How do we get our communities “stoked on civics”? That’s a question the nonprofit Surfrider Foundation is trying to answer here in Hawaiʻi.
The group, known for focusing on environmental issues that affect surfing, is getting people involved in the legislative process through a workshop Thursday in Kaka’ako.
"It's super overwhelming. Every day you turn on the news, and it just seems like it's getting worse," said Hanna Lilley, Surfrider’s regional manager for the islands.
"I understand the pull to want to give up and kind of succumb to the overwhelm, but this is really the time to lean in. You know, we're at that tipping point, and we can still make a change at a grassroots level, at a local level, at a state level, and we need to remain involved in that decision-making process."
The Surfrider event at the coworking space BoxJelly will walk attendees through how to submit testimony and track legislative bills. Sen. Chris Lee of Windward Oʻahu will also be there to share how people can be impactful when speaking with legislators.
While people often think of lawmaking as civics, there are other ways to make a difference in the community, Lilley said.
"That could be picking up trash at the beach, that could be making a choice not to use a single-use plastic bottle, that could be going to a community meeting like we're holding, that could be going to the Capitol," she said.
This interview aired on The Conversation on Feb. 20, 2025. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m.
