloha Ainas budget will gradually scale down as the projects succeed in carrying themselves. Fifth Year $400,000,000 At the end of the fifth year, it is expected that the momentum and success of the projects will carry the transformation forward. That most of the innovative programs, practices and policies advocated by Aloha Aina will be integral to the workings of a transformed Hawaii. Project Completion At the end of five years, the Aloha Aina Project will have distributed or otherwise allocated the $2 Billion in proceeds from this request, along with supplemental funds from partnerships and revenues from the projects. This means Aloha Aina will have also succeeded in accomplishing its mission of putting Hawaii on track to a self-reliant, prosperous, healthy, self-sustaining community. The operating mechanisms of the programs assisted by Aloha Aina will be in the hands of the people, the private sector and government. Thus, the King will have accomplished his purpose of having the Aloha Aina Project effectively jump-start Hawaiis adoption of sustainable programs and practices, to be carried forward as integral policies of the Hawaiian Kingdom government.

Aloha Aina Project A Hawaiian Kingdom Commission

Note: This narrative was originally written in 2006. Conditions have greatly worsened since then. The recent global fuel crisis and current economic meltdown are serving to underscore the urgency to implement immediate measures to save Hawaii from collapse and chaos.

History Beginnings The concept for Aloha Aina Project germinated in 1993, but the impetus to create the commission was demanded by the shocking events of September 11, 2001 when the World Trade Center and The Pentagon were attacked. It was then that Hawaii was rudely confronted by the prospects of its acute vulnerability. The Aloha Aina Project was formed in the months following September 11 as it became evident that Hawaii was not prepared for this particular kind of emergency, and that the people of Hawaii were in grave danger from many different fronts as well.

The Problem For many years now, concern has been growing in the private and public sectors regarding Hawaiis dangerous dependency on importing practically all its goods and commodities. Hawaii imports about 90 percent of its fuel to generate electricity; 100 percent of fuel for automobiles, trucks, ships, airplanes and other means of transportation; 90 percent of construction materials; and so forth. This dependency places Hawaii in an extremely vulnerable position across the board and on all levels. Even a relatively small adverse shift elsewhere in the world could precipitate a major crisis for the people of Hawaii. But the most threatening reality is the fact that over 90 percent of the food consumed in Hawaii is imported from sources thousands of miles away. This means any interruption or severance of the delivery (shipping) system could place the people of Hawaii not only in a state of hardship, but even in mortal danger. Hawaiis greatest point of vulnerability is its food supply. In an emergency Hawaii will not be able to feed itself. There is no food security. Myopic Solutions Although occupation (US) government and businesses have convened numerous studies, commissions, task forces and the like to address the problem, they continually misconstrue the root of the problem. They persist in regarding the problem as one of supply and delivery. Therefore, their solutions are aimed at ensuring that the supply and delivery systems remain operational. Unfortunately, this myopic approach only guarantees and intensifies dependency. Furthermore, it does not take into account the many uncontrollable factors that could disrupt both supply and delivery. Factors such as bad weather in far-off American farms, rising international oil prices, global economics and so forth, would have a devastating affect on remote Hawaii; literally at the end of the food-chain. Thus far, the conventional approach has been: to build up the economy to continue to afford purchasing the imported goods and services. Hawaiis current leaders have apparently determined that the problem is not the dangerous dependence on imports itself, but a chronic need for more money to continue importing. Therefore, the primary recommendation made by their studies is to boost the cash flow, so that more dollars are available to import more food and

goods. Conventional thinking is: 1) as long as there is enough money, there is nothing to worry about; and 2) the U.S. has the capacity to rescue us if such a crisis arises.

The Domino Effect This myopic conventional approach ignores two very important factors: 1) What if the supply dries up? And 2) what if the delivery system is cut off? The current system is completely susceptible to the domino effect, which can be triggered in several ways. Heres one scenario Tourism is Hawaiis number one industry. It generates the lions share of the dollars in Hawaiis economy. Suppose the price of oil were to sharply rise. Airlines would be forced to increase airfares to accommodate the cost of fuel for their airplanes and the increased cost of airport operations (heating, cooling, ground services, and personnel). With higher airfares, passenger counts would drop, particularly on long trans oceanic vacation flights. Higher fuel costs (from increased cost of oil-generated electricity) would trigger higher hotel operations cost, pushing room-rates higher, further deterring travel to Hawaii. Visitor arrivals would plummet sending the over-extended tourist industry into a downward spiral, forcing layoffs and business closures, putting hotel, tour operators, and other industry support workers out of jobs, sending them into financial crisis, resulting in defaults, foreclosures and bankruptcies. (Despite the relatively good employment rate in Hawaii, the even higher cost of housing and cost of living already have nearly everyone in Hawaii living precariously from paycheck to paycheck.) The high cost of oil that would trigger the drop in tourism would also cause a spike in cost of electricity, gasoline, food (shipping) and everything else, adding another burden to laid-off hotel and tourism-related workers. But not only hotel workers would be affected. All the businesses that supply the hotels with goods and services would also be cut back, forcing layoffs, foreclosures, etc Tax revenues would fall, forcing cuts in government spending, triggering more layoffsforeclosures Construction would grind to a halt causing more unemployment, etc Virtually everyone in Hawaii would be affected and Hawaiis people already living on the edge, would be pushed off the precipice to price-gauging food shortagespaniccrisis. Hawaii has no safety net. It has no contingency plan for this magnitude of emergency except to hope that America will mount something similar to the fifties and sixties Berlin Airlift. But Hawaii is more than 2,000 miles away from the West Coast of America, making it impossible to sustain with airlifts for any length of time Heres another scenario. This one already occurred following 9/11. Hawaiis extreme vulnerability was underscored by the shocking attacks on the World Trade Center, September 11, 2001. Airlines were grounded and shipments by sea to Hawaii from the U.S. West Coast stopped abruptly, raising the specter of food shortages along with shortages in fuel, energy and other necessities. Tourism plummeted from 80+ percent room-occupancy to under 20 percent, causing acute layoffs and anxiety about shortages. Hawaii teetered on the brink of catastrophe. Had the crisis lasted another week or so, conditions would have become desperate. Fortunately, Hawaii was able to dodge the bullet that time and as things settled down, was able to receive food shipments and the immediate crisis was averted. But it still took Hawaiis visitor industry fully 3 years to recover.

The problems are inherent to the same degree in all other areas critical to life in these islands. Energy, transportation fuel, clothing, building materials virtually everything is imported.

