Mission and Programs

The Manoa Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) educational organization incorporated in the State of Hawai‘i. The foundation’s mission is to

  • Promote and improve understanding among the peoples of Asia, the Pacific, and the Americas by creating conversations in print, in face-to-face events, and through media.

  • Explore issues of international cooperation, cultural diversity, and democracy.

  • Inquire into the ways that free expression, literature, and art reflect and advance democratic change, and sustain communities locally and globally.

Among its activities in pursuit of these goals, The Foundation supports—through fund raising and other efforts—Mānoa: A Pacific Journal of International Writing, books, educational materials, and workshops, readings, theatrical performances, and conferences. It also administers the Barry Lopez Visiting Writer Fellowship in Ethics and Community.