 Thank you for joining Sister Power, our special VIP guest needs no introduction. Maya Satura Ng, advisor to the Obama Foundation, author, educator, truth-teller, wife, mother to two gorgeous daughters. Sister of the 44th United States President, Barack Obama, is here to talk about peace. Our title for this episode, Let There Be Peace on Earth and Let It Begin with Me. Welcome, Maya. Thank you, Sharon. Happy to be here. Oh, thank you for coming. Mm-hmm. Well, first of all, congratulations to your new position advisor to the Obama Foundation. Yes, thank you. We're excited. We're going to be building leadership programming in the Asia-Pacific region next year. And we're just getting started. And we are launching probably in January, but I think it's an opportunity to really think about not only what the region has to offer the world, but also what Hawaii has to offer the region. And we're hoping to use our networks and these opportunities to really take people who are doing incredible things in the world and to wrap around them, mentors and others who can support them and help them take their projects to the next level. We want to expand their reach and to raise their voices because a lot of wonderful, powerful work is happening in education and advocacy and entrepreneurship and other fields. And we want that good news to be spread and used to inspire others and to activate people's civic engagement all over. And we think this is a great way to do it. So I'm excited about these new directions. I'm excited, too. I know you're a board member also, and now you're not a board member no longer. So you've switched over to advisor to Obama Foundation. Yeah, I'm a consultant. You're a consultant. What is your role? So my role is to help identify young leaders probably age 25 to 40 across the Asia-Pacific region who will be brought together here in Hawaii or perhaps in the region. And we will be supporting them and helping them to collaborate and to engage in shared problem-solving and to attend to issues as far ranging as climate change, resilience and environment, disaster mitigation, peace conflict, intercommunal dialogue, women's empowerment and more. Oh, I like that. Women's empowerment. As a matter of fact, we have a picture of you. Sisters Empowering Hawaii gave you an award. Global Peace and Social Justice Award. There is your award right there. And my goodness, Maya, I want to ask you, what would you tell your 25-year-old self that now you are going around the country and you're talking about the peace movement needs a rebrand? Now, that is not to say that the people who have engaged in activism and movement building in the past should not be fully acknowledged for all of their hard work and their accomplishments. But young people have new tools. They have new ways of communicating. They have new priorities and new challenges. And so I really, as the director of the Matsunaga Institute for Peace in recent years and as a peace advocate, have been trying hard to elevate the voices of young people and to make everyone sort of commit to allowing them to build a new movement that is practical, that is action-oriented, that doesn't rely on the accomplishments of the past, but really takes an innovative approach to problem-solving today and utilizes the inclusiveness and the optimism of young people to create momentum and to give us all a sense of possibility and I hope to empower us with the feeling that in spite of the natural disasters in the world, in spite of the fact that hate crimes have gone up 17% in spite of the rancor and the anger and the conflict in this country and elsewhere in spite of the challenges to human rights, that there is a lot that we have to look forward to. If young people can be made to see their own power, if they can be supported in building action plans and doing backwards mapping and in, you know, movement building, then they will see that their efforts are bearing fruit, that they are not disempowered, that they're not helpless and I think that what will happen then is the kind of bold civic engagement that is not reactive but is about making communities better through peace building and actions every day and that is proactive and it's about, as Martin Luther King said, building our beloved community and shaping that vision for the future. I think so much of what is happening now feels defensive. People feel anxious and we need to, I think, and through action that is demonstrable and the stories that are told through the incredible peace work that is happening today, we can shift that anxiety and move from kind of a post-traumatic stress to post-traumatic growth. And it's just something about the word peace that feels good and even when you say it, it's a feel-good word and I think we should use it more. When I was coming up, they would say peace, sister, or peace, my queen. And I think if we say peace and love more, that changes the personal dynamics of how we feel about ourselves. Speaking of personal peace, how does one develop personal peace? Well, I think that there are so many ways, but I think that you said something really important, which is that the word peace isn't used very much. And I think it is because people think of it as an idealized utopian thing that is often the distance and people don't see how meaningful it is and practical in their everyday lives. And so in terms of developing personal peace, one thing that I think is important is for us to realize that peace is about the way that we speak and that peace actions can range from, you know, today I had a big lunch and we talked a lot about the choices we make about food sovereignty, about food security in the world, and about nutrition. And so personal peace can come from, you know, paying attention to wellness to, you know, our commitment to the community through conversation and dialogue. I personally like to meditate and engage in mindfulness. That helps with anxiety reduction. So little things like sort of saying, you know, to bring us back to our bodies, you know, what are two things we can taste, hear, see, touch, you know, to remind us that there is so much beauty today and in this moment. Personal peace is also about just taking breaths, communing with nature, remembering our commitment to the environment, but also spending time in places of tranquility and serenity and also building community with sisters, with, you know, people who are like-minded, with whom we can feel a sense of connection, you know, combating loneliness. A lot of young people feel lonely. People who are engaging in extremist behavior often do so because they lack community. Well, you know, I love reading the