Emergence of Aloha Aina Project It was during that crisis in 2001 that groups now affiliated with Aloha Aina, proposed an emergency food production program that would begin to restore food security in Hawaii. The idea, though not entirely new, gained traction particularly among those in government as well as those in the farming community. Aloha Aina seeks to expand that concept into a coordinated, integrated, comprehensive campaign to transform Hawaii on all critical levels and areas. Aloha Aina believes the solution to the problem of dependency is self-reliance. Aloha Aina believes the best way to prevent Hawaii from being harmed by being cut off from the lifeline of imported goods, is to stop being so dependent on imported goods to become virtually self-reliant. The best way to provide Hawaiis people with a bright and meaningful future is for Hawaii to become essentially self-reliant. Not only would this put us out of danger, but the process of achieving self-reliance would serve to build a much stronger, more productive and caring community.

Aloha Aina Project A Hawaiian Kingdom Commission

Departments Narrative

Agriculture and Food The Ahupuaa Project When Captain James Cook arrived in Hawaii in 1778, he found a group of islands with a sophisticated agricultural and social system that fed a thriving population of up to a million people (according to the estimate of some of his crew). In his journal, Cook himself marveled at the robust health of the people and the bountiful supplies that were provided to his ships. The ancient Hawaiian ahupuaa system of management of land and other natural resources produced an organized agrarian system unmatched both in its sophistication and simplicity. From miles of stone aqueducts to terraced taro fields, to huge estuarial fishponds, to ocean resource management, Hawaiians produced a yield unmatched in all of Polynesia. Beginning with Cooks arrival, foreign diseases and social upheavals and displacements decimated the native Hawaiian population, eventually reducing it down to roughly 40,000 at the turn of the 20th Century four percent of the original population. Although Hawaii remained an agrarian society, for the next 60 years, the form of agriculture changed drastically from subsistence (food) farming to vast plantations raising cash crops (commodities) for export to world markets. Large numbers of Asian and other farm hands were brought in to work the sugar and pineapple plantations operated by a handful of powerful families and companies. As Hawaii transitioned from producing its own food, to the agri-business of plantations, to the service-dominant tourist trade, the lifestyles and habits of society shifted from a homegrown, to a consumer, store-bought, society. Today the familys food is most likely to come from the supermarket, not from their own gardens, or from a garden in their community, or even a farm in the islands. Highly convenient, plentiful and cheap, the food comes to the table in a much more circuitous way. Typically, parents work in service jobs to earn money to purchase food shipped to Hawaii from farms and processing plants thousands of miles away. It is a marvel of coordination of logistics involving mega-farms and the shipping industry. Today, Hawaiis population is 1.2 million. Less than 13,000 acres is in active food cultivation. Over 90 percent of the food eaten in Hawaii is imported. The cheaper imported foods have had two extremely negative effects on Hawaiis people, 1) poor nutrition resulting in chronic, debilitating health problems and 2) utter reliance on imported rather than local farm products, resulting in fewer acreage dedicated to raising food, resulting in diminished local food-raising capacity, resulting in more imports It is an insidious cycle. Operating on a massive economy of scale, American mega farms and mega processing, makes it cheaper to import foods even with the 20 percent surcharge Hawaii pays for shipping. But the current system sacrifices freshness and nutritional value and seriously stunts local food production. These two factors lead to poor health and an agricultural system that is incapable of providing enough food for Hawaiis people in either good times or in an emergency.

The high cost of shipping and storage inhibits building up emergency stockpiles. Under the current system, at any given time, Hawaii has one weeks worth of food in the markets. Any back-up supplies in warehouses would be depleted in two weeks. Local-grown foods may sustain people another week or two. After that, panic and desperation would ensue. This is a threat that must and can be averted. If more than two hundred years ago, the native Hawaiians, using only hand tools, were able to provide food for a population of a million people, it is entirely within Hawaiis capability to produce enough of its own food to feed todays 1.2 million population. Drawing from expertise from many agencies and individuals, Aloha Aina plans to spark a revitalization of agriculture in Hawaii by adding significantly more acres into production, incorporating accelerated reclamation methods and assertive agricultural programs. Aloha Aina will provide leadership and additional funding to augment infrastructure, land reclamation, work force, and distribution and delivery systems. The Plan This is a basic outline of what this department seeks to achieve. The specific activities of this department will be determined by the project director, in consultation with the departments advisory board, experts and other resource people. Ten years from now Aloha Aina will have provided the initial leadership and supplemental resources to dynamically reverse Hawaiis current precipitous level of 90 percent dependency on imported food, to a safe 80 percent self-reliance on domestic (Hawaii-grown) foods. Ten years from now Aloha Aina will have assisted in adding a minimum of 75,000 acres to the current 13,000 acres under cultivation, dedicated for the production of fruits, vegetables and grains for local consumption. The 75,000 acres would be reclaimed and re-activated from the 200,000 acres of former sugar and pineapple lands presently lying fallow. This significant increase in Hawaiis food production is achievable, given Hawaiis fertile lands, two-crop growing season, favorable climate, excellent agricultural-research capabilities, innovative farming methods and motivated farmers. To support this rejuvenation, Aloha Aina will assist in developing and establishing: motor pools of heavy farm equipment available to co-op farmers on the six major islands; accelerated composting systems; upgraded and well-maintained water supply, irrigation and road systems; additional food processing operations (poi factories, fruit drying, fish and meat packing, etc.); expanded distribution and delivery systems, and so forth. In addition to the farmlands, Aloha Aina will help to bring into production: 1,200 acres of traditional Hawaiian shoreline fishponds capable of producing over 2,400 tons of fish per year; open-ocean fish-farming operations with a yield of 2,400 tons of fish per year; and expansion of present open-ocean fishing and land-based aquaculture operations. Aloha Aina will actively support ocean management, replenishment and fishing policies that would ensure healthy yields and avoid depletion of Hawaiis ocean resources.

