Grassroots Diplomacy
We strive to walk ke ala pono (the path of rightness) by adhering to certain principles. We hold these principles as the standard for our conduct wherever we find ourselves on this earth, of which we are all a part, to be accountable in kapu aloha, so that we may hookahua me ke aloha mau i ka aina and rise together in the fullness of aloha aina
Our Principles
PONO
We strive to bring balance and right action among all peoples by urging the practice and promotion of truth-telling, integrity, and compassion.
ALOHA
We acknowledge that we are part of this aina. As the land thrives, so will we. Our health and well-being depend on the practice of malama, kindness, and love toward all things.
OHANA
We continually learn from those who came before that our connection to the land and to each other are essential. Ohana encompasses us all.
MALUHIA ME KA PONO
We urge the practice of right action in alignment with pono. There is no peace, equity, dignity, or justice without pono.
LAULIMA
We recognize and affirm that we are all in this together. Kokua, laulima, and hookipa are essential to the establishment and maintenance of pono governance.
KULEANA
We accept our personal and organizational responsibility to promote these principles in the interest of all people on earth and with the hope that, once implemented, these principles will keep our communities strong and serve as a model for others as a natural evolution of mankind’s ability to govern and thrive with principles that promote peace, equity, kindness, and justice for all people and all aina.
EA
We embrace sovereign thought and action me ke aloha kehaki i kekahi, so that we may malama i kou kuleana ponoi, no laila hu mai ke aloha no ka aina (treat one another as worthy of honor and respect so that love for the homeland may swell forth.)
Ka Lei Maile Alii is creating opportunities and resources for coalition building through a “citizen diplomacy” framework.
Diplomacy and peace-building are generally thought of as things that happen primarily at the highest political levels, between governments and their representatives. However, those of us who organize at the grassroots level understand how much social change is generated through relationship building among ordinary people, especially in the absence of reliable and trustworthy government.
The Hawaiian Kingdom has an exceptional history in international diplomacy, that ultimately secured Hawaiian independence and our entry as the first non-European nation state into the Family of Nations in 1843. By 1893, the Hawaiian Kingdom had consulates and legations in at least 136 cities across six continents.
This breadth of diplomatic outreach with people of all backgrounds is a powerful tradition to lean on as a nation resisting illegal occupation today – particularly in the face of compounding global crises, from genocide to climate change, that require international fellowship and cooperation to address. Grassroots diplomacy is a strategy to disrupt dominant narratives that keep us from recognizing the interconnected nature of our efforts across the world to transform the status quo.
This Hawaiʻi-based corps of citizen diplomats consists of Hawaiian nationals and their allies dedicated to serving as emissaries of peace, justice, and aloha aina wherever they may travel. Their commitment is to utilize history, cultural exchange, and actions of solidarity to link those in shared struggle around the world.
By affirming all aina as sacred and purposefully generating connections among those sacred aina and their people, we fortify our shared values and materialize our vision for a world that prioritizes our collective wellbeing.
