Young leaders study storytelling, natural resources in Honolulu
There’s nothing like 25 young people to stir things up. I mean that in a positive way, of course.
The young leaders from across Southeast Asia, aged 18-25, are
here in Honolulu for a project concentrating on protecting natural resources.
They’ll spend 25 days in Honolulu. Then, they’ll travel to Santa Fe, NM for
five days, and finally on to Washington, DC for another four days. During this
program, they're learning about natural resources and their management while
they develop community projects to enhance natural resource protection in their
home countries.
I’m meeting with them six times during their stay here, then
accompanying them to Santa Fe and DC. Our discussions are geared towards
helping them develop successful communications campaigns to promote and enhance
their community resource sustainability projects. So far, we’ve talked about
storytelling techniques, mis and disinformation, and media literacy. One theme
I keep hitting is the importance of humanizing their online storytelling for
maximum impact. The young leaders have been active, inquisitive, and engaged—the
perfect students.
Their first full week in Honolulu also included a wonderful
cruise on a traditional native Hawaiian vessel, a theatrical performance featuring
vignettes from actresses portraying female Hawaiian historical figures, and a
visit with a giant inflatable whale on Earth Day.
I look forward to being continually stirred during the next
month!
