Ikaika Hussey joined the COVID-19 Care Conversation to talk about Uplift Hawaii, a coalition of individuals and businesses partnering on COVID-19 recovery initiatives with the goal of building a more equitable future for Hawaii.

Hussey shared that in the last few weeks several coalitions have come together to discuss how the economy will pivot to address the needs of all Hawaii residents. The coalition Uplift Hawaii has specifically identified five core principles designed to help policymakers, businesses, nonprofits, and the general public address systemic inequalities within the state. The principles are to uplift the health and well-being of all island residents, establish a healthy relationship with the natural environment, create a diverse island economy with more local business and a new model for tourism, achieve economic equity and community engagement processes, and to effectively engage state and local government leadership.

We need to “make a massive shift in the way that we do business in order to make sure we have a sustainable economy for future generations,” Hussey said.

From now until June 20, Uplift Hawaii is seeking the community’s input on specific ideas, policies, or initiatives under the five identified principles. The goal is for the Uplift Hawaii platform to be a resource for policymakers and decision-makers when shaping recovery efforts. Those interested in providing input can do so online at UpliftHawaii.org.

Watch here and comment on our Facebook page. Join tomorrow when the University of Hawaii at Manoa Athletics Director David Matlin will be our guest.

The COVID-19 Care Conversation, sponsored by Hawai’i Executive Collaborative and Hawaii Pacific Health, airs live every weekday at 10:30 a.m. on the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s Facebook page. Yunji de Nies and Ryan Kalei Tsuji discuss the latest news, resources and community concerns about the coronavirus outbreak in Hawaii.