Jasmine Mondelo's Poetic Reflection from the EDICT Internship
This summer the 'Īnana Innovators Program co-sponsor, alongside Reuse Hawaii, our incredible student Jasmine Mondelo to be part of the the EDICT (Empowering Diverse Climate Talent) Internship Program. The EDICT program aims to create a diverse pipeline of talent for the climate sector, working with both employers to create inclusive cultures where new talent can succeed, and with youth to develop new skills and unlock powerful networks for rising leaders from traditionally excluded groups.
Jasmine wrote and presented a beautiful poem to summarize her internship work this summer. Here the context for her poem:
“I would like to give some context behind my poem. Throughout my internship, I learned a lot about the history of Native Hawaiians and how they lost their lands and their deep cultural connection with their lands due to colonization. So I wanted to convey in my poem the Native Hawaiians’ perspective- the nostalgia of their lands and their present struggles as indigenous people of Hawaii. I also wanted to convey that they can have a positive outlook to the future. They can work to improve their present for the sake of future generations.
While I wrote this poem with the perspective of Native Hawaiians in mind, I also want everyone to recognize how my poem can apply to all of us here. I think we all have happier times that we want to go back to, we now feel nostalgia for. But in the present, we’re all struggling with our own problems. But, no matter how hard it is now, we can overcome our struggles. We can look forward to the future, even perhaps build a better future ourselves.
So please keep the context I explained in mind as you hear the poem!”
Jasmine Mondelo's poem for EDICT final presentation