piece, the Peace Movement Kneezy rebrand, but this reflection questions, I just want the audience to hear what you had to say. On the show, I don't know where it was, but you said, believes our guests, meaning you, believes that peace building is teachable and that fear is at the heart of all of our conflicts and problems. If we can develop courage, moral courage and all kinds of courage, we can heal our community, our country and our world. And this is a question that you have a question afterwards that I want to ask you. Can you recall a time when you overcame fear and built courage in order to resolve conflict in a peaceful way? I do it all the time because I think one of the things that makes me feel fear is this notion that maybe the things that we do are not enough or that there's nothing that we can really do to make things better that, you know, there's a divide that can't be bridged and that sort of thing. So I talk a lot and do a lot of leaning into my discomfort. And I talk a lot about, you know, the need to be uncomfortable with people and to change our lens, wash our eyes. Chuchimata means to wash one's eyes. And there are so many ways that we can do that. We can develop, in other words, a dialogical mindset. And I think that that is really helpful for building courage. As an example, when someone was trolling me online, I went to see their website. And there were things on there that I expected, but there was also a lot of affection for this person's grandchildren and pets, affection that I share. And I'm reminded that, you know, these folks are doing the best that they can with the information they have, which may not be, in my view, accurate or healthy, but they are human. And we all have these universal needs. And there is, in thinking about what a person needs first as opposed to what a person's position is or, you know, what their perspective is even, we can build courage to kind of open up our hearts to open the gate, as they say, to other people. And so a lot of courage-building, for me, is about persisting, even when it seems like we're not doing well. It's about reaching out, even though it seems that people's views are impenetrable. It's about believing and feeling hopeful in humankind, even when there is violence before us. And so courage is not just about that great leap. It is also about, you know, the sure-footed steps forward where we keep trying, we keep working, we engage in action, we contribute to our countries, we go and vote, and we just—it's like walking down that long road where you don't know where you're going to end up and you're hungry and thirsty, but you keep on keeping on anyway. And that's real courage, in my view. Well, you answered my next question. I was going to ask you, what is your definition of—well, I'll put it this way then. What is your definition of a courageous woman? Because right now, you know, women—you know, we are—we are a lot of powerful places, but we are being attacked. So let's talk about the definition of a courageous woman. Well, I think a courageous woman is one who is not afraid to tell her story, who recognizes that there is great power in mentoring and lifting up others. So someone who helps young women and young men to rethink, perhaps, what it means, even to be a woman or to be a man. I was thinking about—I was recently in Dharamsala, India, and I met Jimmy Briggs, who has an organization called Man Up. And there's, you know, something called Him for Her. And I met a young man who was speaking at EUN. And so we need to think about, you know, helping young men to redefine what manhood means, too. But for me, courageous womanhood is about thinking about the myriad ways that we can be a woman and how adventurous and bold and creative women are. It's about uplifting other women and connecting with them and helping. Perfectly said. And we'll take a quick break and we'll continue our talk about peace. Okay. Aloha. My name is Mark Shklav. I am the host of Think Tech Hawai'i's Law Across the Sea. Law Across the Sea is on Think Tech Hawai'i every other Monday at 11 a.m. Please join me where my guests talk about law topics and ideas and music and Hawai'i and all across the sea from Hawai'i and back again. Aloha. Hey, Stan the Energy Man here on Think Tech Hawai'i. And they won't let me do political commentary, so I'm stuck doing energy stuff. But I really like energy stuff. So I'm going to keep on doing it. So join me every Friday on Stan the Energy Man at lunchtime, at noon on my lunch hour. We're going to talk about everything energy, especially if it begins with the word hydrogen. We're going to definitely be talking about it. We'll talk about how we can make Hawai'i cleaner, how we can make the world a better place, just basically save the planet. Even Miss America can't even talk about stuff like that anymore. We got it nailed down here. So we'll see you on Friday at noon with Stan the Energy Man. Aloha. Back to Sister Power and our topic for today is let there be peace on Earth and let it begin with me and my very special guest, Maya Satoro'ing is in the studio with us. And it's something earlier that you said, and I was telling you during the break, I was looking for it. And then it said, do not let people pull you into their storm. Pull them into your peace. And that was so, that resonated with me because you can be pulled into a person's world. And forget about this. I just want young people to know it's cool to be kind to each other. It is cool to be kind. And you were asking me what it means to be courageous, you know, before the break. And I ended with, you know, those who are courageous have the courage to help, you know, others. And I really think that that is at the heart of power, you know, that we give energy to people. And when we engage in service, we become so powerful, I think. And this is about Sister Power. And for me, that's it. I do believe women need to own their power and they need to feel it. And part of that is, you know, not letting mana munchers, you know, people to bring you into their storm where, you know, you feel diminished by virtue of the way that you look or, you know, I think about, you know, I'm letting my hair grow gray. That's the new color. Oh, yes. Well, I don't know. I don't know. I'm trying to be sassy in other ways. But the point being that, you know, there is a lot of feeling of invisibility with women as they age. And, you know, this notion that, you know, people can make you feel, you know, pulled down, let down, diminished less than is something we need to really challenge. Especially in my view with our young people, with women of all ages. But I just think about, you