WHAT IS THE COMMUNITY CONSULTATION NETWORK?

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs utilizes an array of tools to communicate with beneficiaries and the public – newspaper, radio, television and the Internet – around the world.

When these tools are used in combination, they provide an even greater and more effective means of outreach to the community.

That's the idea behind the Community Consultation Network or CCN, which OHA will use to communicate and consult with the Native Hawaiian community on different topics affecting our people.

This is a "network" because OHA will be using all media at our disposal to get the word out about these community conversations.

The components include:

• Ka Wai Ola, OHA's monthly newspaper.

• Ka Wai Ola Loa, OHA's new web-only mid-month edition of Ka Wai Ola.

• Nā 'Ōiwi 'Ōlino radio show, which can be heard statewide and in Las Vegas.

• Ho'oulu Lāhui Aloha, OHA's community television show.

• OHA.org, OHA's web site.

• Video conferencing

• Pacific Network TV, a web-based television network created by filmmaker Edgy Lee and underwritten by OHA.

Consulting with the Hawaiian community has a long history in Hawai'i. In 1897, a group of women traveled across Hawai'i to hold discussions within the Hawaiian community on the subject of the annexation of Hawai'i by the United States.

What came about from those meetings were the Kū'ē Petitions signed by thousands of Hawaiians who opposed annexation.

More than a century later, we at OHA look to the spirit that carried those women from home to home in their quest to seek the mana'o of the Hawaiian community.

E HO'OMAKA KĀKOU – LET US BEGIN!

With the Kau Inoa registry surpassing 100,000 names, the first use of the CCN network will be to hold a conversation with the Hawaiian community on the next steps in nation-building.

Through the CCN, OHA will reach out to people in their homes or at community halls so they can candidly tell us what is on their minds.

To accomplish this, one of the tools we plan to use is videoconferencing so that we can have conversations with Hawaiians across Hawai'i and the continental U.S to gather as much information as possible in the most cost-effective method possible.

These video conferences could be held at the OHA boardroom, a living room in Southern California, a meeting room in Dallas or a meeting at a community center on Kaua'i. Residents in Wai'ane would not have to leave the Leeward Coast for a meeting in Honolulu -- they instead would link up via the videoconferencing.

The purpose of these conversations will be to share information about our history, get a status check of where we are today and look at where we expect to be in the future while in pursuit of justice for Native Hawaiians. These discussions will highlight issues important to Native Hawaiians including health, housing, education, the environment, as well as economic and social well-being.

The path toward self-determination is filled with challenges and obstacles and we, at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, know that building a nation takes many. Commitment and dedication are required at every step.

HOST A MEETING

OHA will loan equipment to groups wanting to host video conferencing meetings. OHA's website and other media will provide information on the meetings and collect comments from the meetings. Go to OHA.org and check out a past meeting to get an idea of how they're conducted.

If you would like to host a meeting, contact us at (808) 594-1759 and we will provide you with a host packet and all the necessary tools and equipment to hold a successful meeting.