Make Our Voices Count 2010

Each year, the Legislature makes hundreds of laws that shape our future. Many of us want to get involved in this democratic process, but it's hard to know where to begin. This campaign makes it easier for members to identify important issues, learn about them, and get involved. We'll create action opportunities in March and April. Here are the ways to take action and be counted:

1. START by voting on a few issues (now with a LIVE FEED of bill status updates).
2. Attend a workshop on how the Legislature works.
3. Attend a hearing, submit testimony, or add your voice to letters by Kanu staff.
4. Participate in actions at the Capitol organized by Kanu (stay tuned).

Simplify the Holidays

In all, nearly 1,500 people participated in the campaign. Almost 300 of us recycled at our holiday parties and used reusable or biodegradable plate-ware instead of paper or plastic.  About 340 of us combined errands to save gas and cut greenhouse gas emissions.  More than 300 of us donated to charities, volunteered, or gave directly to families in need. And, almost 600 of us wrapped gifts with reused materials rather than brand new wrapping paper. Our commitments to change holiday habits added up to big impact: More than 13 tons of waste we kept out of landfills and incinerators, 8 tons of greenhouse gases prevented, enough paper to save 215 trees, thousands of dollars donated and nearly a thousand hours of service to local charities, and almost 1 ½ tons of containers recycled.  Most important, we spread a message that the holidays are about more than "stuff" but are really about honoring values of ohana, aloha, and kuleana.

Read more about the campaign:

Coverage on KGMB9
Honolulu Advertiser article
Video of YMCA Furlough Friday Workshop
Video of Ala Moana Green Wrapping
Wrap Up Post
Journals by Members

Eat Local Challenge

The Eat Local Challenge started as a modest idea: Get 30 people to commit to eating local-grown for the week of August 8 to 15. Once the campaign was launched, though, member interest exploded. Members shared recipes for all-local dishes, threw eat local pot lucks, joined "smart mobs" at markets, eat out with our restaurant partners, and got friends and family involved (not all of whom got counted in the campaign tally).

We ate local for a more secure food system - one to sustain us beyond the 12-day food supply we currently have on store shelves. We ate local for the climate - to cut the fossil fuels and greenhouse gasses used in importing food to us. We ate local to keep more money in the island economy and to eat a healthier. Most importantly, we began to grapple with big questions related to our food: Will we develop over agricultural land needed to make our food system more resilient? Why is it so much cheaper to eat unhealthy fast food that has to be processed, packaged, and shipped to us, versus fresh fruits and vegetables from a few miles away? Many of the answers lie in public policy, and we start exploring them in the wrap up post. We'll continue to explore them in the months ahead.

Mahalo to all who participated in the 2009 Eat Local Challenge. We're looking forward to a bigger, better, and less Oahu-central Eat Local Challenge in 2010.

Read more about the campaign:

Comment on the Eat Local Wrap Up (with pics)
See all the partners that participated in the Challenge
View video and pics of smart mobs, food reviews, recipes and more
See KGMB9's week-long coverage of Kanu Hawaii's Eat Local Challenge

Live Aloha Campaign

Members engaged in events across the islands that challenged us to step across boundaries and work together to better our communities.  We teamed up with leaders at Kuhio Park Terrace, residents of public housing in Waimea, homelss mothers and keiki at the Salvation Army shelter in Manoa for a day of shared work, and living aloha.  Partners at the Institute for Human Services and Leadership Kauai helped make the day a success.

Read more about the campaign:

Recap of our Live Aloha Campaign
News Coverage of the Live Aloha Campaign
Living Aloha at a Manoa Refuge
Living Aloha at Kuhio Park Terrace
Initial Campaign announcement

Make Our Voices Count 2009

Members participated in our campaign to Make Our Voices Count at the Legislature this year.  We considered, voted, and discussed 10 key bills; attended advocacy training together; and finished with "Service with a Statement" where members gathered at the Capitol to swap free CFL light bulbs with lawmakers and do free tire pressure checks on all of their cars. The message: "We're willing to do our part to address the issues we care about. We ask lawmakers to do their part by passing key bills." Roughly two-thirds of those who participated had never been to the Capitol to talk to their representative.  We practiced a different kind of advocacy - one using demonstrated kuleana to change the hearts, minds, and actions of our lawmakers.

Read more about the campaign here:

View online voting and discussion of bills
Recap of "Advocacy 101" workshop
Recap of "Service with a Statement"
News coverage of "Service with a Statement" (video)
And all press coverage of the campaign

Simplify the Holidays 2008

We fell just short of our 1,000 member goal, but 900 of us accomplished a lot in 6 weeks: 8 tons of waste kept from our landfills, 120 trees saved, thousands of dollars to local charities, fewer greenhouse gas emissions, less strain on nerves and family budgets.  More importantly, members said they spent more time with ohana, gave more thought to gifts given and received, and joined with co-workers, family, and friends in acts that were good for our environment and communities.

Read about the results of the campaign here:

• Campaign Recap
• KGMB9 Coverage
• Green Gifting
• One Malahini Simplifying
• Member Stories and Comments

Day of Action

We set out to rally 750 members in service to our communities.  In the end, 780 of us responded to the call.  At service projects across the islands, we donated thousands of labor-hours to clear trails, erase graffiti, serve food to those in need, tend community gardens, clean beaches and clear land for nonprofits.

Review results by reading:

• Day of Action Pre-valuation
• Day of Action Lessons Learned
• Waimea Day of Action
• Ma'o Day of Action