Hawaii may not be ripe for a progressive people’s movement.

There may be too many people who occupy the higher rungs of the local economic ladder that are content with a status quo that guarantees their prosperity. There may be too many people who are distracted by the flashing lights and instant gratification of 21st century consumerism. And there may be too many people who feel defeated, as if capitalism’s income inequality, environmental destruction, and militarism are impossible to overcome.

Then again, there may never be a greater time for a broad-based movement of working class people than now.

Advocates for Hawaiian self-determination continue to sharpen their critique of American rule. Rampant real estate speculation and Hawaii’s high cost of living increasingly contribute to the scarcity of affordable housing and a ballooning homeless population. Struggles to maintain water rights for farmers and efforts to reduce Hawaii’s dependence on imported food and other goods beg for address.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

The hold of money on government seems to confound any possibility of legitimate progressive policy. And our school system is devastatingly underfunded and continues to fail to deliver the sort of civic education needed to sustain a well-working liberal democracy.

The people of Hawaii have had austerity policies forced down their throats for far too long. Changes are certainly needed. And with the oncoming Donald Trump administration spaces where the most vulnerable populations in Hawaii can be heard politically are urgently needed.

The Hawai‘i People’s Congress hopes to grow a progressive movement, betting that Hawaii is in fact ripe for a broad people’s movement, to “build a just, fair, and healthy future for Hawaii.”

The free and open to the public People’s Congress includes the support of a number of local progressive organizations: Hawaii’s Thousand Friends, Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation, Unite Here! Local 5, Hawaii People’s Fund, Hawai‘i Alliance for Progressive Action (HAPA), Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice, Hawaii Center for Food Safety Action Fund, Aloha Aina Project, Community Alliance on Prisons, Maui Tomorrow, HawaiiSEED, Sierra Club of Hawaii, Hawaii Teachers for Change and Hawaii Wildlife Fund. Occurring almost a month after Election Day (Saturday and Sunday Dec. 4 at the Kupu Net Shed), the Hawaii People’s Congress aims to articulate issues that people in Hawaii encounter and push for the implementation of solutions.

The buildup to The People’s Congress began with forums on Kauai, Oahu, Maui and Hawaii Island. At each forum, attendees discussed problems from a number of issue areas — Native Hawaiian, civic, economic, education, environmental, food or social — along with potential, shared solutions. Individual workshops dedicated to each of these areas of concern have had the feel of a fun, open, and well organized talk story. At the end of the night, groups reported their main points of discussion and together created a map of their specific and shared problems and proposed solutions on a mounted, paper Ohia tree. The passion, positivity, camaraderie and desire for progressive change was palpable at the Oahu forum I attended.

Based on the previous Oahu forum on Oct. 20, hosted at Local 5’s Union Hall and attracting upwards of a 100 people, the prospects for The People’s Congress seem positive but certainly not without obstacles. The absence of young people and other groups was noticeable. There were no indication of homeless people whose presence, experiences, and voices are essential to addressing homelessness. And most attendees at first glance seemed to come from working, middle, or greater class backgrounds. The poorest and least educated — the most socioeconomically disenfranchised — did not appear to be sufficiently represented at the forum.

These problems, ones that plague almost all popular movements, indicate that The People’s Congress might produce a middle-out, rather than bottom-up movement. But this problem does not preclude the possibility of The People’s Congress creating progressive changes that can help a large swath of Hawaii’s population.

Between now and the scheduled dates of The Congress, the focus of The Hawaii People’s Congress should be expanding the number of people and demographics in attendance. This is no easy task. The potential of a large collective movement that has the ability to generate change arising from The Hawaii People’s Congress exists, and this potential can only be realized through people power and large numbers.

If as many Hawaii residents as possible attend The Congress, all with visions of change, open minds, a willingness to both speak and listen, a desire to build friendships and solidarity, and compassion, there is no telling what we the people might accomplish.