Senator honored for efforts to link people of the Pacific

The Maui News
Wednesday, April 22, 2009

HONOLULU - State Sen. J. Kalani English was awarded a Pacific Business Center Stars of Oceania award for his work with the territories, freely associated states and commonwealths in the Pacific.

English, D-East Maui, Molokai, Lanai, received the award at the Stars of Oceania Luncheon and Pasifika Energy Summit on April 9 on Oahu.

The award recognized the Maui County lawmaker for his personal interest, advocacy and statesmanship in cultivating, strengthening and promoting greater cooperation and collaboration between the Hawaii Legislature and the territories, freely associated states and commonwealths of the Pacific.

"Senator English is a recognized and compelling example of what the Stars of Oceania award symbolizes," said Faiautusi Avegalio, director of the Pacific Business Center Program at the Shidler College of Business Administration at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. "He symbolizes the up-and-coming generation of leaders possessing the cultural sense of balance, harmony and reciprocal benefit that encapsulates our indigenous wisdom.

"Coupled with modern knowledge and education, Senator English is the kind of leader who is able to take the best of both worlds and create a third exciting option for our future."

English acknowledged the "tremendous honor" bestowed upon him.

"To me, it is common sense that we should be finding ways to combine today's technologies and knowledge with the vital legacy of culture and inclusiveness that our ancestors left us," he said in a news release about the award. "I am very grateful that others share these views, and that we can find a way to build on a shared commitment to not only preserving, but also making use our legacy."

This year, the Stars of Oceania Luncheon was coupled with the Pasifika Energy Summit to provide a forum connecting traditional wisdom with modern knowledge.

Original article URL: http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/517648.html

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