HAWAI’I INTERNATIONAL
FORGIVENESS DAY
August 6, 2006
MEDIA ADVISORY
July 24, 2006
CONTACT: Trish Ellis, 888-222-7205
<trish@hawaiiforgivenessproject.org>
* Free festival honors Makaha Sons as Heroes of Forgiveness
* vivid dramatization of Hiroshima nuclear bomb by Iona Dance Theatre
* keynote: true nature of forgiveness by best-selling author Dr. Fred Luskin (Stanford University) and Kumu Ramsay Taum
* calls for forgiveness in community, political, and religious life worldwide,
from full spectrum of Hawaiian leaders
* Statewide Awards: Hawai'i Forgiveness Heroes, Images of Forgiveness, Poetry of Forgiveness
HONOLULU: JULY 24, 2006 - The Hawai'i Forgiveness Project (http://www.hawaiiforgivenessproject.org) presents the annual Hawai'i International Forgiveness Day on Sunday, August 6, 2006 in the Parish Hall, Central Union Church, 1660 S. Beretania (at Punahou Street), Honolulu. Doors open at 2:00 p.m. for community exhibits, and the two-hour festival begins at 3:00 p.m. This event is for the whole family; it is free and open to the public.
A Hawaiian prayer is this year's theme: Ho'okahi no la'au lapa'au, o ka mihi. "The first remedy is forgiveness." The group sees traditional Hawaiian culture as the key to harmonious life in the islands today.
Key Events: The festival, now in its fourth year, features live music and talk story with one of Hawai'i’s most beloved musical families, the Makaha Sons. They are being honored as one of several Forgiveness Heroes, for their life's work in helping Hawaiians of all cultures, through their educational Foundation. One particular event will be highlighted: the memorable spontaneous aloha reunion of Makaha Sons with the late Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, ten years ago at the Na Hoku Hanohano Awards, that touched the hearts of thousands of island residents. A rare, almost-lost video of this event will be shown, produced shortly before Iz passed away in 1997, in which Iz calls upon Hawaiians of all nations to unite.
The original Makaha Sons, ca. 1978;
the three members of the modern Makaha Songs
appear at Forgiveness Day, August 6, 2006
IONA Contemporary Dance Theatre presents a rare performance of "Passage into Tomorrow" – a searing insight into nuclear destruction, and a journey through pain to peace. This original gallery installation, with dancers as living sculpture, was last performed two days before the 9/11 attacks, on September 9, 2001; the group's artistic director, Cheryl Flaharty, now feels comfortable bringing this challenging work to the public again. She explains, "We explore the relationship between paper and skin as the housing of the soul. Dancers hover in eerie stillness: it's the moment of the Hiroshima explosion, frozen in time. One dancer is plastered with 1945 American newspaper headlines; another depicts the exit of the soul from the body."
Image from "Passage into Tomorrow"
to be performed by IONA at Forgivness Day,
August 6.
Kumu Ramsay Taum, Dr. Fred Luskin: Two prestigious keynote speakers will create a shared experience of forgiveness for the audience, based on their different traditions. Kumu Ramsay Taum will demonstrate that forgiveness lies at the root of the Hawaiian view of the cosmos, of language, the Hawaiian perception of the human body, of family and relationships. Dr. Fred Luskin, a psychologist at Stanford University, will talk about his carefully designed studies that show the practical, transforming potential of forgiveness to improve psychological and physical well being. These two styles will contrast with each other, and perhaps converge in some ways, as the two speakers explore each other's history and traditions.
Ramsay Taum, native Hawaiian keynote speaker
at Forgiveness Day.
Forgiveness Day 2006 is hosted by Jerry Jampolsky and Diane Cirincione, whose work worldwide with Attitudinal Healing has made them respected authors and teachers.
Hawai'i Forgiveness Hero Recognition Awards: These awards, begun in 2002, identify people whose lives best demonstrate the power of forgiveness. Nominations are now open, and the Awards are explained on the group’s website; http://www.hawaiiforgivenessproject.org/nomination-form.htm Award winners will be announced August 4, with personal presentations on the festival stage, August 6.
