The sweet hint of pikake and gardenias in the air was one of the many ways Hawai‘i was well represented as more than 500 members of the Joyful Heart community came together for the annual Joyful Revolution Gala: The Conversation Is Now in Session at Spring Studios in New York City on Wednesday, May 6.

This being my first year at the event, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I certainly wasn’t expecting to receive a pikake lei, lovingly provided by Joyful Heart board member Lynn Lally. Or that Gala guests would show so much support for Hawai‘i Says NO MORE throughout the evening by posing for photos with pins and signs from Hawai‘i. Or that every time I shared I was from Hawai‘i, people mentioned their love for the islands and the work we do here. It was all a beautiful and important reminder of the unique power of Hawai‘i that inspired Mariska to first start Joyful Heart here 11 years ago.  

In Hawai‘i, we know how important it is to “talk story”—to really converse with each other and share our mana‘o (thoughts, ideas, knowledge). We know that conversation—inspired dialogue, thoughtful debate—is key to ending sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse, not just in Hawai‘i but all over the world. We know that talking interrupts isolation, raises much-needed awareness, and breaks the stigma and shame that so many survivors experience. All of us at Joyful Heart value meaningful dialogue, that’s why the theme of the Joyful Revolution this year was about conversation.

We celebrated extraordinary progress that made headlines this past year, both locally and nationally: Congress Poised to Dedicate $41 Million to Help End Backlog of Rape Kits; Saying NO MORE to Sexual Assault; The Hunting Ground Premieres in Hawai‘i; Hawai'i Says NO MORE Launch: Domestic violence, sexual assault awareness campaign; Honolulu Hale lit up in honor of domestic violence, sexual assault awareness; Joe Biden and Mariska Hargitay Team Up against Campus Rape. At the same time, we examined how far left we have to go to realize our vision of a word without sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse. As Mariska said that evening:

We want more than just a sense that things are different—not just a feeling that change is in the air. I love that feeling and I welcome it, but just like all of you do, we want measurable change leading to the end of this violence. 

We invite you to celebrate with us and keep the conversation going.  Check out some of the photos below, and click here for the full recap and even more photos of the evening. Mahalo nui. 

Thank you to our evening's photographers: Gus Philippas, Michael Parmelee, Michael Webber and Cathrine White.

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