Aloha Aina will actively engage in reviving ranching operations to triple the present livestock production. This would include open range and feedlot operations. Currently, Hawaiis beef production entails raising the cattle in Hawaii, shipping them to feedlots and slaughterhouses on the West Coast, and selling the beef to markets in Japan and elsewhere. Practically none of the locally raised beef actually reaches Hawaiis tables. The tripling of beef production, along with similar increases in dairy, poultry and hogs for local consumption, will serve to drastically reduce Hawaiis current dependency on imports. Traditional Foods Aloha Aina will pay particular attention to the re-cultivation and expansion of traditional foods such as taro, sweet potato and breadfruit. These highly nutritious Hawaiian staples are key to the anticipated resurgence of homegrown foods in Hawaii. On their traditional diet, Hawaiians were among the healthiest people in the world. But after the ravages of foreign diseases and the decimation of the native population, another more insidious disease crept in cheap, seductively tasty and filling, but low in real nutrition, processed foods. As native Hawaiians eating habits changed from traditional foods to processed, imported foods, they developed afflictions such as diabetes, heart disease and the like. Today Hawaiians as a people group have the highest incidence of these diseases, widely attributed to poor diet. Studies have proven that when Hawaiians return to eating their traditional foods, their health dramatically improves; and in many cases, the diseases disappear. Thus, a major turning point can be reached if 1) people can be persuaded to break away from bad eating habits and 2) if the traditional foods are in sufficient, affordable supply. Ten years from now Aloha Aina will have assisted in adding a minimum of 10,000 acres to the current 500 acres, dedicated for the production of taro. The lands would be reclaimed from the ancient taro farm sites that are presently unused. Just on the Windward side of Oahu are suitable lands such as: 1,500 acres in Kawainui, 600 acres in Waiahoe-Waikane, 300 acres in Kahaluu and so on. Even more lands suitable for taro cultivation are available on Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, Maui and Hawaii. In conjunction with the increased acreage, Aloha Aina will have taken steps to assure that the greatly increased taro supply is translated into significantly reduced cost and, thus, more widespread consumption. Exports As overall agricultural production exceeds levels sufficient for local consumption, surplus food can be exported to markets in other countries, along with commodities such as macadamia nuts, coffee, fruits, sugar, and tropical plants. Partnerships In developing its strategies, Aloha Aina will utilize the expertise, research, information, recommendations and methods found in the tremendous amount of work achieved over many years by State and Federal agencies, individual researchers, growers associations and so forth.

In the area of agriculture, Aloha Aina will consult and, whenever possible, partner with the University of Hawaii School of Tropical Agriculture, the Hawaii State Department of Agriculture, the United States Department of Agriculture, the State Department of Land and Natural Resources, the State Department of Health, the various county boards of water supply, environmental groups such as Malama Hawaii, the Nature Conservancy, the State Department of Education, the State Land Use Commission, the various county councils, the State Legislature, the Taro Growers Association, existing agricultural associations and co-ops, individual farmers, ranchers, dairymen, land owners and so forth. Periodic consultations will also be organized with representatives from the international community. In the area of fish farming, Aloha Aina will partner with traditional Hawaiian aquaculture projects, Kamehameha Schools, Partners in Development, the Oceanic Institute, the NOA Sea Grant Project, Federal and State departments of fisheries, commercial fishermen, commercial fish farm operations and many others. In the area of ranching and livestock production, Aloha Aina will likewise consult and develop strategic plans with the pertinent government departments, organizations, associations and those with practical, hands-on experience.

Health and Wellness The Ola Pono Project The Need The people of Hawaii are facing serious healthcare problems. Hawaii is party to the national health crisis brought on by the increasing incidence of major illnesses and vulnerability to more virulent strains of diseases. Hawaii also shares in the national problem of rising health care costs, coupled with shortages of health care facilities and workers. Hawaiis hospitals and clinics are overflowing, and its resources are already being taxed beyond capacity. It is a ticking time bomb. Conventional Western medicine is struggling to keep up with the increasing demand. As diseases intensify, the response is also intensifying stronger drugs, more invasive treatments such as radical surgery, chemo and radiation therapies. Health care costs have risen at an alarming rate, making it less accessible to many people. Without health care insurance, many put off getting treatment until the condition becomes critical, thus making it more difficult (and costly) to treat. Besides this escalation, modern medicines focus on drug and technology-based treatments and after-the-fact remedies has limited its ability to address Hawaiis overall health problems from a broader perspective. There are many health problems that can be treated in ways other than drugs or clinical medical procedures. A more holistic approach takes into consideration (besides physiology) dietary, environmental, social, emotional and even spiritual factors. Native Hawaiians in particular, and Hawaiis population in general, are facing serious health challenges, many of which are fundamentally diet-related diabetes, heart diseases and cancers. Sedentary lifestyles are also contributors to these problems. It has been proven that these afflictions can be significantly alleviated if people returned to eating their traditional nutrient-rich foods in Hawaii, that would be taro, sweet potato, fresh fish, banana, breadfruit, and so forth. The double-blind tests conducted in the nineties among native Hawaiians showed remarkable rates of recovery when those afflicted with these diseases changed to eating traditional foods. Of course not all health issues are diet-related. There are many diseases, injuries and infirmities that require treatment in general and specialty hospitals and clinics using the most advanced medical technology available. These conventional health facilities serve a tremendous purpose in our island community and in the Pacific. The John Burns School of Medicine, its research pursuits and those of related private companies, are yielding very promising advances. In addition, because of Hawaiis cosmopolitan composition, it is becoming increasingly evident that, along with conventional clinical medicine, a wide array of un-conventional but effective treatments could be incorporated traditional (native cultural and home-remedies), alternative treatments (pressure points, acupuncture, chiropractic, massage,

etc). A few health centers in Hawaii have already incorporated these traditional and alternative methods with very positive results. The Plan This is a basic outline of what this department seeks to achieve. The specific activities of this department will be determined by the project director, in consultation with the advisory committee, experts and other resource people. The challenges of health and wellness in Hawaii require a concerted effort by both conventional and un-conventional disciplines. It requires a strong emphasis on both prevention and treatment. Even though many needs are being aggressively addressed by private and community healthcare agencies, there are large areas that are not being sufficiently engaged by mainstream healthcare providers. During the next ten years, Aloha Aina plans to take an active role in supporting a comprehensive and integrated approach by assisting the following: the advancement and expansion of conventional treatment centers (hospitals, clinics and mobile units); the promotion of diet, exercise and lifestyle choices and other natural preventive and remedial methods; and the acceptance and incorporation of proven, effective native traditional and alternative spheres of healthcare. Diet and Lifestyle There is conclusive proof that diet is the major factor in affecting ones health. Aloha Aina will mount an extensive healthy-eating campaign that would revolutionize the eating habits of Hawaiis people. Along with standard foods, the plan includes placing substantial emphasis on the profoundly positive benefits of highly nutritious traditional native foods such as taro, sweet potatoes and so forth. During the next ten years, Aloha Aina will use its resources to mount an overall healthy-living campaign to:

1) Vigorously support initiatives to encourage Hawaiis people to consume nutritious locally-grown foods and, in particular, to resume eating healthy traditional island foods. These efforts would include educational programs in schools and in the community; media promotion and advertising campaign; free samples at festivals, celebrations, trade shows and other community gatherings; creating new product lines for micro-businesses and other incentives, etc.