Forgiveness Arts Awards: The artistic richness of Hawai’i, with its many accomplished artists and poets, will be recognized by the Images of Forgiveness Award and the Poetry of Forgiveness Award. These Awards are explained on the website; entries are open at http://www.hawaiiforgivenessproject.org/awards/
Over 400 people attended last year's event, which is part of International Forgiveness Day now held in 80 countries worldwide; Honolulu's festival is one of the largest. Other participating cities include Buenos Aires, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Lagos, San Francisco, and New York. This year, Forgiveness Day – August 6, 2006 -- is being held on the 61st anniversary of the nuclear bomb over Hiroshima, Japan.
Opening and closing oli (invocations and prayers) will be led by Kupuna Kanani Awai, from an original family of Hawaiians living on the North Shore of O'ahu. She is part of the Piko Group, and helped to lead the recent successful effort to reclaim Waimea Valley for the Hawaiian people.
669 words
Additional Information:
Forgiveness Stories: Free copies of the Forgiveness Stories book will be available, which includes powerful stories from around the world. Last year’s edition available now at http://www.hawaiiforgivenessproject.org/stories/, and the 2006 edition will be available online on August 5.
Forgiveness Massage: The American Institute of Massage Therapy (Kailua) will offer a free, specially-created “Forgiveness Massage” throughout the event. In a few minutes, this treatment first releases stress, opens the breath, concentrates energy on the heart, and offers a unique opportunity for self-love and forgiveness.
The Hawai’i Forgiveness Project is a non-profit, non-religious, multi-cultural group which helps the people of Hawai’i to weave forgiveness into the fabric of their day-to-day lives. Through a deeper understanding of traditional Hawaiian values, and an appreciation of the wisdom of all the peoples which make up modern Hawai’i, the group helps to build a more compassionate, resilient, non-violent and open future for our State, and for America. For more detail on the organization’s mission, see http://www.hawaiiforgivenessproject.org/mission/
Kumu Ramsay Taum is a respected young teacher of Hawaiian arts (lua, lomi haha, ho'oponopono) and activist in the environment, education and culture. Dr. Fred Luskin, has shown forgiveness to be a teachable skill that improves physical and emotional well being through his research as Director of the Stanford Forgiveness Projects and his best selling book Forgive for Good.
Contacts:
Press information: complete background on the participants, awards and issues, with photos, and availability of organization spokespeople for interviews, is available at http://www.hawaiiforgivenessproject.org/press/ and personally from Trish Ellis, email trish@hawaiiforgivenessproject.org, phone 888-222-7205
Awards: To get details about the Heroes, Images or Poetry Awards, and to enter, go to http://www.hawaiiforgivenessproject.org/awards/. Those who do not have Internet access may contact Trish Ellis, at 888-222-7205.
A free poster: available now for download and distribution at http://www.hawaiiforgivenessproject.org/poster.htm
Directions to the venue, at the Parish Hall, Central Union Church, 1660 S. Beretania (Beretania and Punahou Street), Honolulu Hawai'i, including an interactive map, are available at http://snipurl.com/g9jn
Sponsors:
American Institute of Massage Therapy; http://www.aimt-hi.com
Cades-Schutte Law Firm; http://www.cades.com
DreamAloha Whole Life Coaching, Catherine Graham, Life Coach
Gaia-Mind; http://www.gaia-mind.com
Greenstar; http://www.greenstar.org
Hawai’i Center for Attitudinal Healing; http://attitudinalhealinghawaii.org/
Hawaii Interfaith Alliance: http://snipurl.com/gd6y
Iona Contemporary Dance Theater; http://www.iona360.com
Jade and Arts: http://www.jadeandart.com
Larry Lovett, Roger Epstein, Michael North
Louis Pohl Gallery; http://www.louispohlgallery.com/
Metamorphosis; http://www.4metamorphosis.us
Open Table
Scott Foster Associates; http://www.scottfoster.org
Sunset Homes; http://www.sunsethomes.net
“As we let our own light shine, we invite other people to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence liberates others.”
...Nelson Mandela
