The Kauai Fatherhood Council in collaboration with Storybook Theatre of Hawaii, Hoike Public Television and STAR 94.3 radio station support: Kauai Men’s Radio Program, Kauai Men’s Public Television Program, and the annual Kauai Men’s Conference

Opening Summary:

With the coronavirus pandemic communities small and large are being stretched and challenged to breaking points. The sad reality is not if people, families, communities, and institutions will break, its when. We must start now to build into personal, family, community and institutional life resources that will support and uphold them as we develop a "new normal" that is both resilient and hopeful. Please find below programming that is meant to challenge and encourage growth in the lives of men ages 14 and up, especially during this pandemic with Covid-19.

Organization:

From the earliest days of Western contact, the Ka Poe (native Hawaiians, my people), told their guests, the whites that no one owned the land. The land, like the air and the sea, was for all to use, and to share as their birthright. Our Alii (Chiefs) were STEWARDS of the land; they could not own or privately possess the land any more than they could sell it. But the HA'OLE (Those who lack the spiritual elements of the Ha...the breath of life), insisted on characterizing our chiefs as feudal landlords and our people as serfs. The imposition of a white, European feudal system, which was expressed in an American brand of capitalism, spelled the end of the kanaka ohana/family, as it was known from antiquity.

We now come to the 21st century, and we find ourselves as a community, struggling with the same dynamic that the kanaka's of the 19th century endured; a lack of a unifying energy, a

spectrum of a spiritual tool kit that compels us to do good things for our lahui, our community. A central figure of this effort is to define and then identify those attributes that constitute a good

father, as the central figure in keeping the family together.

The Kauai Fatherhood Council began meeting in August 2015. We grew out of an already existing group, the Dad’s Coalition that had been meeting prior for many years. We are a band of men with participants from diverse cultures, race and nationality, including the diversity of Hawaiian peoples and native Hawaiian. Furthermore, our men represent all sectors of the Kauai community from government and politicians to leaders in law enforcement and fire protection, Chambers of Commerce, unions and nonprofits, as well as civic, educational, religious and community members.

Our mission is to encourage and support the men of Kauai to be better role models actively engaged in their families and community.

The Kauai Men's Conference began in 2016 with the support of then Mayor Bernard P. Carvalho, Jr. The first Conference was actually held in 2007 and we restarted in 2016, focused on men emulating key areas and values within the lōkahi wheel. The second Conference focused on Men bettering relationships with women, children amd fellow men. The third Conference, in 2018, focused on the dynamic, changing, and expanding role and understanding of manhood.

Past conferences have received in-kind support, monetary donations, and grant funding from members of the Kauai Fatherhood Council, the County of Kaua’i, friends of the Fire Department, Kauai Office of the Mayor, Mason Chock Kupa'e, Storybook Theatre, Safeway, Starbucks, Mark's Place, Smith's Tropical Paradise, Alfred Darling Sound, Bamboo Moon Video, Kauai Island Ministries, and Kauai Dad’s Coalition.

Each year we develop and host the Kauai Men's Conference to address values, healthy relationships, cultural norms and positive ideals of male identity, leadership, and this year health and wellness. As a result of the pandemic, we have added additional programming to support men and families emotionally and mentally.

The Kauai Men's Conference brings men together to learn from and support each other to become positive male role models in their families and the island community.

Description of Programs:

Radio and television are instruments to share the dynamics of our purpose, to inform and educate the public, as to what we are doing, who are our co-horts and stakeholders, and those events where men can gather to confer and to enlighten men who are dedicated to a better and brighter Kauai.

Radio Program - In collaboration with Kauai radio 94.3 FM station manager David Lister (david@star943.com

(618) 237 9138), and Kauai Fatherhood Council Member Pastor Ed Kahhea, they will hosts currently bi-weekly interviews with male leaders addressing health and wellness topics and helpful resources regarding healthy families, prevention of domestic violence and abuse, addiction, positive Male engagement, and supportive mental and emotional programming such as TrustCircle. These interviews air in the noon hour on Sundays, and mention the upcoming Men's gathering in November.

