Posted on: Saturday, July 24, 2004
Hawai'i coalition celebrates power of forgiveness Aug. 1
Advertiser staff
The Hawai'i Forgiveness Project will present a second annual Hawai'i International Forgiveness Day on Aug. 1 in the Parish Hall of the Central Union Church, 1660 S. Beretania St., Honolulu. The program features Jerry Jampolsky, Diane Cirincione, Aunty Thelma Ulsh-Cotter, Kauwila Clark, Ishmael Stagner, Iokepa DeSantos, and Geoffrey Adair.
Displays, music, hula, art and conversation are part of the program, as are the Hawai'i Forgiveness Hero Recognition Awards, said coordinator Trish Ellis. The Hawai'i Forgiveness Project is a community coalition of individuals and organizations supporting forgiveness in its many forms.
Gov. Linda Lingle has declared Aug. 1 Forgiveness Day in Hawai'i. As many as 300 communities worldwide now celebrate the power of forgiveness on the first Sunday in August. Other participating cities include London; Johannesburg, South Africa; Berlin; San Francisco; and New York.
Hawai'i Forgiveness Heroes were nominated by members of the community; they are people who have demonstrated the positive, transformative power of forgiveness and who will share their stories. The nominees will be recognized at the Aug. 1 event.
A special honor will be made for the late Dr. Jerry Chang. Chang, who died on June 24, was a former vice-president of the East-West Center and local coordinator of the Cooperation Circles for Peace for the United Religious Initiative.
"He was a great soul, a great community spirit and a great citizen of the world," said Al Adams, retired U.S. ambassador to Djibouti, Haiti and Peru.
Jerry Chang founded the World Vision Youth Ambassadors program, which brought 50 youths from 50 different countries together for training and study. Chang was also a leader in interfaith efforts. A member of the Interfaith Open Table, Chang started the Hawai'i chapter of Habitat for Humanity in 1988.
"Hawai'i and the world lost a committed warrior for religious understanding," said Ken Harding, a deacon at Central Union Church, in a press release.
Hawai'i Public Radio KIPO 89.3 FM will present a one-hour program 5 to 6 p.m. Thursday on the power of forgiveness and the Aug. 1 event. See Town Square with Beth-Ann Kozlovich at www.hawaiipublicradio.org/ts .htm for more. Rural O'ahu and Neighbor Island listeners may tune in online during the live broadcast.
For more details, see www.hawaiiforgivenessproject.org.
Chang also founded and served as president of Humanity United Globally, a nonprofit he endowed to promote international youth concerts and information events such as the Waging Peace Conference at the Hawai'i State Capitol in 2002.
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At a glance
Second Hawai'i International Forgiveness Day
"Forgiveness in the Hawaiian Tradition"
Events begin 3 p.m. Aug. 1; doors open at 2 p.m.
Parish Hall, Central Union Church www.hawaiiforgivenessproject.org
