The vision and mission of the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa (UHM) states that we will gain international recognition as a leading land, sea, and space grant university because our work is grounded in the traditional values of our host culture that insists that we strive for excellence in teaching, research, and community engagement while promoting environmental sustainability and human justice. The College of Health Sciences and Social Welfare lives into this vision and mission as they move toward cross-sector convergence in which the barriers between traditional sectors are being redefined. The fire that drives this collaborative is the spirit of commitment and willingness to address complex problems both pragmatically and innovatively in an interdisciplinary, intra- and inter-organizational manner that is informed by a Kanaka ‘Oiwi worldview. The kahua, the foundational pillars that define collective advocacy for the health and well-being of our people are embedded in three value propositions. First, He ali‘i ka ‘aina, he kauwa ke kanaka (The land is chief, the people are its servants). The idea of ‘aina confronts the constructed barriers between our colleges, our families, and our communities. The notion that knowledge and learning occurs only in the schoolhouse and nowhere else is disputed by ‘aina because the relationships and reciprocity of ‘aina reclaims the idea that valuable learning occurs in multiple ecosystems. So, to embrace ‘aina compels the health sciences to ho‘opili, to link together the spiritual, physical, intellectual, and ecological well-being of people and place. Second, ‘A‘ohe pau ka ‘ike i ka halau ho‘okahi (All knowledge is not contained in one source). This speaks to the concept of relations. Each of the units that comprise the collective tirelessly navigate the complex webs of their diverse communities and contexts. They explore and apply knowledge to ensure the life and vitality of our people and our communities. This work is strengthened by their commitment to work together to achieve greater collective impacts; to ensure the health and well-being of all of Hawai‘i's people. Third, Mai ka piko o ke po‘o a ka poli o ka wawae, a la‘a me na kihi ‘eha o ke kino (From the top of the head to the bottom of the feet and all four corners, the body is sacred). Abundance is the clarion call of this final kahua. The message that you will hear from this consortium is not one of deficit. This final value speaks to the significant commitment that this college has made to work collectively in and with community through an asset-oriented perspective. Their work is to kako‘o, to support community members to “re-vision” their lives as powerfully vibrant and healthy in a more pono place.
Conflict of Interest
The author reports no conflict of interest.