2) Ensure that a plentiful supply of nutritious food is readily available to everyone at affordable prices. This ties in to the Aloha Aina agricultural plan as outlined in this proposal, where extraordinary measures will be taken to boost food production. This Health and Wellness department of Aloha Aina, will work to popularize healthy eating, creating a corresponding boost in consumption. If necessary, Aloha Aina will subsidize the growers and/or the consumers to get the product distributed and established.

3) Educate and enlighten people to alternative healing methods. A great part of healing is in enlisting the patient to actively participate in his or her own healing. By introducing alternatives and educating people about their bodies they

become more confident to take an active role in their own health care. This allows them to focus on overall wellness, rather than passively accepting treatment for each health concern. Recognition of choice in ones own health care is empoweringthat is a first step toward wellness. Malama First

Health Centers Aloha Aina will assist Hawaii in providing an easily accessible, affordable, integrated, professional health care system to support Hawaiis announced aspirations of becoming the healing center of the Pacific. Aloha Aina will assist in providing augmenting support that will result in:

1) Ten years from now... Aloha Aina will have helped to expand the network of clinics from the current 13 regional clinics to 24. Aloha Aina will help to increase the number of neighborhood family clinics, in both urban and non-urban areas.

2) Ten years from now... Aloha Aina will have helped to contribute to increasing the number of top-notch medical centers for treatment of serious, chronic and long-term illness. These facilities will be healing centers serving and impacting the entire Pacific community.

3) Ten years from now... Aloha Aina, through a vigorous scholarship program, will have helped to educate and train dozens of doctors and other healthcare professionals from among students from Hawaii and the Pacific. Scholarships will also be available to students training in non-conventional and traditional healing methods.

4) Ten years from now... Aloha Aina will have implemented effective prevention and remedial programs to significantly reduce the incidence of diabetes, heart diseases, cancer and other debilitating illnesses. These programs would involve strengthening the bodys natural defense and healing capabilities, thus successfully resisting disease.

5) Ten years from now... Aloha Aina will have helped with supporting cutting edge medical research. Through the John Burns School of Medicine, its affiliates and other research institutions, Hawaiis medical researchers have been making significant contributions to the world of medicine and are on the verge of breakthroughs in several areas.

6) Ten years from now... Aloha Aina will have helped to develop and establish safety nets to provide for those with insufficient health-care coverage. Included in that safety net will not only be the problems of the poor; but also those problems of extended and catastrophic healthcare for the elderly. (Programs in this area are linked to the department on Housing and Community of this narrative.)

Alternative Methods Over the past few decades, it has become evident that many of the traditional native and folk remedies that had been previously dismissed by the mainstream of Western medical science, are actually quite valid and beneficial to good health. Ancient healing

disciplines that had been used in Asia for centuries bring a different approach to healing, with a whole array of exotic treatments that have proven very effective. In recent years, some of these Eastern systems (pressure points, meridians, chakra, chi) have been accessed through the technology of the West (bio feedback, electro-magnetic fields, computers) yielding some amazing new developments in non-invasive healing therapies.

1) Ten years from now... Aloha Aina will have contributed considerably to develop and disseminate hybrid treatments that utilize the best features from different disciplines. Aloha Aina will work to expand Hawaiis healthcare system to include and integrate ancient traditional techniques of the East with modern technologies of the West.

2) Ten years from now... Aloha Aina will have placed devices such as the I-Health bio-energetic therapy devices (proven to be an extremely effective treatment that triggers the bodys own natural healing systems to fight diseases and ailments), into use in neighborhood clinics throughout the islands, making it readily accessible to all. To increase accessibility, Aloha Aina will have also provided funding for this and other alternative treatments to make them available to everyone at low cost.

3) Ten years from now... Aloha Aina will have added greatly to the utilization of native healing techniques such as kahuna lapaau, the use of herbs and other natural remedies, to treat the ailments of the people. Aloha Aina will have provided financing and other assistance for schools to train young, prospective practitioners and to establish farms to raise the high quality medicinal plants required for this type of treatment.

Waste An island society faces limited resources and limited space. One of the major problems facing Hawaii is the critical problem of waste treatment and waste disposal. Ten years from now... Aloha Aina will have helped to ensure that the waste problems are successfully addressed and that practices are adopted so that such human demands on Hawaiis resources and infrastructure can be effectively managed and sustained. Partnerships Aloha Aina will develop its health and wellness strategies by paying close attention to the expertise, research, information, recommendations and methods found in the many years of discussion and planning by the healthcare industry. Aloha Aina will seek ways to be a productive partner with the conventional programs, complementing and augmenting, as well as seeking, inviting and encouraging innovative ideas to improve the health of the people of Hawaii.

Housing and Community The Kaulana Kauhale Project The Need Housing. Hawaii is in a severe housing crisis. Years of profit-driven real-estate developments have boosted the median price of a single-family home in Hawaii to $650,000 essentially excluding all but the wealthy from new home-ownership and triggering an alarming increase in what is commonly called homelessness. The reality is that many of the people classified as homeless do not fit the classic definition of the chronic homeless unaccompanied individuals, homeless continually for a year or more, or multiple episodes of homelessness over a two-year period; disabled by addiction, mental illness, chronic physical illness, or developmental disability; frequent histories of hospitalization, unstable employment, and incarceration. Indeed, the face of homelessness in Hawaii has changed to include many children, parents, grandparentsfamilies decent people who simply can no longer afford the rents in Hawaiis inflated real estate market. Hundreds of the homeless living on the Wai'anae Coast are school-aged children. Kamaile Elementary has the largest numbers. Of a student body of 650, officials at the school estimate that as many as 60 percent of its students are homeless. (Honolulu Advertiser 11/1/06) If we were to extrapolate that figure to encompass all the islands, the number of homeless children would be in the thousands. The irony is that Hawaii has the lowest unemployment rate in the U.S., but the highest percentage of homeless. Many of the so-called homeless are families, with working adult members who simply cannot afford Hawaiis exorbitant rents. They are still holding down jobs, trying to care for their families, but their paychecks cannot stretch far enough to provide food, clothing and shelter. Rather than homeless, the more accurate term in todays reality would be houseless. The houseless find places to live wherever they can and wherever government tolerates. The most visible are the ones camping along the beaches such as Nanakuli, Maile and Waianae on Oahu. There are also those who are hidden in the brush in remote places all over the islands. Then there are those who have crowded into the houses and backyards of relatives and friends. And finally there are those living in terribly sub-standard shacks, carports and sheds with no water, electricity or toilets. There is no way to accurately count the number of houseless persons. Estimates run from 5,000 to 16,000. The spike in real estate prices over the last few years has raised the cost of housing far beyond the reach of a great number of people, pushing them out onto the beaches and byways. At risk are those who are still hanging on in the rental market, living paycheck to paycheck. Every month, the pressures of Hawaiis economy topple more of them over the edge. The Hawai'i Plan to End Chronic Homelessness, a ten-year plan unveiled by the governor of Hawaii nearly two years ago, estimated that Hawaii will need 30,000 affordable rental units by end of the ten years. The operating term here is affordable. As the last

