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Foley and Adler join Roth to discuss "Hawaii Forum," a new public television series aimed at deepening community conversation on contested policy issues. The first episode, aired in December 1993 on KTN and Hawaii Public Radio, brought 14 panelists together around a hypothetical: a proposed large retirement community on Oahu's North Shore, used to surface the competing interests in any major development decision. Foley argues that Hawaii lacks sufficient public deliberation; rather than reaching conclusions, Hawaii Forum is designed to show citizens the full complexity of issues so they can engage more effectively. Adler traces the deficit to two causes: a plantation and monarchical legacy that concentrated political discourse behind closed doors, and Pacific and Asian cultural traditions that discourage public confrontation. Both guests see a civic opening in 1994, describing it as an "intertidal moment" when people are simultaneously frustrated and curious. Foley notes that the project depends on continued foundation funding and hopes the tapes can be used by neighborhood boards and school groups to spark community-level dialogue. A second episode on education is planned.
Transcript
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