Big Island Video News will be featuring the presentations made by the many different speakers slated to talk at the Common Ground series. The archive will be available at this location.

PEPEEKEO, Hawaii – The second of four TMT & Maunakea: Common Ground talks was held Wednesday night at the Kulaimano Community Center in Pepe’ekeo. The discussions are organized by the Hilo-Hamakua Community Development Corporation in order to “bring more information to the community that it serves (from north of the singing bridge in Hilo to Waipi`o Valley) so that people can make informed decisions about the TMT.”

The first to speak was Dr. Peter Adler, director of ACCORD3.0, a group of independent consultants specializing in foresight, fact-finding and consensus building. While with The Keystone Center in 2007, Adler was commissioned by The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to conduct an independent risk assessment regarding a possible siting of the Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea.

Adler began his speech on Wednesday night by showing a clip from the movie Invictus, in which Nelson Mandela – played by Morgan Freeman – talked about leadership and inspiration.

The next Common Ground meeting will be Tuesday June 2 at Laupahoehoe Community Public Charter School Cafeteria.