few years have shown, in Hawaiis real estate market affordable is a relative and basically meaningless term. Very few people in Hawaii can actually afford a house. What they can afford is a tent on the beach. Aloha Aina advocates that meaningful action be taken to address the immediate problems of houselessness and the long-term provision of low-cost housing. Family and Community The current housing conditions can also be attributed to a systemic dependence on imports. Importation of food, fuel, energy, goods, etc. demands a great amount of cultural adaptation. The change from a subsistence (self-providing, self-sustaining) society into a commerce-oriented (having to buy everything with money) society, affects not just the economics, but the entire lifestyle, dynamics and psyche of the community. The persistent housing crisis, the high cost of living, the constant scramble for more money, have compounded into social pressures causing serious damage to Hawaiis families and sense of community. Although vestiges of familial foundations can still be found, modern society itself has basically abandoned the social principles that in earlier times, made families and communities strong and resilient. The immersion into a completely commerce-oriented society has taken its toll on family life resulting in a deteriorated community with its litany of ills: broken families, drugs, alcohol, crime, violence, financial defaults, bankruptcy, evictions, poverty, disease, suicide and so forth. The beneficial dynamics of neighborhoods have disappeared. Most so-called planned communities are but strangers living next to each other, disconnected and desperately struggling to survive. It would be senseless to talk of solving problems of housing and building communities without also addressing Hawaiis underlying social problems. The Plan This is a basic outline of what this department seeks to achieve. The specific activities of this department will be determined by the project director, in consultation with the advisory committee, experts and other resource people. To stamp out homelessness in Hawaii within the next ten years, Aloha Aina will actively participate with various government agencies, private organizations and faith-based groups that are mobilizing to provide emergency and transitional shelters and services for the homeless/houseless; and institute low-cost housing solutions.

1) Within its first year, Aloha Aina will assist in supporting key community-based programs providing emergency shelters and food and aid centers, with particular emphasis on children and families. Aloha Aina will financially augment privately initiated programs such as the Institute for Human Services, the Food Pantry, the Hawaii Food Bank, the Salvation Army and the many faith-based organizations, to help maximize their effectiveness.

2) Within its first year, Aloha Aina will address the housing crisis by assisting the Hawaii Coalition of Christian Churches in their newly approved state-funded

transitional and low cost housing projects in Waianae, Oahu. Aloha Aina will help to fund the building of other innovative, self-contained model developments such as the Hale Imua project in Kalaua-Kona; the Waimanalo Puuhonua project; and the Partners in Development pole-house kits.

3) Within its first year, Aloha Aina will push to affect the release of public lands such as State (of Hawaii) lands, Hawaiian Home Lands, Hawaiian Kingdom Lands, along with private lands, for housing purposes.

4) Within its first year, Aloha Aina will identify and sponsor the development of efficient, low-cost, self-help construction systems and programs for Hawaii.

5) Within five years, Aloha Aina will assist in providing the necessary infrastructure for new houses.

6) Within five years, Aloha Aina will have helped Hawaii turn the corner of the immediate crisis, allowing for its resources to be used to sustain recovery and to provide remedy for the systemic causes of poverty in Hawaii.

For the long-run Having immediately addressed the most critical needs, ten years from now, Aloha Aina will have helped Hawaii overcome the problems of hunger and lack of shelter, and implemented strategies to restructure communities (whether new or refurbished) to be conducive to the lifestyle of neighborhoods instead of suburban sprawl. Ten years from now... Aloha Aina will have shifted the trend of developments to designed (or re-designed) villages, placing each home within short walking distance to the common facilities such as stores, schools, recreational, entertainment areas and so forth. This physical design change will have affected community dynamics by bringing people closer together, fostering friendships, and caring for one another. The walking-distance proximity would increase exercise and dramatically decrease automobile usage (currently 90%) for short personal or family errands and activities. Another benefit of residents knowing one another, circulating around their neighborhoods, would be a dramatic increase in responsibility (watching out for one another) with a corresponding reduction in crime. Ten years from now... Aloha Aina will have supported educational programs and activities that strengthen families and community including values-driven character education in our schools and homes. Aloha Aina will campaign for and support public policies that work in favor of strengthening families, particularly those that enable parents to provide their children a safe, stable, loving environment in which to grow. Ten years from now... Aloha Aina will have helped to fund community-based parent training and support groups, childrens activities, home-care for pre-school children (programs like Tutu and Me, and so forth), to have effectively revived the mechanisms, motivations and incentives to foster stronger families.

Science and Technology Hoamana Akeakamai

High on Aloha Ainas priority list is the elimination of Hawaiis perilous dependency on oil-generated energy. This can be accomplished by utilizing renewable energy such as wind, solar, ocean, geo-thermal, bio-fuels (i.e. ethanol, bio-diesel); all of which are in advanced stages of development here in Hawaii. These, coupled with highly innovative technology for electro magnetic field generation would not only effectively fulfill Hawaiis energy needs, but would provide systems that can be utilized by nations around the world. Hawaii is a technologically modern society with cars, cell phones, computers, ATM machines, air conditioning, television, refrigerators, washing machines, high rises the whole gamut of modern conveniences. Hawaiis scientists, researchers and inventors are involved in developing world-class, cutting-edge technology. Every year, the University of Hawaii and other scientific research institutions and companies are realizing significant breakthroughs in computer sciences, electronics, software, ocean and earth sciences, alternative fuels, medicine, dietary sciences, agriculture and so forth. The Need Energy. Though technologically advanced, Hawaii is still extremely vulnerable because of its profound dependency on fossil fuels to produce energy. The energy that runs all of Hawaiis technology is electricity. And nearly all of Hawaiis electricity is generated from imported fossil fuels mostly oil, a little coal and some natural gas. Should the fossil-fuel supply stop, electricity would drop to a trickle and Hawaiis technologically sophisticated infrastructure would turn in to a dangerous liability. Electricity would have to be severely rationed, closing down factories, businesses, hotels and offices that depend on machinery, air conditioning, pumps, elevators, and so forth. Homes with electrical appliances could no longer function. Soon, what little electricity still being generated would be reserved for only emergency agencies (water supply, fire, police, national guard). Without swift relief from the outside, desperation, panic, lawlessness and anarchy would ensue. Fuels refined from oil, drive all of Hawaiis air, sea and ground transportation. Thus, any interruption to the flow of oil will plunge Hawaii into an immediate transportation crisis, seriously curtailing delivery of goods and services. If the situation were to be prolonged for longer than a week, the domino effect will begin to occur, quickly toppling Hawaii over the edge into disaster. The stoppage of the oil supply would trigger a stoppage in shipping, causing food supplies to dwindle down to critical levels in two weeks, making the specter of starvation an even greater danger than the lack of air conditioning or hot water. Hawaii is completely unprepared to face a disaster of this magnitude. Hawaiis only contingency plan is to rely on emergency relief from the U.S. mainland. Even then, the

cost and effort just to prop up both the food supply and the energy grid could be maintained only for an inadequately short time. To avoid total collapse and chaos, people would have to be evacuated from Hawaii to reduce the population to a level to that which these islands could sustain. Meeting the Challenge. The good news is that Hawaii has taken this challenge seriously and over the past few years has become a leader in the quest for alternative energy. In addition, Hawaii already has a growing reputation as a key player in bio-tech, tropical agriculture, marine and aqua culture, computer sciences and much more. Hawaii has the potential for contributing greatly to the many disciplines of the natural and applied sciences. Software. Hawaii-created software including advanced business systems, security and defense programs, animation programs, scientific research programs and so forth, are operating in computers around the world. Bio-Technology. Unfortunately, Hawaiis bio-tech industry has produced much potential for harm to global food sources. The Kingdom would ban GMO production and return to the traditional methods that made Hawaii a world leader in tropical agriculture. Hawaii would concentrate on developing strains and procedures for growing healthy food crops, medicinal plants, construction materials, bio-fuels and so forth. In aqua-culture, Hawaii provides the pristine brood stock for the vast shrimp-exporting operations of Asian nations. Hawaii is the worlds foremost producer of deep-ocean-water blue-green algae and hopes to become a leader in developing environmentally safe, sustainable open-ocean fish farming. The Plan This is a basic outline of what this department of Aloha Aina seeks to achieve. The specific activities of this department will be determined by the project director, in consultation with the advisory committee, experts and other resource people. Aloha Aina intends to carry Hawaiis cutting edge scientific research into practical applications that will address pressing problems facing society and humanity. Hawaiis science and technology industry is in a strategic position to address the vulnerabilities of oil dependency and the promise of alternative renewable energy sources. Hawaii researchers are also on the verge of revolutionary breakthroughs in bio-technology, marine-culture, medicine, astronomy, software development and so forth. Hawaii is quickly building a reputation as a productive incubator for science and technology. Renewable Energy In the first year, Aloha Aina will actively work with the various agencies, industry associations, private companies, scientists, inventors, researchers and so forth, to identify and compile a definitive inventory of the various systems, devices, theoretical and practical, that would move Hawaii toward energy independence. Aloha Aina will evaluate and prioritize the systems to determine which are the most promising systems for the immediate and long-term energy needs of Hawaii.

In the first year, Aloha Aina will create and activate a strategic plan to expedite the shifting of Hawaii to renewable energy sources. The plan will include strategies to individualize electrical generation at the point of consumption, whenever possible. This would entail a ten-year program to outfit homes, businesses, public buildings, with renewable energy devices such as photo voltaic (solar) cells, Gates Mechanical Motors, etc. that would enable the consumers to generate their own electrical power. Excess power generated from these tens of thousands of individual house sites can be sold back as a net gain to the main power grids. The plan will also include strategies to join efforts with government and the power industry to shift the generation of electricity for the main power grids, to renewable energy sources, thus, eliminating Hawaiis dependency on oil for the purpose of power generation. Ten years from now... Aloha Aina will have eliminated the dependency on oil to generate electricity by: 1) joining with government, the energy industry and other alternative energy advocacy organizations, to build and activate renewable systems such as solar arrays, wind turbines, ocean-thermal exchange, geothermal, hydro-electric, bio fuels, etc. to generate electricity for the power grids, 2) supporting the installation of tens of thousands of individual renewable energy systems in households and small businesses to either take them completely off the power grid or greatly reducing their dependency on the grid. Ten years from now... Aloha Aina will have also helped to revolutionize energy generating systems by supporting research and development in innovative technologies such as those found in the electro-magnetic and anti-matter effects published by Hawaii-based mathematician, Marko Rodin; magnetic field generators; and mechanical motors. Bio-Fuels Ten years from now... Aloha Aina, emulating the Brazil model, will have participated in converting all standard automobiles, trucks and heavy equipment in Hawaii to using bio-fuels such as ethanol and bio-diesel. Aloha Aina will produce bio fuels from sugar cane, palm oil, candle-nut oil and other rapid-growth, high-oil-content plants. Ten years from now... Aloha Aina will have helped to resurrect the manufacture of solar vehicles in Hawaii and increase the use of hybrid vehicles that run on solar power or a combination of solar and renewable bio-fuels; particularly for use in short-run errands around the neighborhood. Bio-Tech Ten years from now... Aloha Aina will have helped to expand Hawaiis bio-tech accomplishments to include native foods, open ocean fish farms, genetic research, medical treatments and other new avenues of bio-science. Ten years from now... Aloha Aina will have significantly assisted in developing and implementing bio-tech procedures for the eradication of pests (Mediterranean fruit fly, apple snails, etc.) and diseases (pocket rot, bungee top rot, papaya ring spot, mosaic etc.) that attack, damage and decrease Hawaiis food production. Using science, Aloha Aina will also seek to eradicate dangerous invasive plant and animal species, and, conversely, to protect and restore endemic and indigenous species.

Ten years from now... Aloha Aina will have significantly assisted in utilizing science and technology in improving the overall quality of life in Hawaii. Shifting to renewable energy will save Hawaii over $2 billion dollars a year that is currently being spent on importing oil. A portion of these savings can be fed back to the grid to expand development of renewable energy. Sharing: Aloha Aina will assure that vital technologies developed in Hawaii will be marketed to all, and particularly shared, at-cost, among the nations of Oceania and other developing countries. Partnerships: Aloha Aina will work with various State of Hawaii and U.S, agencies, Science and technology associations such as Hawaii Science & Technology Council, domestic and foreign tech companies, individual scientists, inventors and developers.