If funding comes available starting in May 2020, we will contract with 94.3FM to air almost 30, 30 second spots on radio monthly highlighting these important topics and resources for men throughout the community along with two interviews with male role models to air each month until our annual Men's gathering in November.

Public Television Program - In collaboration with Storybook Theatre of Hawaii Executive Director Mark Jeffers and Hoike Television Jay Robertson we are planning to develop local television programming for men.

If funded the monthly programming would consist of two 30 minute ‘Lokahi Talk' Men’s Conference talk show highlighting the cultural and social values that Kauai Fatherhood Council espouses and encourages in all men and community members.

In addition we aim to create two 30-60 sec Public Service Announcements from the talk show productions made for TV, You Tube, & Radio.

Annual Kauai Men’s Conference - a one-day event, consists of sessions beginning with keynote speech by a community leader followed by small breakouts to talk story. The sessions are based on the lōkahi (harmony) wheel:kuleana (responsibility), mana (spirit), na'au (morals), ohana (family), kino (health), and mana'o (knowledge).

In 2020-21 the theme was "Health and Wellness," and speakers and small group discussion sessions with focus in the areas of supporting healthy family and community relationships and recovery from trauma (ACES), mental and emotional, spiritual and financial wellbeing as we maintain and recover from Covid-19 pandemic.

The Kauai Fatherhood Council organizes the Conference with fiscal services provided by The Storybook Theatre of Hawaii (a 503(c)(3) organization).

Simply put, the Coronavirus pandemic of 2020 has changed the lives of all of us. Early surveys suggest that relationship conflicts, domestic violence, anxiety, stress, alcohol consumption and substance abuse, and depression are spiking locally and nationally.

Furthermore, historically these have been a silent crisis in America and in Hawaii, a crisis of epic proportions: On average, American men live shorter and less-healthy lives than American women. As shown below, this is also true for Hawaii. ... The rate of suicide for men in Hawaii is 3.4 times the rate for women.

The State of Men’s Health: Hawaii (2017) - http://www.menshealthnetwork.org/states/HI.pdf

The 2017 Kauai [suicide] victims range in age from 20 to 88. Seventeen were men while eight were women. ... “The highest rates right now are for elderly and middle-aged men,” said Julie Cerel, a psychology professor at the University of Kentucky.

Suicide death toll rising sharply, The Garden Island |(2017) - https://www.thegardenisland.com/2017/09/10/hawaii-news/suicide-death-toll-rising-sharply/

Scholars now know that boys and girls who grow up with an involved father, as well as an involved mother, have stronger cognitive and motor skills, enjoy elevated levels of physical and mental health, become better problem-solvers, and are more confident, curious, and empathetic. They also show greater moral sensitivity and self-control.

Building Blocks for Father Involvement, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Administration for Children & Families - https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/building-blocks-01-appreciating-how-fathers-give-children.pdf

Of all counties, City and County of Honolulu has the highest proportion of two-parent households with own minor children, and Kaua‘i has the lowest. ... of the 6,368 families living in Kaua‘i County, 779 (12.2%) were single fathers and 1,300 (20.4%) were single mothers.. ...

During the 2008-2012 period, Hawai‘i had a higher rate of fathers who were not in the labor force compared to nationwide: 16.8% versus 11.2% (Table 12)

The State of Fathers in Hawaii, University of Hawaii Center on the Family (2015) - http://humanservices.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/The-State-of-Fathers-in-the-State-of-Hawaii-FINAL-PDF.pdf

How The Kauai Fatherhood Council programs in radio, television and annual Men's Gathering Meet The Need -

The programs are designed to draw attention and attendance from a broad socio-economic and cultural cross-section of Kauai men. Including men who may serve as mentors as well as those struggling with economic, emotional, substance abuse, incarceration, relationship, or other issues. Programming is spread out consistently over a number of months culminating with the Kauai Men’s Gathering that is a one-day event consisting of a keynote speech by a community leader followed by small breakout sessions to talk story. During the breakout sessions the attendees discuss real world issues with other men, learn from each other, and are challenged to become better, healthier role models in their families and the Kauai community.

The theme for year's 2020 and 2021 Conferences are Health and Wellness. We will learn and explore ways to recover from trauma (ACES), and reinforce mental and emotional, spiritual and financial wellbeing.​