INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY INTO THEIR DAILY LIVES

    Summing up the aftermath of MIRA, Ann Peterson said the contact with people from around the island helped heal the distrust many had about distant communities, including the rift between Hilo and Kona. What struck me in our discussions was the way the use of technology did not dominate any single project; most were well integrated to provide support for a team goal. Both Ann Peterson and Gretchen Lawson noted that email was not the best way to interact, and Lawson had withdrawn from mailing lists but hoped that video conferencing might be more accessible in the future for group collaboration. Ongoing meetings about technology projects include MIRA veterans and others with similar interests. Later in our trip we sat in on such a meeting in Laupahoehoe, and the Kona group was the first of several to say that the July 2000 celebration in Michgan brought many Hawaiians together to plan for a sustained dialogue that was to continue after their return to Hawaii.