Question: I liked the suggestion to nominate Nainoa Thompson for the Nobel Peace Prize (808ne.ws/628letter). Can anybody do that?
Answer: No, nominations must come from individuals in specific categories, such as academia, not the general public. That’s why the letter writer made the rallying call, to encourage eligible nominators to do so.
There’s no shortage of folks in Hawaii who could nominate Thompson for the award, which honors “the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses,” according to the 1895 will of Alfred Nobel. The Swedish scientist, inventor and entrepreneur founded the Nobel Prizes to reward people who have “done their best for humanity” in the fields of physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and peace. A prize in economic sciences was added later.
Thompson, a leader of the Native Hawaiian renaissance credited with revitalizing Polynesian wayfinding, most recently led the traditional canoe Hokule‘a on a worldwide voyage called Malama Honua, or “care for Earth.” Its mission is to share the ideal of aloha around the globe and to inspire people to protect the natural world.
The Nobel Foundation lists information about the nomination and selection process on its website, nobelprize.org. For the Peace Prize, an invitation to nominate is not required (as it is for some other Nobel categories). Peace Prize nominations are considered valid if they come from any of the following types of people:
>> Members of national assemblies and national governments (Cabinet members/ministers) of sovereign states as well as current heads of states
>> Members of the International Court of Justice in the Hague and the Permanent Court of Arbitration there
>> Members of Institut de Droit International
>> University professors, professors emeriti and associate professors of history, social sciences, law, philosophy, theology, and religion; university rectors and university directors (or their equivalents); directors of peace research institutes and foreign policy institutes
>> Persons who have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
>> Members of the main board of directors or its equivalent for organizations that have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
>> Current and former members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee
>> Former advisers to the Norwegian Nobel Committee
The Nobel Peace Prize Laureate is chosen by the Norwegian Nobel Committee. Beyond naming the winner each year, the committee does not release information about other nominees or about any of the nominators until 50 years later.
Q: From time to time, you print that the police will have drunken-driver checkpoints. Do you know where?
A: No, the Honolulu Police Department does not publicly disclose that information in advance. Its regular notices say that impaired-driver checkpoints will be set up at undisclosed times and locations across Oahu. Holiday weekends are commonly included.
Q: Bulky-item pickup took the old furniture I left out but not the appliances. Why? Now what?
A: Because different trucks pick up different types of items, according to the city. Discarded furniture goes to the landfill, while appliances such as refrigerators and air conditioners are taken separately to a metal-recycling facility. A second truck should arrive to pick up your appliances, if it hasn’t come by already.
Mahalo
One of the good things about Hawaii is the LED sign on the backside of TheBus. You could very well get an LED mahalo and shaka if you let TheBus go in front of you. Very cool. Mahalo to you, too, bus drivers! — Daily driver
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
