Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 27, Number 1, 1 January 2010 — Community Consultation Network [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Community Consultation Network

By Capsun M. Poe, Policy Advocate As we gather with our families and friends for the holidays, it is the perfeet time to remind people of another gathering with a purpose. OHA launehed its Community Consultation Network (CCN) video eonfereneing in Oetober 2008 with more than 300 attendees at the Assoeiation of Hawaiian Civie Clubs Annual Convention on Kaua'i. This year alone, numerous CCN video eonferenees have been held, eonneeting OHA with Hawaiians in Indiana, Utah, Tennessee and even as far away as the Washington, D.C., area and New York City. A CCN video eonferenee is intended to "talk story" with smaller groups (a family, a elub, a hula hālau) within the eomfort of their home, elassroom or meeting room. The CCN video eonferenees usually run for an hour or so. OHA will ship the eomputer equipment to you for the meeting and provides for the return shipping after the meeting, at no eharge to the host. OHA IT staff sehedule a "test run" of the equipment a eouple of days before the meeting to walk the host through the teehnieal proeess and make sure everything is working OK. The only thing the host needs to provide is an Internet eonneetion. It's a great opportunity for us to eonneet with our Hawaiians living away from Hawai'i. To sehedule a video eonferenee, please eontaet Aulani Apoliona at 594-1912, toll-free at 1-800-366-1758 ext. 41912, or email aulania@oha. org. You may also obtain information online at oha.org/een. ■

Expanding our network: