Audrey E. Kitagawa, J.D.
President and Founder
Background
Tadia Rice is Vice-Chair of the Ethics Commission for the City and County of Honolulu. As a Commissioner she strives to advance the standards of ethical conduct to promote, improve and maintain public confidence in government. Her career includes multi-disciplinary business executive with more than 20 years of international experience in organizational dynamics, thought leadership, enterprise transformation, governance and ethics, cultural competence, indigenous resolution models, geo-political affairs, information security, social justice, gender issues, and expressive arts. In addition, Rice is an expert contributor to magazines and industry publications, and a contributing author to several books on social justice, spirituality, and global gender issues. She has authored Performance for Incarcerated Women; Transforming Horror Into Hope: The Women of Rwanda; Artificial Intelligence: The Future Is Now; What’s Your Mindset: Gaunxi; Lead With Aloha; and more. Rice is also an on-air broadcaster, media personality, keynote speaker and performer who has appeared on television, radio, and in theatre productions. With a global network of strategic alliances Rice enjoys international influence while maintaining a passion for people and our world.
In 2023, Rice became an Award-winning film producer for her first documentary at the 2023 prestigious Cannes International Film Festival Shorts Award. She also garnered semi-finalist status at the Toronto International Women Film Festival. “BEYOND BARS: Prison Women Speak” is an observational film documentary executive produced by the Tahirih Association. The film shines light on a rarely seen, heard, and often misunderstood vulnerable population of incarcerated women in America. The film has been hailed as a beacon of light to currently incarcerated women and younger female adults who may be at-risk. The film provides a new perspective for viewers, and is a testament to Rice’s dedicated work to uplift women.
Rice founded the Tahirih Association in 2000. Since then it has fostered the advancement of women and girl change-makers around the world, providing education scholarships to 22 girls and women in six countries: Lakota/Oglala Nation (1); Liberia (10); Honduras (1); Namibia (1); South Africa (1); United States (8). The Association also supports a prison reentry program for formerly incarcerated women, and a safe house with a food sustainability program for women and their families in two impoverished communities in South Africa.
In 2023 Rice was recognized by the Hawai`i State legislature for her work uplifting women; in 2022 she received the Stars of Oceania Leadership Award from the University of Hawai`i; in 2017 she recieved the Medal of Honor from the prestigious Ellis Island Honors Society in New York City; and in 2016 she was inducted as a Dame Knight by the Orthodox Order of Saint John, a preeminent international relief organization. For her services to promote equality, women, communities of color, and marginalized peoples, Rice has been honored by the United States Congress; California State Senate; the City of Atlanta; the City and County of Honolulu; and the United Nations Association.
Rice currently serves on the Boards of the Tahirih Association, Oglala Sioux Tribal Film Commission, and the Princess of Africa Foundation. She is also a Citizen Diplomat of American Councils for International Education, and a member of the Society for Human Resource Management, National Speakers Association, NAACP-Honolulu Chapter, Hawai`i Womenʻs Prison Project, Honolulu Museum of Art African-American Film Festival, and the Kailua Hawaiian Civic Club.
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Background
Audrey E. Kitagawa, JD, is the President/Founder of the International Academy for Multicultural Cooperation, the President of the Light of Awareness International Spiritual Family, the former Advisor to the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict at the United Nations.
She is a United Nations Representative for the United Religions Initiative, and Chair Emerita of the NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns, A Committee of the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations. She has been enstooled into the royal family as the Nekoso Hemaa, (i.e. Queen Mother of Development), of Ajiyamanti in Ghana, West Africa, and has a school which she helped to build named after her in her African name, the Nana Ode Anyankobea Junior Secondary School.
She wrote the chapter, Crossing World Views, The Power of Perspective in the Hawaii Japanese American Experience, which was published in a book about multiculturalism, communication and Asian women entitled, Learning In The Light. Her chapter, Globalization As The Fuel For Religious And Ethnic Conflict has been published in the book, Globalization And Identity, Cultural Diversity, Religion and Citizenship. Her article, The Role Of Identity In The Rise And Decline of Buddhism In Hawaii, The 50th State Of The United States Of America, has been published in Sambodhi, a Buddhist Journal. She published articles in World Affairs The Journal Of International Issues, entitled, The Power of Om: Transformation of Consciousness, and Practical Spirituality. She wrote the chapter, The US In Foreign Affairs: Source of Global Security, Or Source of Global Fear? in the book, America & The World The Double Bind. She is currently writing a chapter on Space Ethics for a legal, academic book on Space Law.
She has been listed in Who's Who Of American Law, Who's Who Of American Women, Who's Who In America, Who's Who In The World, and Prominent People of Hawaii. She is the recipient of the Medal “Pride of Eurasia” and a Diploma from the Republic of Kazakhstan Ministry of Education and Science L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University for her outstanding contribution to the development of spiritual culture and education in Eurasia. She is the recipient of the Spirit of the UN Award which is given to outstanding individuals who have demonstrated the vision and spirit of the United Nations as expressed through the UN Charter, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. She was conferred an Honorary Interfaith Minister degree by the New Seminary.
Biography
Tadia Rice is Vice-Chair of the Ethics Commission for the City and County of Honolulu. As a Commissioner she strives to advance the standards of ethical conduct to promote, improve and maintain public confidence in government. Her career includes multi-disciplinary business executive with more than 20 years of international experience in organizational dynamics, thought leadership, enterprise transformation, governance and ethics, cultural competence, indigenous resolution models, geo-political affairs, information security, social justice, gender issues, and expressive arts. In addition, Rice is an expert contributor to magazines and industry publications, and a contributing author to several books on social justice, spirituality, and global gender issues. She has authored Performance for Incarcerated Women; Transforming Horror Into Hope: The Women of Rwanda; Artificial Intelligence: The Future Is Now; What’s Your Mindset: Gaunxi; Lead With Aloha; and more. Rice is also an on-air broadcaster, media personality, keynote speaker and performer who has appeared on television, radio, and in theatre productions. With a global network of strategic alliances Rice enjoys international influence while maintaining a passion for people and our world.
In 2023, Rice became an Award-winning film producer for her first documentary at the 2023 prestigious Cannes International Film Festival Shorts Award. She also garnered semi-finalist status at the Toronto International Women Film Festival. “BEYOND BARS: Prison Women Speak” is an observational film documentary executive produced by the Tahirih Association. The film shines light on a rarely seen, heard, and often misunderstood vulnerable population of incarcerated women in America. The film has been hailed as a beacon of light to currently incarcerated women and younger female adults who may be at-risk. The film provides a new perspective for viewers, and is a testament to Rice’s dedicated work to uplift women.
Rice founded the Tahirih Association in 2000. Since then it has fostered the advancement of women and girl change-makers around the world, providing education scholarships to 22 girls and women in six countries: Lakota/Oglala Nation (1); Liberia (10); Honduras (1); Namibia (1); South Africa (1); United States (8). The Association also supports a prison reentry program for formerly incarcerated women, and a safe house with a food sustainability program for women and their families in two impoverished communities in South Africa.
In 2023 Rice was recognized by the Hawai`i State legislature for her work uplifting women; in 2022 she received the Stars of Oceania Leadership Award from the University of Hawai`i; in 2017 she recieved the Medal of Honor from the prestigious Ellis Island Honors Society in New York City; and in 2016 she was inducted as a Dame Knight by the Orthodox Order of Saint John, a preeminent international relief organization. For her services to promote equality, women, communities of color, and marginalized peoples, Rice has been honored by the United States Congress; California State Senate; the City of Atlanta; the City and County of Honolulu; and the United Nations Association.
Rice currently serves on the Boards of the Tahirih Association, Oglala Sioux Tribal Film Commission, and the Princess of Africa Foundation. She is also a Citizen Diplomat of American Councils for International Education, and a member of the Society for Human Resource Management, National Speakers Association, NAACP-Honolulu Chapter, Hawai`i Womenʻs Prison Project, Honolulu Museum of Art African-American Film Festival, and the Kailua Hawaiian Civic Club.
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