Economy, Resources The Kumu Waiwai Project The Need Modern Hawaii is a decidedly American society, closely reflecting American ties and influences on all levels. Hawaiis economic condition is a product of American commerce and by and large, functions closely to that model. However, Hawaii being a geographically remote cluster of islands, assumes some special challenges that have required adopting special ways of functioning to make the economy work. Hawaiis economy is extremely vulnerable because of two over-arching factors: its utter dependence on shipping and its utter dependence on tourism. Dependence on Shipping Gradually over the decades, all aspects of life in Hawaii became either directly or indirectly dependent upon shipping. If shipping were to be suddenly severed, the economic structure of Hawaii would collapse, bringing down the entire social order as well. This places Hawaii in great danger of suffering from circumstances completely beyond its control, affecting the lifeline of shipping. Business and government have persisted in regarding the problem as one of supply and delivery. Therefore, their solutions are aimed at ensuring that the supply and delivery systems remain operational. Unfortunately, this narrow approach does not take into account the many uncontrollable factors that could easily disrupt either supply or delivery or both. Factors such as bad weather in far-off American farms, rising international oil prices, global economics and so forth, can have a devastating affect on remote Hawaii; literally at the end of the food-chain. Thus far, the conventional approach has been: to build up the economy so Hawaii can continue to afford purchasing the imported goods and services. Hawaiis leaders tend to believe that the problem is: the chronic need for more money to continue importing, not the dangerous dependence on imports. Therefore, all their policies and actions are aimed at boosting the cash flow, so that dollars are available to import more food and goods. The conventional thinking goes: 1) as long as there is enough money for goods to be bought and shipped in, there is nothing to worry about; and 2) the U.S. has the capacity to rescue Hawaii if such a crisis were to arise. Dependence on Tourism The second position of peril is Hawaiis dependence on tourism as its main economic driver, placing practically all of its eggs in one basket. Seven and a half million visitors a year generate about 80 percent of Hawaiis gross revenues. Fluctuations in the visitor count cause immediate fluctuation in Hawaiis economy. Incidents like the 9/11 attacks can (and did) cripple Hawaiis economy from 5,000 miles away. The concentration on tourism as the main economic activity in Hawaii has stifled other areas of economic development and entrepreneurship not related to tourism. Local small businesses have complained bitterly for many years about the governments anti-business policies: punitively high taxes and business fees; inordinate regulations and

restrictions (mandatory health insurance, workmens compensation, etc.); and extremely slow processing rates. In fact, Hawaiis anti-small-business climate has been cited in numerous stories in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and many business publications. The major banks have also contributed to this situation by limiting the scope of financing almost exclusively to land development and big businesses (tourism, construction, plantations), virtually abandoning such unglamorous but vital activities as small farms and mini-businesses. On the other hand, Hawaii is already home to several multi-national corporations and other companies that conduct their business on a global platform. Its central Pacific location and its multi-ethnic composition places Hawaii in an advantageous position for international trade. Communications technology provides full links to other market centers as well as every nook and cranny around the world. Hawaii is fully wired and has been plugged in to international trade for many years. The Plan This is a basic outline of what this department of Aloha Aina seeks to achieve. The specific activities of this department will be determined by the project director, in consultation with the advisory committee, experts and other resource people. Ten years from now... Aloha Aina will have implemented its integrated plan to build self-reliance (locally grown food, renewable energy, etc.). In doing so, Aloha Aina will have also helped to produce a stable diversified economy, making Hawaii less vulnerable to the dictates and whims of trans-oceanic shipping and a single-industry revenue source. Tourism Ten years from now... Aloha Aina will have helped to improve Hawaiis visitor industry by providing tourists with a better product and better value as a result of achieving stability in food and energy supplies. Though tourism will remain Hawaiis primary source of revenue, Hawaii will not be so completely susceptible to its mood swings. Aloha Aina will also support adopting measures to prudently maintain both resident and visitor populations at levels that Hawaiis resources and infrastructure can reasonably sustain. World Trade Ten years from now... Aloha Aina will have provided programs and incentives to greatly expand Hawaiis presence as a world trader. Aloha Aina will have helped to shape Hawaiis strategic mid-Pacific position, its multi-national composition and its broad range of expertise, into a hub of international trade, hosting clearinghouse and central banking services, stock and commodities markets, and other world-trade activities. Todays global telecommunications networks allow participation in the constant flow of trading of stocks and options around the world. Likewise, because of its unique, international status, Hawaii has great potential to host robust international banking operations.

Small and Micro Business Ten years from now... in partnership with various Hawaii banks and financial institutions (macro and micro), departments of business and economic development, chambers of commerce, small business associations, etc., Aloha Aina will have affected a lively, strong and diverse local, sustainable entrepreneurial economy by implementing financing programs geared to help small and micro businesses. Aloha Aina will also use successful models such as the Blackfoot National Bank, the Grameen Bank and the Elk River Bank as templates. Aloha Aina will have invested in and helped to establish credit unions and full-service banks for native Hawaiians. Dividends Ten years from now... Aloha Aina will have encouraged the capitalization of marketable products and proprietary rights derived from Hawaii-based science and technology from alternative energy sources to agricultural research to marine farming to software development and so forth technology that will benefit people everywhere. More economic dividends would result from other Aloha Aina targeted projects such as the change to renewable energy. The savings Hawaii would realize from not importing oil would be over $2 billion dollars a year. These savings can be rebated to the people, used to continue renewable energy development and fund other projects to expand the economy. Dividends could be realized from exporting surplus food, even at discounted rates. Natural Resources Ten years from now... Aloha Aina will have worked together with numerous government agencies and advocacy groups to successfully implement programs that emphasize stewardship of our vital resources and environment; to replenish Hawaiis ecosystems, to ensure an adequate supply of fresh water and to ensure that endangered species and natural habitats are maintained and protected. Aloha Aina will support a vigorous program to eliminate dangerous, invasive alien plants, animals, and sea life. Aloha Aina will also assist programs to remove chemical contamination, explosive ordinance and other hazardous residues from Hawaiis lands, fresh water systems and ocean. Partnerships: Aloha Aina will work with the State Department of Business and Economic Development, State Tourism Authority, Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, various chambers of commerce, Small Business Hawaii, Small Business Administration, banks, financial institutions (local and international) and myriad trade and professional associations.

