U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye left an indelible mark on the State of Hawai‘i and shaped America into a more tolerant and inclusive society. The Daniel K. Inouye Initiative for Democracy and Leadership (DKI Initiative) is a living tribute to someone who embodied the ideals of democracy and freedom. His life, actions and beliefs are like ocean waves – endless, powerful change agents that will continue to transform Hawai’i, the nation and the world. Like the man for whom it is named, the DKI Initiative advances public service leadership, democratic ideals and global awareness through academic programs, historic preservation, and civic engagement and outreach.

Current funded research opportunities

Interested in advancing the study of democracy, public policy and good government, and in need of support?

Faculty researchers can participate in the DKI Fellows Program.
Graduate students can apply for a DKI Graduate Archival Research Grant.

Programs

This paid internship position with the UH Mānoa Congressional Papers Collection provides students with real-world digital collection management experience under the supervision of the UH Mānoa Congressional Papers Archivist.

Duties and responsibilities include:

Working with a team to digitize portions of the Inouye papers with high research value and minimal privacy and copyright concerns, and on making these documents publicly available online for access by a global audience.
Working directly with original materials, including Senator Inouye’s speeches, press releases and newsletters (1963-2012), and U.S. House records (1959-1962).
Performing workflows that support digital scholarship and the creation of digital archives collections, such as OCR editing, creating and editing descriptive metadata, and performing quality checks.
Participating in meetings and discussions relating to the ongoing management and use of the digital collection.

The documents to be added to the Inouye digital collection provide an excellent overview of Senator Inouye’s career, the transition to and early days of statehood, and a chronology of federal projects and legislation impacting Hawaiʻi. Because they span nearly 50 years, they also document significant national and world events, as well as shifting attitudes, interests and priorities within the U.S. and Hawaiʻi.

This program brings accomplished citizens — leaders in civic thought and action — to teach courses related to their expertise and participate in the life of the University through interactions with students and faculty. Participants provide one or more semester-long classes that foster a climate of critical thinking among students regarding the values of freedom, fairness, integrity, leadership and democratic ideals in today’s contemporary society in honor of Senator Inouye.

Past participants include:

Colleen Wakako Hanabusa, 2016
- Course Title: Civil Liberties in Times of Crisis
Richard Hornik, 2015
- Course Title: Media and Society: News Literacy and Democracy; Press and Diplomacy in a Global Society

Past events include:

Daniel K. Inouye Institute Talk Story Pau Hana

Redrawing the Lines: Representation and Citizen Voice in the Reapportionment Process
Fred Yang, CEO, Hart Research Associates; Lynn Finnegan, Chair, Hawai‘i Republican Party; Tyler Dos Santos-Tam, Chair, Hawai‘i Democratic Party, and Professor Colin Moore
Tuesday, February 1, 2022

Daniel K. Inouye Institute Talk Story Pau Hana

The “Netflix Generation: How the Demand for Streaming Video Could Help Hawai‘i“
Amy Hill (Magnum PI, 50 First Dates Actress), Dan Lin (Aladdin, It, The Lego Movies), Producer Melvin Mar (Jumanji Movies, Doogie Kamealoha), Donne Dawson, State Film Commissioner. Moderated by Chris Lee, founder of Academy for Creative Media Systems, University of Hawai‘i
Monday, September 28, 2020

Daniel K. Inouye Institute Talk Story Pau Hana

Elections 2020: What does “Contact” Look Like in a “Contactless” World
Featuring Governor Neil Abercrombie, Mayor Billy Kenoi and Professor Colin Moore. Moderated by Donalyn Dela Cruz, Senior VP S360-Hawai‘i
Wednesday, July 1, 2020

The 1st Daniel K. Inouye Fellows Symposium

Gestures of Apology, Reparation, and Comparative Racial Formations in Senator Daniel K. Inouye’s Congressional Papers
Dr. Leanne Day, 2020 Daniel K. Inouye Fellow
March 3, 2020

The 4th Annual Library of Congress and Daniel K. Inouye Lecture Series

Restoring the American Dream
E.J. Dionne of the Washing Post and Ross Douthat of the New York Times. Moderated by Ann Compton, former White House correspondent for ABC News
Live Streamed on Thursday, July 19, 2018

The 3rd Library of Congress Daniel K. Inouye Distinguished Lecture Series

Inspiring a Sense of Service and Idealism
Elaine L. Chao, Secretary of Transportation and a former director of the Peace Corps, and Reed Hastings, CEO of Netflix and a former Peace Corps volunteer. Moderated by Ann Compton, former White House correspondent for ABC News
Live Streamed on May 18, 2017

The 2nd Library of Congress Daniel K. Inouye Distinguished Lecture Series

Protecting National Security and Civil Liberties
Alan K. Simpson, Retired U.S. Senator, and Norman Y. Mineta, Former Secretary of Transportation. Moderated by Ann Compton, former White House correspondent for ABC News
Live Streamed on April 19, 2016

The Inaugural Library of Congress Daniel K. Inouye Distinguished Lecture Series

Finding Shared Values for U.S. Foreign Policy
Former U.S. Secretaries of State Madeline Albright and Colin Powell. Moderated by Ann Compton, former White House correspondent for ABC News
Live Streamed on July 8, 2015

The DKI Initiative is a collaboration between the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s College of Social Sciences, UH Mānoa Library’s Hawaiʻi Congressional Papers Collection, and the UH West Oahu ʻUluʻulu Hawaiʻi Moving Image Archive. The DKI Initiative is made possible through the generous support of the Daniel K. Inouye Institute and Hawai‘i Community Foundation.