Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 37, Number 7, 1 July 2020 — He Mana Kō Ka Leo Pualu; There is Power in a Collective Voice [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

He Mana Kō Ka Leo Pualu; There is Power in a Collective Voice

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y MĀLAMAI > KOU KINO

By Kirstin Kahaloa There are many uncertainties as we recover from CO VID- 1 9 and work to reshape our eeonomie future for Hawai'i. The past few months have been challenging in different ways for different people, ranging from inconvenience and discomfort to devastation of living situations and careers. This discomfort and devastation ean be a catalyst for a

Hawai'i that takes better care of our plaee and our people. As we work to rebuild our communities and our economy, how ean we rebuild better? July ushers in the opportunity to use our voice to make change. 2020 is an election year and it is our right and duty to vote for the leaders who shape the policies that govern our communities. Eaeh person who votes makes a difference. As a lāhui, voting becomes a collective voice for change. We ean no longer sit on the sidelines and make excuses for not voting. It has cost us too mueh for too long. We need to stand up and vote for what we all believe in - a better future for our kama'āina families. There is no better time than now, whether you have voted for decades, or will be voting for the first time. Since we have all-mail voting this year, there will be no standing in

lines or taking off from work to participate in civic engagement. Voting just became easier and safer in 2020, so go and vote! Our Native Hawaiian Chambers of Commerce are organizations amplifying a collective Hawaiian voice. We are a network of 800+ engaged members from across Hawai'i that support loeal businesses and responsible eeonomie growth, as well as Hawaiian culture, people, language, and our home. We embrace our kuleana to ensure that aloha and the descendants of this land are at the forefront of discussions about how we shape and determine our future. We must, and ean, do better for Hawai'i; and our strength grows in numbers. That matters. Connect with your loeal Native Hawaiian Chamber as we work together to strengthen our voices in this important time in history.

Hawai'i Island: huioihana.com Kaua'i: knhcc.org Maui Nui: mnhcoc.org O ' ahu : nati vehawaiianchamberofcommerce. °rg ■ Kirstin Kahaloa is President of the Hawai'i Island Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce. In her career she has ser\>ed in higher education, nonprofit management and community engagement. She currently works at Kamehameha Schools as a Portfo!io Manager on Hawai'i Island. Kahaloa has a BA in International Studies and PoIitieal Science, and a Master's degree in Public Service Administrationfrom the University of Evansville. She a!so lias a Master's degree in Management & Leadership from Webster University. Kirstin was born and raised on O'ahu and is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools.