Student Leader on Environmental Issues

During the 5 weeks visit to the States, we had a golden opportunity to fly to another Island from Oahu called The Big Island and the reason for it to be called such is because it is the biggest Island in Hawaii.

THE DRYLAND FOREST showing how African plants has been invasive and destroy the cycle of local plant there. It is a terrible drought and it looks very dry. 

 The trip there was totally a different side of the States!Malaysian would understand it better with the best one word description, - ' Kampung'. In the Big Island, we were brought to organic farms, bays, garden house/school( practically having a garden or small farm at your backyard) , volcanic mountains( active since 1983), parks, Kohala Range Centre were we had a teamwork/leadership rope course.


Rope course at Koala Ranch with Nasha Lee( A participant from  Malaysia as well , specifically from University of Malaya)

Smoking away in the volcanic mountain!

By now I am sure that we can somehow imagine the 'Greenness' of the Big Island. We were led by a representative called Sam Birch and she so closely monitoring us in terms of necessities, care, and also anything in extras. There were another 2 volunteers originally from the Island , Evi and Naupaka who took care of us like brothers and sisters.






 We also had the chance to learn their traditional chant and carry out rituals in the name of Goodess Pele( the God of Fire). Hawaiian culture had a lot of      similarities with the Indian culture in terms of Hierarchy, status, the number and symbolic meaning of Goddess, and the legends.

The picture was taken at Mauna Loa volcano at about 5.30am after the ritual ceremony for Goodess of Pele( goodess of Fire)

Goodess of Pele

They emphasize so much so in organic farming that they are all out against Genetically Modified Crops. They are all against the modification even though a survey done in the small town in Hilo, states that 3/5 people in the Island agree that the genetic modification has been already there since decades ago. Some even clearly state that ;If the crop is yielding more and there is no need to worry about diseases, why not just feed on them? The oldies said that they some how want to retain the originality of the plants so that less evolution takes place and the future generation would be able to taste a banana as a banana and not as some other new plant.

                                                                     Colors of Freshness!


Overall, the Big Island showed us the drawback of a developed country such as importing vegetables in on rise and land is scare in the island and many acres are used to for landfill. In addition, waste are actually brought out of the island to mainland to be disposed! This is something serious we have to look into. They are welcoming tourist only as a tourist but are not in favor of having any 'outsider' for more than a duration for vacation due to land constrain.Rich will always get richer and the poor are always left behind as they are. Many invaders better known as tourist be change their mind to reside there and invest in lands leaving less share for the locals to carry out agricultural activities, individual farming which unintentionally increases the demand for fresh vegetables and the prices of these solids hike up overnight.

                                        
                    The GOOD FOOD at BIG island!



More to share in time to come.

Muhammad Zulhilmi and me were participants of SUSI 2010( Study in the United States Institute for Global Environment Issues ) representing Malaysia and the I wanted to share this online newsletter with you, as it has an article about the SUSI program in it, with pictures and some quotes from a few of us. I hope you enjoy reading it!

http://www.kohalacenter.org/Leaflet/Jul10/TKCleaflet0710.html

( extracted from the http://www.kohalacenter.org/Leaflet/Jul10/TKCleaflet0710back.html#susi)

Lessons and Memories from Hawai‘i Island 
Reflections from Participants in the Study of the United States Institute
(SUSI) for Student Leaders on Global Environmental Issues

Photo: John Cusuick, an East-West Center staff member, talks to the group at the base of Kīlauea Iki Crater.

I enjoyed the history of the Island Kingdom of Kamehameha and the early morning ritual ceremony at Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park! It was an awesome experience and also a golden opportunity for an intimate connection with the NATURE. Pele attracted me so much so I am reading a book on her. Congratulations to Samantha Birch at The Kohala Center, who coordinated the program so well. I would like to say that we had Big time on the Big Island!—Kuvinn Mallar, Malaysia

Ms. Kuvinn Mallar Armugam is studying natural resource management at University Malaysia Kelantan with a focus on alternative energy to solve environmental problems in Malaysia. Ms. Armugam is president of the Eco-Friendly Club as well as the founder of a campus recycling program where she volunteers with fellow students. Ms. Armugam received the Global Diamond Award for environment related issues in 2007 at her high school. She will explore environmental problem solving in the U.S. in order to learn how to teach Malaysians about recycling so that waste and the effects of global warming are reduced.