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Who We Are

Our mission is to connect people with ideas that enrich lives, broaden perspectives, and strengthen communities.

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Our Story

For nearly 50 years, HIHumanities has encouraged and supported programming that helps us know ourselves better. Hawaiʻi is a complex web of cultures, stories, histories, and humans. We work to strengthen that which binds us together as a stronger community. HIHumanities is one of 56 state and jurisdictional humanities councils in the US. Organized as the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) in 1972, HIHumanities is now a 501(c)3 organization that continues to be funded in part by NEH, as well as by contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporations. With these funds, we conduct and support public programs in humanities disciplines (seeking to describe and understand this universe with depth, breadth, and imagination) that provide broader context and perspective for thinking more deeply about our cultures and our times.

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Our Values

Our Values:

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Our ideas of the humanities are grounded in Hawai‘i’s people and places
  • Kuleana to our communities’ histories and futures
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Courage to dive deeply into important questions and ideas
  • Brave and safe space for diverse voices and experiences to actively share and listen
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Create connections that strengthen our communities’ resilience and ability to change.