Futures Beyond Militarism Conference 

We will be inviting student organizations to be featured for conference attendees to interact and learn more about the community in line with the conference's focus. This page will update with more information as that comes.

Thursday, April 23rd to Friday, April 24th

Join us on Thursday, April 23rd at 5:30 PM at the Thompson Conference Center for a screening of Mālama Mākua, followed by a Q&A with the cast and directors and moderated by one of CAAS's core faculty and the film's producer, Dr. Laurel Mei-Singh.

Screened at the Hawai'i International Film Festival, Mālama Mākua recently received the Audience Choice Award.

The film traces the Mākua Valley's transformation on the western shore of O'ahu, Hawai'i from a place of deep cultural roots to a rallying point for grassroots activism. It chronicles the ongoing struggle to restore U.S. military-occupied lands to Native Hawaiian stewardship, connecting this local fight to global movements for peace, demilitarization, and environmental justice. With the U.S. government’s lease set to expire in 2029, the call for Mākua’s return grows more urgent—and more hopeful—than ever.

In addition to the film screening and Q&A, we will be organizing a conference for the following day on Friday, April 24th, with scholars and activists who will explore the themes of US-China rivalry and the militarization of the Pacific, militarized borders, and restoring the sacred on a planet in crisis.