Community Conversations
Listening. Learning. Building Understanding.
We believe that meaningful progress begins with listening.
Community Conversations are small-group, in-person discussions designed to create space for open, honest dialogue across Hawaiʻi. These conversations bring together community voices to share perspectives, raise concerns, identify opportunities for greater understanding, and provide informed input on decisions affecting Hawai‘i’s future.
What We’re Exploring
These conversations are focused on exploring how relationships between the military and communities in Hawaiʻi can be strengthened over time.
Participants are invited to share their perspectives on what meaningful engagement could look like moving forward — including how trust can be built, how community input can be reflected in decision-making, and what a more balanced and respectful approach to land use and training might involve.
The goal is not to arrive at immediate answers, but to create space for thoughtful dialogue around complex issues and to identify areas where greater understanding and alignment may be possible.
Who We’re Meeting With
To date, MACRO has conducted 47 small-group Community Conversations across Oʻahu, Maui, Hawaiʻi Island, and Kauaʻi. Participants have reflected a broad range of cultural, generational, geographic, and professional perspectives, as well as the housing, infrastructure, environmental, and cost-of-living pressures experienced across Hawaiʻi communities.
Engagements brought together representatives of the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Hawaiʻi State ʻAha Moku, kūpuna, members of Hawaiian civic organizations, and individuals who identified as Native Hawaiian, offering a range of perspectives and experiences. Conversations also included young professionals and working-age community and industry leaders, with participants bringing experience across business, agriculture, education, government, environmental science, national security, land stewardship, and civic organizations.
Our goal is to ensure that a diversity of perspectives — especially those most connected to place — are heard and reflected.
Emerging Themes
Trust, Transparency & Accountability
Trust remains the most consistent theme across the Community Conversations. Participants emphasized clear and proactive communication, transparency in decision-making, visible follow-through on commitments, and accountability that continues through changes in military command or government leadership. Recent conversations reinforced that communication should be regular and two-way, not limited to lease negotiations, environmental reviews, controversies, or crises.
Land & Cultural Stewardship
Participants continue to view military land discussions through the broader context of Hawaiian history, cultural identity, and stewardship. Discussions have emphasized responsible care of land and natural resources, greater use of Native Hawaiian and place-based knowledge, and consideration of whether military-controlled lands remain operationally necessary. Where land is no longer needed, participants raised opportunities for return or repurposing to advance cultural, environmental, or community priorities.
Access & Community Use
Participants expressed continued interest in expanding cultural, recreational, and emergency access to military-controlled lands and facilities where safety, security, and operational requirements allow. More recent conversations also emphasized access as a way to build greater public understanding, including through open houses, site visits, community events, and direct interaction with military personnel and installations.
Cleanup, Environmental Stewardship & Restoration
Environmental cleanup and restoration remain among the strongest recurring priorities. Participants called for clearly defined cleanup responsibilities, measurable restoration standards, transparent monitoring, and visible progress. Recent conversations broadened this discussion beyond remediation, connecting environmental stewardship with watershed management, freshwater resources, food security, infrastructure resilience, and the relationship between land and ocean resources.
Military Training, Readiness & Hawaiʻi’s Strategic Role
Participants expressed differing perspectives on military training and land use. Later conversations, however, included greater discussion of Hawaiʻi’s strategic importance in the Indo-Pacific and the military’s role in national defense, regional security, and deterrence. Participants also identified a need for greater public understanding of Hawaiʻi’s strategic role and military readiness requirements, while continuing to emphasize that readiness should be balanced with environmental responsibility, cultural considerations, meaningful community involvement, and responsible land stewardship.
Disaster Preparedness, Infrastructure & Community Resilience
Emergency preparedness and community resilience became significantly more prominent in the June and July conversations. Participants discussed military capabilities related to disaster response, logistics, emergency sheltering, power generation, and infrastructure support, and emphasized the importance of building military-State-county-community coordination before emergencies occur. Water security, energy resilience, and infrastructure were also identified as areas where shared investment could provide lasting benefits to both military readiness and Hawaiʻi communities.
Community Benefit, Workforce & Economic Opportunity
Participants continued to emphasize that military presence and investment should create tangible value for Hawaiʻi communities. More recent conversations expanded this discussion beyond employment and economic activity to include infrastructure improvements, workforce development, STEM education, advanced manufacturing, environmental restoration, historic preservation, and research partnerships. Participants also emphasized developing Hawaiʻi-based expertise and pathways for local residents, Native Hawaiian organizations, and Hawaiʻi businesses to participate in contracting, restoration, and technical work.
Education & Future Generations
Education emerged as an increasingly important bridge between military and local communities. Participants discussed partnerships with schools, universities, and community organizations that can build greater understanding while expanding educational, career, and service opportunities for Hawaiʻi students. The conversations also emphasized preparing local talent for fields that support Hawaiʻi’s long-term economic, environmental, and security needs and helping young people encounter multiple perspectives on complex issues affecting the state.
Sustained Relationships & Long-Term Continuity
Participants increasingly emphasized that strong military-community relationships cannot depend on individual leaders or exist only around a particular lease negotiation or decision. Changes in military command, government leadership, and responsible personnel can disrupt relationships and commitments. Participants called for clearer points of contact, stronger transition processes, written commitments, regular reporting, and other structures that can preserve relationships and accountability over time. Community engagement itself was described as a long-term responsibility that should continue beyond the current land discussions.
Request a Conversation
We are continuing to expand these conversations across the state. If your organization or community group is interested in hosting a Community Conversation, we
welcome the opportunity to connect.