Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 8, Number 6, 1 June 1991 — OHA youth legislature convenes June 17-22 [ARTICLE]

OHA youth legislature convenes June 17-22

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs through its Education Division this month will host the fourth annual youth leadership conference, 'Aha 'Opio O OHA, June 17-22, in Honolulu. It has been named as a scholastic event in the Governor's recognition of the 150th anniversary of public education in Hawai'i. There are a few available places. Any Hawaiian student who has completed their junior year should contact the Education Division at 5863751. Sixty Hawaiian high school juniors statewide will be selected to participate in a week of program activities. These will reflect Hawaiian concerns such as ecology, Hawaiian history, native rights and alternative lifestyles. Students will leam firsthand about the eleehon process, organization of government, how bills are introduced and how to lobby for issues. They will have the opportunity to take leadership roles, explore traditional Hawaiian values in the context of contemporary Hawai'i, and will be able to meet legislators and other officials involved in government. The 'Aha 'Opio (OHA's Youth Legislature) seeks to provide Hawaiian high school students with actual experience in developing leadership skills in public speaking, parliamentary procedure and group political interaction. The 'Aha 'Opio recognizes Hawaii's own cultural heritage. What makes this program especially Hawaiian is that the students will select issues of current eoneem and debate what impact they have on the Native Hawaiian community. Special cultural sessions will cover alternative lifestyles, Hawaiian language, ho'oponopono (conflict resolution) and Hawaiian values. Students will visit important historical sites and various state agencies. Meetings are scheduled with state legislators. 'Aha 'Opio has had a dramatic impact on students in awakening their leadership skills and understanding of how laws are drafted, debated and final!y passed. Here are some commentsfrom

students in last year's 'Aha 'Opio: From Scott Nathaniel, San Antonio, Texas: "As high school comes to a close, I am planning to attend either the University of Texas or Trinity on a eouple of journalism scholarships. I am currently working at the San Antonio Museum Association on weekends managing the Science of Sport, an exhibit examining the physics of athletics. I do shows on the hour and it's a blast. "Besides working at the museum and on the newspaper I participated in the Academic Decathlon. Our team advanced to state, and I won a silver medal in the interview and a bronze in the essay. In both events I was able to make allusions to my experiences at the 'Opio. "A lot of the people I have spoken to, remark that the 'Opio sounds like an extremely outstanding program. Especially my interviewer at Trinity, who was highly interested in minority programs and cultural affairs (mainly dealing with Hispanics). She was working with a think tank that was looking to facilitate programs that allow youths to experience the higher nuances of areas like the poliheal arena. "The 'Aha 'Opio was a rewarding experience for me last year and I hope that I ean contribute and share in the experience of other youth interested in fostering their talents to the benefit of their society." From Mehana McCracken, Gilbert High School, Arizona: 'Aha 'Opio turned out to be the most fully rewarding activity I have ever taken part in. I met so many wonderful people and made quite a few lifetime friends. In addition I learned how our government functions and what our senators and representatives have to go through mentally and physically in order to make a bill become a law. I became interested in politics — something I never really cared for prior to the conference because I never really knew exactly what politics are about. "One of the most important qualities I gained

from this experience is an overwhelming sense of pride in my heritage and culture as a Hawaiian. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs sponsored 'Aha 'Opio in an effort to educate my generation in politics and the Hawaiian culture, and not a single delegate that I know of left the conference without having a stronger sense of pride and knowledge than they eame with. "I think that the most rewarding aspect of attending 'Aha 'Opio O OHA however, is that I learned more about myself than I had ever known before, and I gained a deep understanding of who I am as a person. I had not had the self-confidence that is required in order to talk in front of people, and speak my voice, but at 'Aha 'Opio I somehow found enough confidence to let people know how I was feeling. "I even ran for the Lieutenant Governor's chair on the officer's committee, whieh would have given me a guaranteed seat at this summer's 'Aha 'Opio. This talk included making a speech in front of all the delegates and staff members, although I was extremely nervous, I had a great deal of fun. I couldn't believe I had enough confidence to stand before all those people and just be myself. I had always wanted to run for student eouneil in school but never before had the courage to stand before all of my peers and make a speech. "Even though I lost the eleehon, I won something mueh greater whieh is confidence in myself . . . "I will always remember my first 'Aha 'Opio O OHA because I've never met such a large number of people who are truly happy and whom are so enjoyable to be with. It was amazing to me that such a large and diverse group of teenagers could eome together, get along so well, become such close friends, and work so well with one another. Today it seems that a large group of any age will rarely be able to work together, because people have become more self-serving and less willing to compromise with one another, even if it is ultimately for their own good.

I also have gained a sense of inspiration, because the "motto" for the conference was "Ho'olale I Ka 'Ai A Na U'i," whieh means "Let the youth show us what they ean do." I believe that the future is now in the hands of my generation, and we must start to take control right now in order to insure that our futures are bright." From Ikaika Da Mate, Konawaena High School "One of the most important experiences that I have been involved in was the honor of being chosen as the only representative from West Hawai'i. "This experience was very important to me as it showed how laws are made and how the democratic process works. For the first time in my life, I saw how important it is to become involved in issues that affect all of us. This experience taught me that if I stay motivated and believe in myself and my abilities, I will succeed in whatever goal I set. It also taught me that it is important to be fair and see both sides to every issue before a decision is made. "Being a state representative in the 'Aha 'Opio Youth Legislature was one of the most enjoyable and fulfilling experiences I have ever had. I especially enjoyed meeting other students from many different high schools and coming up with meaningful ways to improve our society. I have kept these friendships and continue to correspond with my constituents ... I will be returning in 1991 as a senior advisor to the new "legislators" coming in. "Hawai'i is a very small, but cosmopolitan state . . . and it is important to get along with eaeh other . . . still maintaining a unique identity. The first step is to become involved in important issues that affect our different communities. The second step is to have a say in these important issues. Being a youth state representative was a perfect way to see how we, as Americans, ean make a difference in the legislative process."