Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2895, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to sponsor a Hawaii delegation to the Festival of Pacific Arts.

Your Committee finds that the Festival of Pacific Arts has a long history, having started in Suva, Fiji in 1972 and continuing every four years in a different Pacific nation venue. In 2000 the Festival was held in New Caledonia with more than twenty delegations represented. In 2004 the Festival is scheduled for the north Pacific island nation of Palau.

Your Committee further finds that Hawaii's entry in past Festivals has enriched participants' lives and exposed Hawaii's art, music, drama, dance, and other talents to other Pacific nations. This is important to the emergence of Hawaii's sophistication in the world scene and can only expand Hawaii's renaissance that began in the 1970s.

Hawaii remains an important contributor to the diversity of Pacific island culture. The exchange of skills, talents, and knowledge that goes on during the Festival of Pacific Arts increases the belief in and an appreciation of native island cultures.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2895, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.