Care and Creativity
Elevating Local and Global Sustainability Partnerships for a Resilient Future: The Poai Ke Aloha Aina Project View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Poʻai Ke Aloha ʻĀina Lab, Pua Souza, Kawena Elkington
In 2021, Dr. Kamanamaikalani Beamer was selected as the inaugural Dana Naone Hall Endowed Chair in Hawaiinuiakea School of Hawaiian Knowledge at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. His project, titled “Poai Ke Aloha Aina (PKAA),” stands as a knowledge maker in its pursuit of transformation in three focus areas: Circular Economy interventions, food systems, and water resource management. Rooted in the Hawaiian principle of aloha aina – love for the land – this organization is dedicated to establishing connections between these focus areas to catalyze change. PKAA has a two-pronged mission: nurturing the growth of aloha aina locally, while also fostering relationships at a global level. PKAA builds alliances to enable the elevation of shared values and aspirations, while undertaking place-specific collaborative research initiatives. By leveraging established relationships with communities, PKAA continues to pave the way for meaningful engagement in both local and international realms. Collective efforts have resulted in research outputs, summits, presentations, and coordinated action for policy reform in legislation. Furthermore, community practitioners are uplifted to amplify their influence in confronting challenges at the grassroots level. PKAA also prioritizes mentorship as a fundamental pipeline for knowledge transfer. Currently, three PhD candidates serve as research assistants under the guidance of Dr. Beamer, who successfully guides these emerging leaders in understanding the dynamics of community engagement, strategic interventions, and the balance of politics and innovation. Through his mentorship, the transition of skills and knowledge not only ensures continuity, but also equips new leaders with tools to advance the cause.
When the Butterflies Would Visit: A Seeding Project of Mentorship, Knowledge, and Reciprocity View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Tavia La Follette
When the Butterflies Would Visit (WTBWV), is the first convening of four Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) ecological artists and scientist, matched with four BIPOC mentees. In partnership with/on the Indigenous Guna territory of Panama, these symbiotic social practice projects center the microplastic crisis, current migration (the only crossing point) issues, and medicinal plant research. An Ethics Couch is included, to protect the project from western colonizing and capitalistic gains—part of the original problem to begin with. WTBWV is research/training towards the next Sites of Passage (SOP), an exchange between Indigenous artists inside the imagined perimeters of the USA. SOP are on the ground initiatives of artistic interchange for the migration of ideas across political and cultural borders. The dialogue centers around conflict, removing the conversation from politicians /media, who often have a different agenda than the people. Imagine a space where fields of research are porous and ancient knowledge is a living library of symbiotic caretaking. This is the practice of Guna Yala, an indigenous province in Panama. However, this knowledge is getting harder to keep—as the youth leave for capitalistic promises of the city. Aimed for the next generation Guna to see the BIPOC mentees/researchers of their age coming to study, instigating pride in the work and devotion to the cause of ecological recovery. This project feeds many birds with one hand: Nourishing generations of Guna with transdisciplinary-conservationist practices, while developing BIPOC and Guna mentees, to build a new cohort of environmental practitioners and culture makers.
The Effect of Relational Capital on Employee Performance View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Fahad Ibrahim, Raphael Akamavi
This study investigates to what extent do relational capital dimensions (RC) impact employee performance through the mediating role of employee engagement. We put forward and test a theoretical framework of direct and indirect effects of RC based on trust, friendship and mutual reciprocity on employee engagement (EE). Hypothetically, RC dimensions coupled with EE are likely to influence employee performance (EP). Empirical results based on a sample of 342 financial services firms support our hypotheses. Results also indicate that RC provides a basis for EE & EP. Thus, we conjecture that RC and EE improve employee performance. Accordingly, we encourage financial services firms to cultivate their RC for harnessing their EE in order to boost EP in the long run.
Innovative Elderly Care Service Models from the Perspective of the Sharing Economy View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Zimin Meng, Songbai Liu, Xu Zhou
With the intensification of global aging issues, traditional elderly care models are increasingly facing numerous challenges, making the exploration of innovative service models a necessity. "Shared Elderly Care" represents an innovative model of elderly care services based on principles of sharing and cooperation. This study examines the concept, value, prerequisites, and implementation methods of the "Shared Elderly Care" model from the perspective of the sharing economy, using China as a case study. The essence of this model lies in the sharing of elderly care resources and the matching of supply and demand, which not only concerns the welfare of the elderly but also closely relates to the healthy development of the elderly care industry and the perfection of its ecosystem. This paper further analyzes the role of sharing economy platforms and AI technologies in providing elderly care services, integrating resources, sharing values, and offering customized services. It specifically discusses the implementation methods of "Shared Elderly Care," including shared platforms, knowledge sharing, "shared accommodation," "shared equipment," "shared offspring," and technological empowerment. Additionally, the study explores the challenges and strategies concerning profitability models, shared platforms, privacy security, credit systems, institutional safeguards, and policy support.
