Maui Neutral Zone – Mayor HANNIBAL TAVARES just before his death

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HANNIBAL TAVARES— Mayor who set the Maui direction in the late 80s to 90s – 1997

Jason Schwartz and Airielle Pearson sit down with former Maui Mayor Hannibal Tavares in a rare 1997 interview recorded shortly after his retirement and not long before his passing.

Framed by a heartfelt “Maui Style” song, Tavares reflects on his leadership philosophy of open doors, community input, and long-range master planning. He discusses public beach access, balanced development, infrastructure, water security, public safety, renewable energy, agriculture, and education. Warm stories, humor, and spirituality reveal a deeply human leader whose legacy centers on bipartisanship, stewardship of the land, and unwavering service to Maui’s people and future generations.

The interview:  https://mauineutralzone.com/video/hannibal-tavares-mayor-who-set-the-maui-direction-in-the-late-80s-to-90s-1997/

MauiNeutralZone is not about politics. It’s not about blame, and it’s not about telling people what you think.

It’s about holding a vision of the world – and the Maui – we want to live in… and having the courage to act from that vision, even when it’s difficult. Because when communities speak honestly, listen deeply, and work together – real solutions become possible.

Across these subjects and more, MNZ typically contributes to positive community outcomes by

1- Highlighting community voices and lived experience, particularly from local activists and residents.

2- Stimulating public dialogues about pressing issues that may otherwise be under-discussed in mainstream media.

3-Encouraging community resilience and self-advocacy: encouraging mutual aid and resilience hubs and good will.

4- Critiquing systems in ways that inform and reform, even if not providing formal policy prescriptions!

It’s important to note that many episodes focus more on discussion and awareness than on detailed implementation plans. Some solutions are intent-oriented, encouraging stronger community engagement rather than fully developed policy blueprints.

What makes Maui Neutral Zone distinct is that unlike issue-driven programs or partisan media, MNZ functions as a neutral civic forum with 3 defining strengths: Truth Telling, Bridge-Building, and offering Solution Pathways – surfacing community – led ideas, models, and shared values that point towards practical action. MNZ doesn’t prescribe policy- it creates the Conditions for solutions to emerge by building public understanding, amplifying local knowledge and leadership, encourage civil engagement, resilience, and cooperation. It serves as a local and trusted archive of Maui’s collective voice during important moments.

We are evolving into a Solutions Incubator, intentionally linking dialogues between Nonprofit and philanthropic organizations and individuals, community led housing initiatives and a future Solution style that is remarkably Co-operative, proposing a Future – Together! A Team Aloha.

POST 8-8-23 Disaster in LAHAINA – Jason & Capri – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEryS1XZyso

A post-disaster conversation focused on Lahaina, with immediate aftermath concerning stories, and the urgent questions that follow a crisis. This episode fits the Maui Zone universe as a Lahaina wildfire & disaster recovery conversation, balancing specificity with broader context. The focus is on Maui people, practical realities, thoughtful discussion rather than sound bites. Expect a host-led flow with space for nuance, stories, and takeaways that connect community concerns to real-world.