2008 Policy Briefs


Asset Policy for Hawai‘i (2007)

This document was prepared by the Hawai‘i Alliance for Community-Based Economic Development (HACBED). HACBED is a statewide, tax-exempt, nonprofit organization established in 1992 to encourage increased investments in sustainable and community-based approaches to economic development. HACBED’s mission is to maximize the effectiveness of people working in communities and the nonprofit sector to build a healthier and safer Hawai‘i through community-based economic development.

Ho‘owaiwai is a Hawaiian word meaning “to enrich”. Wai means “water”. In old Hawai`i, it was everyone’s kuleana or “responsibility” to malama i ka wai or “to take care of the water” because it affected the livelihood of the entire village. If you had a sufficient supply of wai, you were considered “wealthy”. The goal of the Ho‘owaiwai initiative is to create a collaborative environment that nurtures the wealth of our communities and families in a way that will be perpetuated for future generations. While economic security is fundamental to wealth creation, asset-building strategies must give equal consideration to building natural, human, cultural, and social assets that are the foundation of a community. They must also take into account that, for many, wealth is the ability to share possessions rather than just accumulate them for one’s self.

Asset-Building Inventory

Asset-Building Glossary