ABOUT THE EVENT

“Dark Spaces Birth New Stars: Hope in Dismal Times”

The Imiloa Astronomy Center on the Big Island of Hawai’i reveals that new stars are birthed from dark spaces in the galaxy. The native Hawaiian word imiloa means “exploration driven by a sense of wonder and imagination.” Contemplation of hope in dismal times reveals itself as such an exploration, as hopeful actions of resistance and resilience illuminate the seeds of hope within us, inspiring our collective movements for life in abundance for all. We can draw on our collective memories to activate our hope, to remember that often hope emerges as an inner compass through tears of compassion and beauty. From the vastness of the galaxies to the tiny yet incredible journey and transformations of the monarch butterfly, symbol of migration, this lecture will explore historical collective memories of suffering and hope among marginal communities and intercultural solidarities. As con-sidere means “with the stars,” to remember and reconsider means to rejoin the movement of heaven and life. Hope can embrace despair and one another.

Lecturer: Joanne (Járuko) Doi, MM.

Maryknoll Sister Joanne Doi served among the Aymara people in Peru for eleven years and is now deeply involved in pilgrimage journeys to former World War II Japanese American detention camps. A former CTU faculty member, she continues to serve as an adjunct faculty member. She is currently part of a collaborative team in Monrovia, California, with Maryknoll E.A.R.T.H. Commons, whose three-pronged mission focuses on healing the Earth, healing relationships, and welcoming the stranger.