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Queen Lili’uokalani Honored
JULY 24, 2013; HONOLULU HAWAII: The 11th Annual Hawaii International Forgiveness Day will take place at the outdoor Rotunda in the heart of the State Capitol of Hawai’i -- on Sunday, August 4, from 2:00 to 5:00 pm. Queen Lili’uokalani, the last reigning monarch of Hawai’i, is being honored for her courage, steadfast visions of peace for her people, and her ability to stand as a model of forgiveness. Representatives of the Estate and legacy of the Queen’s family, from the Queen Lili’uoklanai Trust, will be on hand to personally accept the Heroine of Forgiveness Recognition Award, and to help people to better understand her life, words and actions. This event is free, and open to all. Space is limited, so reservations are encouraged; free reservations at: http://www.hawaiiforgivenessproject.org/reservations.htm or call 808-216-1993. Full details are available at http://www.hawaiiforgivenessproject.org/Program-Intro-2013.htm, where a program and free poster may be downloaded. All members of the Board of Trustees the Queen Lili’uoklanai Trust will be on hand: Thomas Kaulukukui Jr., Patrick K.S.L. Yim, and Claire L. Asam. Helping to co-ordinate the event is Roger Epstein, respected local attorney at Cades-Schutte. He said, “This event is an opportunity to tell the Queen’s story once again, for new and broader audiences in Hawaii and around the world, so that people more deeply understand her life and her wisdom. Next to ‘Iolani Palace, where she was imprisoned during the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, we will have the correct historic setting in which to appreciate and discuss the Queen’s role in Hawai’s history.” Details of the Queen’s Trust may be seen at http://www.onipaa.org This occasion begins celebration of the Queen’s 175th birthday, which will be complete on September 1 with an event at ‘Iolani Palace. A unique aspect of this event will be the making of ti-leaf lei. A coalition of Hawaiian community groups will teach how a traditional ti lei is made, and kupuna (instructors) will be on hand to give a short personal class -- both in the physical craft of lei-making, and in the inner skill of lei-making with the true spirit of aloha. Ti and other materials will be provided to everyone, and the lei made will be presented to the Queen in the spirit of forgiveness. All members of the State Legislature and Executive, and all members of the City/County Administration and City Council, are being invited to attend. The event is endorsed and sponsored on behalf of the State of Hawai’i by Senator Les Ihara. Kumu John Keola Lake’s Halau Mele, under the current leadership of kumu oli Sam Gon and kumu hula Mahealani Wong, will be opening the event with oli -- chants to honor the Queen. Musician George Kahumoku Jr. will perform songs dedicated to the Queen, including chants and songs from his collection, ‘E Lili’u. Ku’uipo Kumukahi, a beloved singer and songwriter of traditional Hawaiian music, will share her music in honor of the Queen. Both George Kahumoku and Ku’uipo Kumokahi are multiple winners of Na Hoku Hanohano awards, and George Kahumoku is a Grammy award winner. Local filmmaker Meleanna Aluli Meyer will share the progress of Ku’u ‘Āina Aloha (Beloved Land, Beloved Country) -- a film in production about the Queen’s legacy that continues to be felt in Hawaiian communities throughout the state and beyond. Learning Hawai’i’s true history, working at healing, forgiving and moving forward, are aspirations for this work. The dynamic Poka Laenui will share his vision of the Queen’s example in the future of Hawai’i. The leader of the Pacific Justice and Reconciliation Center, Ha’aheo Guanson, will share her life’s work as a peacemaker in the tradition of the Queen. Aunty Fay of the Communities in Schools group of Waipahu (which helps many children of Hawaiian descent), will bring a large group of students to the event to kokua and share Forgiveness Arts Awards dedicated to the Queen will be presented -- and entries are now open to the public, online. Anyone may enter original work into the Images or Poetry category, no charge: http://hawaiiforgivenessproject.org/awards/ The winning images will be on display on August 4, and the winning poets will read their work. A full gallery of past years' winners -- artists and poets of aloha -- is available at the link above, to get an idea of what is meant by "Forgiveness Arts." International Forgiveness Day is celebrated in more than 80 countries, and the festival here in Hawaii is consistently one of the largest in the world. It is organized by a coalition of community groups, professionals, religious organizations, business and government people who support a lifestyle of forgiveness in Hawaii, based on the values of traditional Hawaiian culture and the spirit of aloha. Supporting local groups and businesses include All Believers Network, Cades-Schutte Law Firm, Creative Sound, Hawaii Tents and Events, Holistic Hawaii, Interfaith Alliance, Jerry Chang Foundation, Office of Youth Services-State of Hawaii, Seicho No-ie, Pacific Justice and Reconciliation Center, Peace Day Hawaii, Voyage of Aloha Community, Zhou Enlai Peace Institute. -30- press contact: online press room: free public registration:
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