Creating the Spirit of Family on Hawaii Campus

Photo courtesy of CARP Hawaii

‘Ohana’ means family in Hawaiian. And for Unificationist students of the island’s CARP chapter, this year is all about spreading the spirit of ohana on campus.

“To quote Disney’s Lilo and Stitch, family means that no one gets left behind,” says Rika Otsubo, the president and founder of the CARP chapter at the University of Hawaii, Manoa. Her campus, nestled in a residential neighborhood southeast of downtown Honolulu, has about 18,000 students enrolled across the island. Since launching CARP on campus last year, Otsubu has organized various events including recurring campus talks.

“We chose the word ‘ohana’ for our CARP event, Ohana Talk, because our vision and motto for our chapter is to create a family-like environment where the participants are able to feel a lot of love and a place where they would want to come back,” she says. “Just like the great state of Hawaii, CARP Hawaii greatly treasures family.”

The tight-knit group meets weekly on Friday afternoons for Ohana Talk at UH Manoa’s Campus Center. This boost of “family time” among friends and other students enables members to decompress from the school week, share, and reflect all while studying words of inspiration from True Parents.

“We do readings of words from CARP’s founders, True Parents, and discussions in small groups,” says Otsubo. So far the talks have been successful, attracting new members and helping a number of young people work through different things on their mind.

“The people that come have been vulnerable, sharing their thoughts on our topics, and connecting it with the questions that we asked them when we first met them,” says Otsubo.

In Hawaii, the concept of ohana is generationally ingrained and expansive — within each town lies an intimate community that grows up together, knows each other's families, and supports and roots for each other. Otsubo says fostering ohana on campus through CARP means connecting with people on a much deeper level.

“True Parents taught that we are all one family under God,” she says. “This message and understanding of family is something that can touch the young people of Hawaii.”

Since its inception in 1966, CARP has developed chapters on university and college campuses across the U.S. and around the world.

“CARP is created for students by students,” says CARP’s National President Jinil Fleischman. “We create programs, events, and activities promoting principles and raising leaders. Student leaders engage others in thoughtful and meaningful discussion as well as deep and long-lasting relationships for peace and growth.”

“After study, we practice,” Fleischman says. “Change doesn’t happen overnight but rather incrementally through daily, consistent effort. That’s what we practice. CARP offers a loving environment for students to encourage growth.”

In CARP Hawaii, Otsubo sees this growth through their Ohana Talks. “The experience has been amazing so far,” she says. “We have already seen some positive changes in the people who have joined us.” 

You can learn more about CARP and find a local chapter here.