Healing Our Spirit Worldwide - Hawaii 2010

Who?

Originally initiated by health-workers, and now to include presentations and participation from people with a range of different cultural, spiritual and professional backgrounds, including Indigenous elders, cultural workers, community organizers, educators, students, activists, artists, researchers and healers.

What?

A truly awesome and inspiring gathering including official welcomes, Pow Wows, feasts, workshops, exhibitions, a film festival, poster presentations, tours, youth program and general talk-fest.

When?

The conference happens every four years or so.

Hawaii represented well in 2010.

Seen here discussing the proposal in Hawaii, Australia won the bid for the next one - which will be held in Alice Springs 3 or 4 years time from now - keep an eye out for info regarding the gathering there in 2013.

Australia has held one before - in Sydney, 1994, 2 years after it was initiated in Edmonton, Canada.

Where?

Over 2000 delegates attended the 6th HOSW conference that was held at the Hawaii Convention Centre in Honolulu, and surrounding venues on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.

Apparently previous conferences hosted up to 3500 delegates in Edmonton, Canada.

How?

The conference is the result of a huge amount of planning and preparation on behalf of a number of committees and working groups such as the International Indigenous Council.

The calls for abstracts of proposed presentations closed earlier this year, a few months before the actual conference.

Why?

The overall theme of the HOSW conference this year was love - all-encompassing yes, but this is the basis of Hawaiian culture: their greeting, Aloha, literally means love, and what a great movement of healing to bring to the Hawaiian Islands and beyond.

The conference was originally initiated around the themes of addictions but now it encompasses so much more:
Governance & Self-Determination Issues & Challenges in Health & Healing, Moving Beyond the Impacts of Historical Trauma, Cultural Oppression & Colonialism, Community Prevention of Diseases & Public Health, Best Practices in Community & School Based Health Promotion & Prevention Strategies, Residential Schools & Intergenerational Impacts & Institutional Abuse, Treatment & Aftercare – Addictions,Tobacco, gambling, etc., Indigenous Culture, Language,Arts & Medicines, Proactive Intervention & Prevention Strategies for Suicide, Restoring Balance from Trauma & Violence, Research & Evaluation, Training & Education, Impacts of Drug Wars\Impact of Wars on Indigenous Populations, Prenatal & Early Childhood Wellness, Mental Health & Addictions, Healing Programs for Offenders & Victims, Nutrition, Physical Wellness & Injury Prevention, Gender Issues, Best Practices in Reconciliation, Health, Homelessness and Poverty, Best Practices in Urban Health and Healing

Videos:

Before arriving http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Crd24DDcBlc

Opening Ceremony on the water http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N181lavNG3I

Links:

The website: http://www.hosw.com/

http://www.healingourspirit.net/

Reports about the Hawaii HOSW, 2010 gathering:

http://alpenglolocal.blogspot.com/2010/09/healing-our-spirit-worldwide-north.html

http://hawaiihealthguide.com/healthtalk/display.htm?id=878&hhsid=883ea43ea5ff12dac53a7b30a60c94e9

The fifth gathering, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, 2006:

http://www.pimatisiwin.com/uploads/815066568.pdf

A report about the Albuquerque HOSW, 2002 gathering:

http://www.cathcomm.org/aboriginalcm/hhouse/WorldHealingConf.htm