‘Pledge to Our Keiki’: a New Kind of Tourism
Peace Boat passengers were asked to sign a sustainable tourism pledge before docking in Hawaii.
When the Peace Boat — an international NGO working to promote peace, human rights, and sustainability — arrived in Hawaii this week, it asked its 1,400 passengers to do something a little unusual.
The guests were asked to consider signing the “Pledge to Our Keiki” — a commitment from these passengers to honor Hawaii’s sacred land, environment, and children (“keiki”). Imagine if this act were adopted by other tourism purveyors — it would signal the beginning of a new era of sustainable tourism, one that could be a replicable model for the rest of the world.
The “Pledge to Our Keiki” signing ceremony was organized in a collaboration between Peace Boat, the nonprofit Kanu Hawaii, and Blue Planet Alliance, with additional support from the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, Hawaii Tourism Authority, Hawaii Tourism Japan, the state’s Department of Education, and other local nonprofits. (Both Peace Boat and Kanu are members of Blue Planet Alliance.) The idea behind the pledge is to promote mutual respect between host and visitors in what can often be tourism’s delicate dance: allowing tourists to enjoy a host country but without upsetting the natural environment or its residents.
“We are looking forward to working with our partners in Hawaii to create a wave of action for a sustainable world,” said Emilie McGlone, Director of Peace Boat US in New York. “Onboard the ship, we also have young leaders from Hawaii, who joined our ‘Youth for the SDGs’ program, as well as guest speakers and experts in the fields of climate action and sustainability. We hope that each time we visit Honolulu, we can inspire hope and action for the future generations to come.”
The pledge is also a campaign that fosters social responsibility and volunteerism among visitors and schools throughout the islands. The initiative encourages individuals to engage with nonprofit organizations across Hawaii, ensuring the preservation and care of the island's natural beauty for future generations.
The three organizations leading the initiative took part in a series of events in a jam-packed three-day visit. The first day (July 10) saw a symbolic signing ceremony at Aloha Tower Marketplace, attended by invited dignitaries, politicians, business leaders, and VIPs from local organizations, nonprofits, academia, and youth.
“This is an incredible opportunity for ‘Pledge to Our Keiki’ to connect with such international changemakers as the Peace Boat and Blue Planet Alliance,” said Kanu’s Executive Director, Keone Kealoha. “This is exactly how the ‘think global, act local’ mantra can be put to action and affect positive change in Hawaii.”
Cleaning up the Kaiwi Coastline.
The gathering of leaders from the public and private sectors and civil society reflects the convening power of Blue Planet Alliance, the sister organization of which — Blue Planet Foundation — has used that methodology before to achieve a landmark legislative achievement in Hawaii. In 2015, Hawaii became the first state to mandate a transition to 100% renewable energy by 2045. Now Blue Planet Alliance is similarly using that convening power to help island nations across the Pacific and across the world achieve similar success in ditching carbon-based fuels.
Restoring the land on the Kaiwi Coastline.
“This collaboration signals a new era of sustainable tourism and shows the power of unity and shared responsibility,” said Blue Planet Alliance Founder Henk Rogers. “The 'Pledge to Our Keiki' is a catalyst for change and forges a path toward a future where tourism and environmental preservation can peacefully coexist.”
The next two days saw other meaningful events. On July 11, the three partner organizations organized a beach cleanup on the Kaiwi coastline, a locale that could well be Hawaii’s next state park.
And on the last day of the visit, four different groups — Peace Boat and Blue Planet Alliance (which share the “Youth for the SDGs”), the East-West Center, and Blue Planet Foundation (which brought its Climate Crew) — brought climate-conscious young people together at the Bishop Museum, where they symbolically signed the “Pledge to Our Keiki.”
Assembling youth groups at the Bishop Museum.
Like the work Blue Planet Alliance is doing globally, the “Pledge to Our Keiki” can be brought to other islands and tourist destinations to reinforce the respect between tourists and tourists.
