Tuesday, March 5, 2024, Hawaii County Council Resolution on Peace
Hawaii County Council Resolution on Peace
Tuesday, March 5th, 9:30 AM Hawaii County Council Resolution on Peace hearing in Hilo
Council Reso. #449-24 ( See Reso below)
Oral Testimony is limited to 3 min. I urge support for the reso but also urge adding “a call for an immediate and permanent Ceasefire in Gaza, and no more military aid to Israel. STOP THE GENOCIDE.” Given what is happening in Gaza, the resolution is just very bland. There is no mention of Gaza. Please spread the word and encourage people to testify in person at the Hilo Hawaii County Council Chambers, 25 Aupuni St. Call the County office on Monday, March 4th at 808-961-8255 for ways to testify via Zoom. You can also email testimony to counciltestimony@hawaiicounty.gov. Try to email it by Monday noon.
You might also want to add to your testimony some or all of the following points or additional points:
- Please view and take to heart the important resolution passed by Hawaii Interfaith leaders, including many Big Island faith leaders, calling for an”immediate and permanent Ceasefire in Gaza.” See a list of signers here https://malu-aina.org/?p=9817 Even more names have been added since this posting. For a current list contact Cassandra Chee, cassandralchee@gmail.com
- Urging removal of the ‘military exemption in 1984″ from Hawaii County’s historic Nuclear-Free Law passed in 1981, the first municipality in the US to pass such a law, now followed by many other municipalities. Having an exemption for the military to a Nuclear-Free law is like having an exemption for smokers to a No Smoking Law.
- The military decision in 2008 to leave in place Depleted Uranium radiation at Pohakuloa and other sites in Hawaii is a violation of the Hawaii State Consitution that says: “Section 8. No nuclear fission power plant shall be constructed or radioactive material disposed of in the State without the prior approval by a two-thirds vote in each house of the legislature.” [Add Const Con 1978 and election Nov 7, 1978]
- There needs to be a Council follow-up resolution to Hawaii County Resolution 639-08 passed July 2, 2008, by a vote of 8-1 that called for 8 actions, including stopping all live fire at Pohakuloa until there is a comprehensive, independent assessment and clean up of Depleted Uranium at Pohakuloa. None of the 8 actions called for in Resolution 639-08 have been carried out by the military. Are we living in a democracy or under military rule?
A RESOLUTION DEMONSTRATING THE ALOHA SPIRIT AND FOSTERING
PEACE, DIPLOMACY, AND UNITY WITHIN THE COUNTY OF HAWAI`I, THE
STATE OF HAWAI`I, AND BEYOND.
WHEREAS, March 5th is the United Nations’ International Day for Disarmament and
Non -Proliferation Awareness; and
WHEREAS, Resolution 77/ 51, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on
December 7th, 2022, emphasizes the urgent need to increase education around disarmament and
non-proliferation, recognizes the significant role of governments, intergovernmental
organizations, civil society, academia, and the media in educating the public about how
disarmament efforts can provide peace and security for all the world’ s people; and
WHEREAS, in the words of the late Aunty Pilahi Paki, a beloved Native Hawaiian poet,
philosopher, linguist, educator, songwriter, author, and spiritual guide, ” the world will turn to
Hawaii as they search for world peace because Hawaii has the key; and that key is ALOHA”;
and
WHEREAS, section 5- 7. 5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, states that the Aloha Spirit ” was
presented as a gift to the people of Hawaii”, and further characterizes Aloha as mutual regard.
and affection and the belief that each person is important to our collective existence; and
WHEREAS, the County of Hawaii (“the County”) values the principles of peace,
diplomacy, and civic discourse as fundamental pillars for fostering harmonious relationships and
believes that dialogue, understanding, and cooperation are essential tools to build bridges and
create a more inclusive and tolerant society among its residents and the global community; and
WHEREAS, recognizing the interconnectedness of our world and the importance of
collaboration in addressing shared challenges, and the inherent dignity and rights of individuals,
regardless of their race, color, religion, gender, ethnicity, age, ability, or any other characteristic,
The county is committed to actively promoting diplomacy and peaceful resolutions to conflicts
and disputes with Aloha; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAI`I that this
body affirms its commitment to seek and promote peace, diplomacy, and civil discourse at the
county level and to demonstrate globally the values of understanding, cooperation, and peaceful
coexistence with Aloha.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the County hereby recognizes and supports the
United Nations’ International Day for Disarmament and Non -Proliferation Awareness.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the County encourages local educational
institutions, community organizations, and citizens to join the County in observance of the
United Nations’ International Day for Disarmament and Non -Proliferation Awareness by
participating in activities and initiatives that raise awareness and understanding of global
disarmament issues and principles that contribute to the greater good of humanity with Aloha.