New Vision, Education Ike Hou Project

Without a vision, the people perish. As Hawaii begins its transformation, people, young and old, will begin to see a new vision; a vision of self-reliance, a spirit of independence, a sense of confidence, optimism and hope for the future. With this momentum, Aloha Aina intends to affect and overhaul of Hawaiis education system to achieve excellence in math, science, technology, social sciences and business, along with traditional knowledge, the applied arts, industrial arts, practical arts and social skills. The Need During the days of the Hawaiian Kingdom, Hawaii was the most literate nation on earth with over 90 percent literacy. In the ensuing hundred-plus years, that rate has plummeted to one of the lowest in the nation. Hawaii has basically two educational systems, the public and the private. The private far out-performs the public, thus, those who can afford it, send their children to private schools. It is the public schools that are in deep trouble. Although there are some hopeful signs of turning, the momentum of the long years of constant decline is difficult to overcome. The state government is finally admitting that the key problem is not simply the lack of funding; it is the obstinate bureaucracy that refuses to change. It is a systemic problem that, from curriculum to operations, needs to be overhauled. The state budget has sufficient funds to make those changes to the public schools, but the legislature lacks the political will to initiate those changes. The main reason is the tremendous power wielded by the educators unions, the public workers unions, and other unions, that influence the legislators ability to win elections. With the entrenched educational bureaucracy and the political status quo, change in the educational system would be very difficult to achieve. The plight of the public schools in Hawaii has placed another obstacle to reform. That is lack of confidence in the states ability to carry out the reforms. In other words, unless the people believe things can change, they become skeptical and ambivalent and will not press for those changes, thus, perpetuating the cycle of stagnation. The stalemate over educational reform in Hawaii is due to a lack of hope, which is due to a lack of vision. If an appealing new vision for educational excellence is placed before the people, and they catch hold of it, they will push inexorably toward it. The changes will happen. As Hawaii experiences invigorating transformation in the areas of food production, energy self sufficiency, affordable housing, and so forth, a new vision among young and old will begin to take hold a vision of self-reliance; a spirit of independence; a sense of confidence and hope for the future. This positive shift in attitude is a crucial

factor to triggering systemic changes throughout the institutions of Hawaiian society family, community, schools, business, industry, policy-making bodies and so forth. The Plan This is a basic outline of what this department of Aloha Aina seeks to achieve. The specific activities of this department will be determined by the project director, in consultation with the advisory committee, experts and other resource people. Ten years from now... Aloha Aina will have utilized this climate of optimism, to cause an overhaul of Hawaiis educational system by providing financial support and incentives to shift it from its current monolithic bureaucratic stagnation, into a decentralized, localized, community driven, exciting, challenging, productive, two-way proposition. Ten years from now... Aloha Aina will have contributed to the improvement of public secondary educational curricula, programs and governance so they yield a high degree of academic excellence with demonstrable skills in mathematics, science, technology, social sciences, business and the fine arts. Ten years from now... Aloha Aina will have supported alternative learning programs, charter schools and schools of choice to expand the avenues for diversified educational opportunities for Hawaiis children. Ten years from now... Aloha Aina will have directed significant resources for teaching and training in the hotel and restaurant trades, technical and industrial arts, farming, fishing, aqua-culture, ranching; ensuring those with productive talents and skills are an integral and dignified part of Hawaiis society. Ten years from now... Aloha Aina will have invested in establishing a number of halau (places of learning) throughout the islands for training in Hawaiian culture and language, traditional knowledge and skills. Within these halau, will be schools of carving, canoe crafting, and house building. There will also be training in Hawaiian traditional water management systems, agriculture and fishpond stewardship. Also, celestial navigation, native healing arts and so forth.

Conflict Resolution The Hooponopono Project

The Need What the world needs now is Aloha. The late kupuna (respected Hawaiian elder) Pilahi Paki once said: in the next millennium the world will turn to Hawaii as they search for world peace because Hawaii has the key and that key is Aloha. In her address to the United Nations, kupuna Malia Craver also spoke of aloha as a means to resolve not just personal but international conflicts. Aloha is more than a word that means hello, goodbye or love. The root words of Aloha are alo or face and ha which means breath. The reference is to the Hawaiian genesis story of the Creator breathing life (the breath of life, face to face) into the nostrils of the first man, Kumuhonua. It is an acknowledgement of the personal investment of the Creator in every living person. Aloha is an invocation and a recognition of respect for the sacredness of life in another. Based on this fundamental truth of Aloha, Hawaiian society developed many profound concepts that embody the highest ideals for society: peace, harmony, unconditional love, respect, tolerance, cooperation, generosity and much more. One of the derivatives of Aloha is a highly effective method used for conflict resolution called, Hooponopono, which means to make things right. It is a method that incorporates forgiveness and reconciliation, the true expression and true test of Aloha. Although in times past, Hooponopono was widely understood and used, in the last half- century it, along with many native healing processes, fell by the wayside, displaced by modern medicine. However, in the last two decades, individual practitioners have helped to bring this effective healing method back into use in places such as the Waimanalo Health Clinic, the Waianae Comprehensive Health Center, and so forth. Native practitioners make house calls and educational foundations such as the Queen Liliuokalani Childrens Center provide training to those interested in learning to use this highly effective process of reconciliation. The Plan This is a basic outline of what this department of Aloha Aina seeks to achieve. The specific activities of this department will be determined by the project director, in consultation with the advisory committee, experts and other resource people. Ten years from now... Aloha Aina will have played a leading role in developing an international reconciliation center where the principles of reconciliation are shared, taught, instilled, and activated. Through this center, Aloha Aina will have presented the practice of hooponopono as a highly viable method through which individuals, factions, people groups and especially nations, can peacefully resolve the conflicts between them.

Ten years from now... Aloha Aina will have helped to fund the reconciliation center, which will consist of a main office (probably located on Oahu) to administer the program; offices at community clinics on all the islands to provide on-site services; several special retreat locales on different islands where individuals and small groups seeking reconciliation can be brought together for several days at a time. Ten years from now... Aloha Aina will have provided the funding and other necessary resources (directors and advisors) for the administration and operations of the reconciliation center. Aloha Aina will have assisted in providing the necessary training and certification and periodic screening of the practitioners and staff conducting and supporting the reconciliation processes. Ten years from now... Aloha Aina will have helped the center provide (besides direct face-to-face reconciliation services) the means to take the message to the international stage by utilizing all available mass media technology television and radio, the world wide web, the arts, and so forth to broadcast, disseminate, inculcate and otherwise spread Hawaiis message of peace and aloha to the world community. Partners Likely partners in this endeavor include: the Queen Liliuokalani Childrens Center, Ola Pono Wellness Center, Partners in Development, the State of Hawaii Department of Health, the Matsunaga Peace Center, the Pacific Justice and Reconciliation Center, various departments of the United States and various agencies of the United Nations.