STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1953

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   H.R. No. 173

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Higher Education, to which was referred H.R. No. 173 entitled:

"HOUSE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE SPARK M. MATSUNAGA INSTITUTE FOR PEACE, LOCATED WITHIN THE CENTER FOR POLICY STUDIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT MANOA, TO CONVENE A WORKING GROUP TO EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY OF DESIGNATING HAWAII AS THE "GENEVA OF THE PACIFIC","

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this resolution is to request the Spark M. Matsunaga Institute for Peace, located within the Center for Policy Studies at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, to convene a working group to explore the possibility of designating Hawaii as the "Geneva of the Pacific."

     The Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism and a concerned individual submitted testimony in support of this measure.  The American Friends Service Committee supported this resolution and requested an amendment to clarify the historical precedent for Hawaii being a "Geneva of the Pacific".

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Higher Education that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.R. No. 173, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as H.R. No. 173, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Higher Education,

____________________________

JERRY L. CHANG, Chair