February 6, 2019 at 10:56 AM HST - Updated February 6 at 10:56 AM

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Hawaii’s first ever civic engagement app, KĀKOU, is putting the power of change in the palm of your hand. KĀKOU, an initiative of Pacific Resource Partnership (PRP), is a unified, digital platform that makes it easy for everyone to engage with Hawaii’s elected officials and participate in the democratic process.

After taking over the publishing of the Hawaii Directory of Public Officials in 2018, PRP saw an opportunity to modernize the popular legislative resource guide and create KĀKOU – a tool for people of all ages to “Tap Into Democracy.” KĀKOU makes it easy for users to find and contact federal, state and county elected officials, register to vote, weigh in on hot button issues, email legislative committees, advocate alongside local nonprofit organizations, and more, on the convenience of a smartphone. KĀKOU is available for download on any Apple or Android phone, free of charge.

“When you look around today, most people have no idea how to get involved in government and community issues, how to contact their elected officials, or even who their elected officials are. KĀKOU makes it easy to get involved, find and contact your elected officials, learn about issues that you care about, and more - right on your phone,” said Melanie Kim, PRP’s marketing manager. “Encouraging civic engagement and strengthening Hawaii’s community is at the core of PRP’s mission. We are excited to share KĀKOU to help empower Hawaii’s people and community.”

State Senate President Ron Kouchi and House Speaker Scott Saiki are co-chairs of KĀKOU, and the app has been warmly received by legislators eager to reach a wide range of constituents.

Understanding that meaningful change can’t be achieved by a single organization, PRP has partnered with six local non-profit organizations in the inaugural year of KĀKOU. The organizations represent a wide array of issue-areas and concerns to improve civic engagement and address vital community needs. Through KĀKOU, users can subscribe to follow organizations of interest, and organizations can inform their members and supporters of legislation, send out alerts and updates, and share engagement and advocacy opportunities. PRP will donate $1 per subscriber to each partnering community organization. KĀKOU’s founding partners are:

● Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement

● Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice

● Hawaii Children’s Action Network

● Hawaii Public Health Institute

● HawaiiKidsCAN

● Rainbow Family 808

"HawaiiKidsCAN is an organization fueled by the belief that civically engaged students and communities are necessary in order to build an equitable, innovative education system," said David Miyashiro, founding executive director of local non-profit organization HawaiiKidsCAN. "KĀKOU is a powerful new game-changer that will make it easier than ever for our youth and residents to speak up and get involved. Given that we live in a push-button tech world, our democracy should reflect this same ease of connectivity and communication."

PRP will host “Activate Hawaii 2019” - the official kick-off celebration of KĀKOU - on Wednesday, Feb. 6 from 5:30 - 8 pm at the Hawaii State Art Museum. The event is free and open to the public; registration is encouraged. Attendees must download KĀKOU, register for the app, and show their “KĀKOU USER ID” found in the user’s profile to enter. The event will celebrate the launch of KĀKOU, offer the public an opportunity to learn more about its founding partners, and inspire a new generation of civic engagement in Hawaii. Event kickoff begins at 5:30 pm, with a short program at 6:30 pm and live entertainment by Kapena to follow. Complimentary food and drinks will be provided.

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