What is auamo.org?
Auamo.org strives to support communities in achieving ‘Āina Momona with a focus on marine resources through an ahupua‘a approach.
The vision of auamo.org and all the people who support it is:
Āina Momona: Healthy ecosystems, healthy communities, food sustainability throughout a vibrant healthy archipelago whose natural and cultural resources are well managed, collaborative, adaptive and informed by local knowledge, place, history and its people.
Why was auamo.org created?
Many in Hawai‘i have noted changes in the level of health in which their communities exist and have growing concerns of what the future holds in regards to resources on their lands, in their oceans, and amongst their people.Many in Hawai‘i have noted changes in the level of health in which their communities exist and have growing concerns of what the future holds in regards to resources on their lands, in their oceans, and amongst their people.
They are concerned about the changes that are taking place affecting their relationships to each other, to their communities, to their places, and want to participate and contribute to a collective future of sustainability, productivity, and cohesiveness.
As communities work to strengthen the health and wellness of their communities and resources, there is a need for tools and approaches that are supportive in their goals and initiatives, easy to understand, and easy to implement. There is also a need to find strength and encouragement in the experiences of those who share the same vision for their communities and have successfully embarked on their journey. Auamo.org addresses these needs by providing guidance, tools, contacts in a network of communities and practitioners, lessons learned, support and inspiration to be more effective.
How did auamo.org start?
In 2014, numerous organizations that work to support collaborative marine resource management came together to review our collective progress.
While we realized that a lot of progress has been made, it was stressed that we need to work more effectively to make additional progress. One suggestion was to identify and share successful approaches to resource management and community capacity building. Following this suggestion, they formed a collaborative effort referred to as the Alahula ‘Āina Momona (Pathways to Abundance) Initiative: Developing Guidance, Resources, and a Network of Practitioners to Support communities on their path to ‘aina momona or productive and sustainable communities. The initiative brings together non-governmental organizations, local foundations, community organizations and leaders, the State DLNR, and NOAA to build capacity of key partners to advance collaborative management with a focus on marine resources. It was suggested that we create a website to share resources and successful approaches for community co-management and encourage communities and community members to participate in working towards a healthy, productive, and sustainable future. Auamo.org is that website and we work to make the journey easier for all who would like to embark on it.