Before I started organizing (I’m still a baby abolitionist organizer!) I never knew how much the work would intersect with campaigns and actions other community members have been doing, which I quickly learned after co-founding our Hawaiʻi Abolition Collective in December (here’s an introduction to our work and an article my sister Megan wrote about our group in Being Hawaiʻi magazine!). Throughout my young journey into prison industrial complex (PIC) abolition organizing, I’ve kindly been mentored by some of my amazing and accomplished comrades Laurel and Leilani who’ve gained experience under the infamous Ruth Wilson Gilmore. Laurel in particular has connected me with other opportunities and organizations here in Hawaiʻi so I can get involved and learn as much as possible and one of the orgs she included me in is Hawaiʻi Peace and Justice. Hawaiʻi Peace and Justice or HPJ was founded in 1968 as the Hawaiʻi branch of the American Friends Service Committee to fight for workers’ rights, land and sovereignty, environmental protection, demilitarization, and human dignity. HPJ is currently run by a board of kind and dedicated organizers who have participated in community actions for decades and back in December, Laurel invited me to join the board as well. One of my favorite aspects of Hawaiʻi Peace and Justice is that the board members span a few generations, so we’re all learning from each other as we go. I recently became a part-time admin and communications consultant for HPJ with one of my key functions being to run all of our org’s social media accounts (I actually had to create Twitter and Instagram accounts as we’re slightly inactive online!). We’re still finding our way through the interwebs, but I’m excited to see how we can branch out and connect with other demil and environmental justice orgs while growing our presence and community involvement. Please follow us on Facebook, Twitter (@hawaiipandj) and Instagram (@hawaiipeaceandjustice) for more information on demilitarization, peace, and abolition campaigns; webinars; actions; and more!