know, new media and social media being such a tool, a force for connection, for bridge building, for illumination, for movement building, but then also how it makes young women feel torn down. And that's part of the storm, you know, and we need to challenge that with, you know, helping people to, you know, take deep breaths and we need to pull them into our piece. And we need, there's a friend of mine, I quote, a lot lately. He had a tough job and not an easy life. And every time I asked him how he was doing, he would say the same thing. He would say, never had it so good. And so lately I've been talking about him because lately I've been feeling so peaceful and that has come with a lot of work, but also with the support of a lot of others. And it comes with finding my purpose and it comes with, you know, building community. And so I feel like no matter what's happening, I can actually say truthfully I've never had it so good. And cultivating that, it's not about being polyanna or not, you know, getting angry or not getting protest. I'm comfortable with seeing an angry woman, for instance. That's fine. I just, so it's not about, you know, being like, oh yeah, everything's sweet when it isn't. It's about really feeling your power and knowing that you can be steady and solid in the center of that storm and indeed you can stop the storm from raging within. I like that. Well, girlfriend, can we talk? I just want to let you know how much we miss your brother, the former president Barack Obama and how much we miss your sister-in-law, the former first lady. We truly miss them. And, you know, her book is out now becoming, and my friends are rubbing it in my face there. They attended the book signing in Chicago. But I want people to know I have my copy and I'm caressing it. And I have Maya here to finish the conversation and talk about this. But I just wanted to let you know that- Yeah, well, she's a courageous and powerful woman because, and I love this book. I've read it. And I think it's really lovely because, you know, she really owns herself. And she speaks very honestly about the challenges, the struggle, but also the beauty of her journey. And I especially love all of the stories from Chicago, from her childhood. And you begin to see the different threads that form the fabric of the woman. And she's, you know, she's amazing. So go out and buy the book. Go out and buy the book becoming Michelle Obama. I have mine. I'm so excited. And I'm going to read it. But anyway, let's move forward. Tell us about the Obama Foundation and mission more. Can we dig a little deeper? I know there is an Obama summit coming up November 18th and 19th in 2018. And what should people expect? What is going to be the takeaway from this summit? Well, you know, the Obama Foundation in general is about kind of taking many of the projects and passions and a community engagement that took place during the administration and kind of shaping the next iterations and continuing the good work to build that beloved community. So the summit is an opportunity for folks to gather in Chicago. But there is so much beyond these convening in the way of commitment to the Global Girls Alliance, which was just launched to promote Global Girls Education and Women and Girls Empowerment. That is the next, what used to be called, I guess, Let Girls Learn. But that was when Michelle and Brock were in office. So the Global Girls Alliance, please go and support them. We really need to uplift women and girls. That's a central mission of the Obama Foundation. It's also committed to building civic engagement. It's about voter registration. It's about participation in other ways, even beyond voting. There's My Brother's Keeper, which is committed to helping young men, especially young men of color, especially in spaces or communities that need our energy and our support and our love and our tenderness. We have, in addition, some international commitments that were forged, and we wish to continue. So there's work, whether it's in Europe or in Africa. This summer, we had 200 young African leaders from 45 countries who were working generously across ethnic, religious, national and other boundaries to collaborate and build a collective spirit of enthusiasm and commitment to one another. And that work is still going on. And then so the program that I'm working on will endeavor to do the same thing in the Asia-Pacific region. This stuff is rolled out slowly. Yes, sure. All of this programming is also going to be shaped by the creation of the library in Chicago. And there is no shortage of work to do. And by all means, I encourage everyone who's viewing to go and check out some of the great things happening and the opportunities through the Obama Foundation, but know that there's much, much more to come. Is anything like that coming to Hawaii? Like I said, the Asia-Pacific. Yeah, but Honolulu specifically. Right. So the Asia-Pacific programming will happen in Hawaii as well as in Asia. Oh, good. So we will be pulling young leaders from all over the Asia-Pacific region to Hawaii to share Hawaii and to make sure that Hawaii is a meeting ground, a place of collaboration, a bridge building to have Hawaii and its people share the great mana'o and the great resources and ideas and innovations of this place. But also to remind us that we are part of this gorgeous region and that we should be engaging in more cross-fertilization. Just like the worldwide voyage and the Hoglea's voyages to come. I mean, we need to be connecting with people who are vulnerable, who are impacted by disaster. Yes. We need to be indigenous people and people who are—but also people who are in places of great possibility and creativity. And we need to learn from them and we need to nourish each other. So a lot of that work will happen here. I'm excited about that. And I can't believe that we only have a minute or so left. But I'm always thinking about the young people. And how do you mentor young people to know their power? I think that a lot of it is reminding them that there's so much they can do today. They can publish online. They can vlog. They can create videos on YouTube. They can do so much to spread their voices, to connect. They need to be hungry and curious to ensure that they are participating in the world and that they're learning about others. And I think that we have young people today who are inclusive and will build a stronger future. Well, I want to thank everyone for joining us and spending your time with us. And give peace of chance. Thank you, Maya, for joining us. Thank you, Sharon. And thank our viewers for taking their time to be with us. Peace and love. And aloha.