2 posts tagged “dignity”

I have deepened my understanding of ho'okipa to include:

• respect for the dignity of other people
• generosity
• a sustaining environment
• a warm and sincere greeting
• anticipation and fulfillment of the needs of a guest
• dialogue - the interaction between you and your guest
• keeping your guest company
• establishing a relationship
• looking for the connections between you

~ From an article entitled Writer, reader, place: writing with ho'okipa by Joanna Young

Welcoming strangers is a cultural practice of the Hawaiian people, developed into an art form over the centuries. It brings great dignity and honor to its practitioners and promotes peace and harmony wherever it is found. . . it is called ho`okipa.

Ho`okipa is a personal behavior system based on Hawaiian values that has global application. It defines how we behave, how we judge others, and how we might want to be judged. It teaches us to respect ourselves, to walk with dignity, and to honor the customs and traditions of our ethnic heritage - whatever it may be. It employs our cultural past as the strength of our future. It empowers us to fully celebrate our lives and the lives of our fellow man. Ho`okipa is an ancient affirmation of the goodness of mankind.

As a values-based behavior system, Ho`okipa can serve as a powerful foundation upon which to build an organization. When embraced as part of an organization's business model and threaded throughout the operating system, Ho`okipa produces consistent and predictable workplace behavior. It can transform an organization's working environment into a place that inspires excellence.

~ The Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association