Kako'o: Kava Festival in Honolulu, Hawaii, Saturday 11 October 2008. Website: Kavafestival.org

Jonathan Yee Aloha Käkou,

The ‘Awa Development Council (ADC), a nonprofit 501(c)(3) public charitable organization, and its volunteer committee plan, coordinate and host the annual Hawai‘i Pacific Islands Kava Festival, a charitable, education, scientific and cultural event. Our motto is I Maluhia ka Honua (So that the world may be at peace).

Since time immemorial, Hawaiians and Pacific island peoples have used kava in ceremony, meetings, therapy, and socially. Today it continues to play an important role in our cultures. Hawaiian kava, our ‘awa, is on the rise for its social, cultural and economic benefit to Hawai‘i. Increasingly it serves Hawai‘i well, and in terms of peaceable facilitating qualities, it also appears it can serve effective roles in conflict resolution, strife and fear, as experienced worldwide.

The Kava Festival provides opportunity for peoples to gather, talk story, and appreciate the local entertainment, the cultural and educational booths, the local food and kava beverage & products, and increase an understanding of kava and its central role in Pacific island cultures. Perhaps by extension and your involvement, this understanding of kava can go much further, benefiting many lives.

The ADC's view on ‘awa and its use in contemporary society is both scientific and cultural. Our goals are in alignment with those first espoused at the Building Bridges with Traditional Knowledge conference in 2001, Honolulu:

Provide an open, sharing environment through which conversations and relationships may be built between people who have or use traditional knowledge and natural resources.
Encourage restoration and preservation of traditional knowledge and cultures.
Re-evaluation of social and economic priorities in light of cultural rejuvenation.
Provide a balanced forum for voices of culture, conservation, science, and education.
Educate the public about key issues in conservation, development, and ethnoscience.

We are fortunate to have Drs. Will McClatchey and Sam Gon on our board who are acknowledged experts in this bridge building and knowledgeable about the ties between science and culture. Presenting ‘awa in this sense is believed to be most effective in gaining support and delivering its benefits. It is also perhaps through this aspect our motto may be more and more realized.

The success of the Festival depends on your help and participation. We welcome all supporters. We are volunteers, and have no paid staff. And we need your help and likeminded "Aikea" people:

(1) Donation of services & goods such as entertainment, education, scientific, cultural, and other services or items useful for the festival are welcome. Booth space can be allocated for you. Please contact the ADC below.

(2) Monetary contributions are welcome, they will be used in support of the festival, including renting of porta-potties, U.S. nonprofit postage, ISP hosting to reach our supporters and the public, tents, signage, etc. Checks of any amount payable to `Awa Development Council may be sent to

`Awa Development Council
PO Box 26344
Honolulu HI 96825-6344

Or donations can also be made online here:

These donations are fully tax deductible as allowed by our tax exempt status under section 501(c)(3) for charitable organizations.

(3) E-mailing/Printing will help tremendously. Please e-mail your friends and contacts about the upcoming festival - citing http://kavafestival.org Print and distribute business cards, posters, banners. We have very limited marketing funds and count on everybody with an interest in kava and `awa (Hawaiian kava) to get the word out.

(4) Buy Festival tee-shirts. Our latest design comes from world renown artist Mr Dietrich Varez. Reserve yours early to ensure sizing & quantity.

(5) Become a vendor and provide goods and services that are related to Hawaiian and Pacific Islands cultures. Food, and, of course, kava beverages are welcome.

(6) Volunteer to help setup the day before, during, and after the Festival. We also need volunteers to provide guidance, expertise, and operations to the ADC on a continual, on-going basis. Community service hours, e.g., for scholarship, etc., purposes, are also certified by the ADC.

As the Festival is fast approaching your expedited kökua will be especially appreciated. Your contributions are fully tax deductible as allowed by section 501(c)(3) for public charities under the tax code. Please support the Festival and contact us.

I maluhia ka honua.

Mahalo,

Jonathan Yee

	Program
	Vendor Application
	Speakers/ next day
	T-Shirts & Posters - To debut design by Matthew "Chuna-Boy" Kaopio
	Will McClatchey, Jonathan Yee
	ADC website