Community members, students, and educators gathered at the Kauaʻi Community College (KCC) Library for a public forum on civic engagement, hosted by the Hawaiʻi Commission to Promote and Advance Civic Education (PACE) and the Hawaiʻi Library Association (HLA). The event, part of the Laws Make a Difference, and So Can You speaking series, highlighted the importance of civic knowledge and community participation in a healthy democracy.

The panel featured retired Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald, retired Judge Kathleen Watanabe, and former Kauaʻi County Council Member Mason Chock. KCC students submitted questions on topics including executive authority, environmental safety, Native Hawaiian educational opportunities, and the responsibilities of local governments.

“Make your voice heard. You can testify, you can write op-eds, you can support organizations that share your beliefs. You really can have an influence. I’ve seen it over and over again at the legislature.” — Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald (Ret.)

The event was moderated by State Law Librarian Jenny Silbiger, who used the Baehr v. Lewin marriage equality lawsuit as an example of how a small number of people can influence society by exercising their civic rights. Silbiger also discussed how a single issue can move through — and be shaped by — the judicial, legislative, and executive branches of government, as well as by voters presented with constitutional amendments.

Former Judge Watanabe and former Council Member Chock provided insight and perspectives from their respective experiences serving in government, tying their discussion to their backgrounds being from and serving the citizens of Kauaʻi.

The forum at KCC closed with Silbiger’s call for shared responsibility and community care: “We are the ones in this room meeting the moment. We can do hard things.”