This spring, the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa welcomed three revered Buddhist monks who have dedicated their lives to teaching peace, love and compassion. Venerable Kou Sopheap and Venerable Hak Sienghai traveled from Cambodia, joined by Venerable Sok Theavy, a resident monk on Hawaiʻi Island toured the Mānoa campus and delivered a webinar for both in-person and virtual audiences.
Hosted by the UH Mānoa Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS), the hybrid webinar at Hamilton Library explored Buddhism’s role in Cambodia’s recovery from conflict, reflecting on its absence during the Khmer Rouge regime and the subsequent peace efforts since 1992. They shared the importance of non-violence, and problem-solving in an effort to demonstrate how ancient wisdom can address modern challenges.
“I believe these conversations about mindfulness and peace need to be more prevalent on campus,” said Sothy Eng, a UH Mānoa associate professor in human development and family studies. “Raising awareness through such discussions is important for our campus community.”
The monks also met with leaders from the East-West Center (EWC). They learned about the center’s various programs that engage Cambodian students, scholars, researchers. EWC also offers graduate fellowships for study at UH Mānoa and leadership programs such as the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative.
CSEAS, Matsunaga Institute for Peace and EWC collaborated to host this event, which aligns with UH’s commitment to fostering cultural understanding and global dialogue.
