Peacemaker Award goes to Nakata
Star-Bulletin staff
The Church of the Crossroads awarded the Rev. Robert "Bob" Nakata its Peacemaker Award at a program Monday celebrating the life of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
Nakata, the pastor of Kahaluu United Methodist Church, is a former state senator and representative.
He has been a leader in community, environmental and social justice activism for 30 years, said Mike Compton, chairman of the awards committee.
The 7 p.m. event was to also celebrate King's achievements in the 1960s civil rights struggle.
Nakata was involved in last year's successful effort to get state funding to retain some of Kukui Gardens as affordable housing.
He is the incoming president of Faith Action for Community Equity, FACE, which led the Kukui Gardens effort.
Previously he was involved with Waiahole-Waikane residents in a 1980s land struggle that had a lasting effect on Windward development and state water policies.
He was a member of Kokua Kalihi Valley, former executive director of the Kualoa-Heeia Ecumenical Youth Project, and was a State Water Commission member from 1987 to 1995.
