Hawai‘an Mayor returns to Wellington

27 April 2007 MEDIA RELEASE

Hawai‘an Mayor returns to Wellington

Mayor of Honolulu Mufi Hannemann returns to Wellington next week, to deliver a Fulbright New Zealand alumni lecture charting his road from Victoria University of Wellington (where he studied as a Fulbright US Graduate Student in 1977) to Honolulu’s City Hall via the White House, where he served in the administrations of four American presidents.

A Hawai‘ian-born Samoan, Mayor Hannemann was the first person of Samoan ancestry to graduate from Harvard University. He spent the following year researching Pacific history and political systems at Victoria University of Wellington on a Fulbright scholarship.

After a stint teaching history at his alma mater, Iolani School in Honolulu, Mufi Hannemann entered government service as a special assistant to President Jimmy Carter, also serving subsequent Presidents Reagan, Bush and Clinton. He was elected Mayor of Honolulu in 2004, and was sworn in as the city’s 12th Mayor (and first native-born one in over 40 years) in January 2005. “Being in New Zealand gave me the opportunity to learn about my Pacific Island roots,” Mayor

Hannemann told Fulbright Quarterly shortly after taking office. “The Fulbright experience was one of my greatest opportunities for learning and gaining a greater appreciation for another culture. New Zealand is a great example of the belief that being big isn’t necessarily a great advantage. It’s a small country which does the best with what it has.

It has a remarkable way of surviving and expanding opportunities for its people.” Mayor Hannemann will discuss his life journey and the challenges facing the Pacific region in a free public lecture at 5:30pm, Friday 4th May in Lecture Theatre 2 of Rutherford House, Victoria University of Wellington Pipitea Campus. Those interested in attending are asked to register with the Fulbright New Zealand office – info@fulbright.org.nz / 472 2065

ENDS

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