Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 33, Number 2, 1 February 2016 — Where Will 2016 Lead Us? Another Volatile Year? [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Where Will 2016 Lead Us? Another Volatile Year?

"And a little child shall lead them..." This scripture was a favorite of mine as a 'child' growing up in poverty

Kalihi because I felt so special that I was a 'leader' in God's eyes: "The wolf shall lie down with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and thefatling together, and a liMle child shall lead them...They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain;for the earth will be fidl ofthe knowledge ofthe Lord as the waters cover the sea." —Isaiah 11:6-9NRSV

Ke Akua's vision of reconciliation, wholeness, justice and peaee is expressed in this description/definition of this iscripture. Shattering across my television screen during my recent visit with

my grandbabies was the picture of the 3-year-old boy who drowned with his brother as they fled from the terror they were experiencing in Syria. My granddaughter asked me, "Nana, why did the little boy have to drown?" I struggled to know what to say, how to respond. What should my prayer be? And I thought to myself, will it be the children...will it be a child that

will enahle us to see as never before, the suffering and pain of a broken world? Will it be a child who, even as his/her heart is broken will drive into our hearts, a "determination" to continue to create pathways to seek a future of hope for our children? This could be the same scenario here in Hawai'i as I watched the harsh sweeps of homeless

children from their cardboard box beds . . . We cannot turn away from them for in their welfare resides our welfare.

We must 'grow' our trust fund to help them. We, as Trustees, are being called upon to protect and grow our trust with prudence and wisdom as we anticipate another volatile year. Predicting market performance is like predicting a heavyweight fight: you weigh their history against their opponent, read the 'tale of the tape' and put your money down. For 20 1 6, the market predictions are almost all the same

... just like "Rocky II": PAIN! In my humhle opinion massive manipulations by the Central banks have created credit distortions. For instance, crude oil topped $ 145 a barrel in the summer of 2008, on the assumption that Chinese

crude demand would continue. Oil production was ramped up with low interest rates to meet the 'expected demand' and build up excessive inventory. Of course, we know that's not what happened. That's why today, we are enjoying eheap prices at the gas pump as crude oil has dropped to $33 a barrel! The Federal Reserve is doing its job to keep infla-

tion under control and unemployment low, and OHA Trustees must do our job of protecting your Trust Fund. Let's do it for our children's future... And remember the Scripture: "... and a little child shall lead them." Mālama and A hui hou, Trustee Leina'ala ■

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Leina'ala Ahu lsa, Ph.D.

TrustEE, At-largE

"AND A LHTLE CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM"

Photo illustration: Courtesy of Leina'ala Ahu lsa