HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 1011.008 2018-2020 I
P/GREOC-d
comm. 1011
August 3, 2020
To: Councilwoman Kierkiewicz and members of the Hawaii County Council
From:Think BIG
RE:Testimony in support of Reso. 692-20 Aina Aloha Economic Futures
Aloha Councilwoman Kierkiewicz and members of the Hawaii County Council,
Thank you for the opportunity to testify in support of Resolution 692-20 which will make Hawaii
County a signatory to the Aina Aloha Economic Futures declaration and will encourage the county to
take into account the guidance of this declaration in future decision making.
We are in a time of great crisis, but it is often through great crisis that transformative change
can arise. COVID 19 has brough into sharp relief the vulnerabilities we have with our dependence on
tourism, importing most of our food and having most of out people stranded on the edge. The inequities
already deep within are community have been come even more pronounced.
Based on foundational Hawaiian principles,The Aina Aloha Economic Futures declaration
imagines a different future and a different mindset. It represents an opportunity to make our State more
self-reliant and reevaluate how we view growth,wealth, and success. It is clear that we need to shift
from a model where dollars pass through our community at the expense of our natural resources and
our community to one where dollars stay and circulate locally and we meet the basic needs of our
community while living with in the capacity of our ecosystem.
Think BIG is an organization of individuals from different backgrounds focused on building
sustainability and resilience in Hawaii County, while also mitigating the impacts of climate change.The
Aina Aloha Economic Futures declaration is in alignment with our mission and we believe it provides an
important first step to improving the futures for all residents of Hawaii.
Thank you for your consideration of this testimony.We hope you will support this important
resolution.
Mahalo
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Heather Kimball
Tam Hunt
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Noel Morin
Bill Bugbee
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Scott Laaback
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