Fanapi Center
The people in the Northwest region need a Center on Weno we can truly call our own, a place that unites the three regions of Pattiw, Pafeng, and Namonweito, and advances our common efforts in educational opportunities, economic development, health care, leadership training, cultural preservation, and other services for our people. Therefore, we call on our political, traditional and religious...
Read MoreEducational Reform
An educated citizenry is the key to breaking the cycle of disempowerment among the people in the Northwest region in Chuuk. No single issue deserves top priority in the outer islands today than the ensuring of adequate education for our children. It is imperative that our young generations of outer islanders are given all the available resources to survive in a globalized and fast-changing world....
Read MoreFaith-inspired Politics
“We cannot separate action for justice from the proclamation of the Word of God.” Inspired by the words of the late Fr. Pedro Arrupe, SJ, Jesuit Superior General (1965-1983), we call for a political system that is inspired by faith. Our small island communities with close relationships and deep abiding faith in God have been negatively impacted by the political system. Politics as practiced...
Read MoreEnvironmental Protection
Protecting Our Natural Resources for Future Generations! The care of our lands, seas, and air is the responsibility of every Chuukese citizen. The government must provide adequate funding, leadership, and programs to educate the public in the proper stewardship of our natural resources. Efforts must be made to empower the NGO’s that are dedicated to environmental issues. The problems...
Read MoreAccessibility
Having Access to Information & Resources! The distance of the outer islands from the main centers poses a real challenge of access to resources and valuable information. In a technologically advanced age, there is no reason why these outer islands should not have information readily available to them. But it takes efforts and leadership to prioritize information as necessary component of...
Read MoreWomen Leadership
Empowering Women’s Leadership Roles! Much like the rest of the world, Chuuk is undergoing a paradigm shift in recognizing the importance of women in leadership roles. Women have traditionally been the backbone of the family, a role that has over time become a cause of injustice in today’s democratic government; today, many Chuukese men expect women to serve in subservient roles in the ...
Read MoreCampaign Reform
Reuniting People On Issues Rather Than Relations! Political campaigns and elections have become a source of divisiveness and corruption in our families, clans, communities, State, and even our nation. On one hand it has become standard practice among many incumbent legislators to use government funds to buy votes. On the other hand, we citizens have readily accepted such handouts with utter ...
Read MoreGlobal Resources
Bridging Local Needs with Global Resources! Since the Compact of Free Association went into effect, there has been a steady exodus of outer islanders in search of better life for themselves and their families. Many of our outer islanders living overseas in Guam, Hawaii, and the mainland have established their own base of resources. We need to organize each of these associations of outer...
Read MoreYouth Empowerment
Energizing the Young Generation for Civic Engagement! The youth have been the backbone of our community activities in Chuuk. Ironically, they have also been the least resourced. Their voices are not readily heard because of the cultural misconception that youth means inexperience rather than energy; that youth (hemirit) means lack of wisdom when in fact they bear creativity; that youth are...
Read MoreEconomic Development
The outer islands have suffered from a lack of leadership and sustainable economic development strategies. Despite millions of dollars of Compact funds aimed at capital and economic improvement projects in the Northwest region, all we have to show for are bankrupted Pattiw and Namonweito Authorities, rusted fishing boats, fiberglass boats. All the ill fated attempts at building sustainable...
Read MoreHealthcare
Preventive health care must be improved to combat the increase of obesity, diabetes, and other health problems in the outer islands of the Northwest region. In a State which suffers from incompetent leadership and lack of resources, the only sure medicine that has always been available to us as a people has been our own way of life; we need to re-educate our people on preventive measures such as...
Read MoreNew Vision for Old Problems
New Vision for Old Problems Like a failing heart that needs immediate CPR, our outer islands need radically different ideas to solve deep rooted social problems. Politics in the Northwest has been the cause of disunity among our people and the impediment to social and political progress. Far too many community leaders align themselves to the same old problems and the politicians who have failed...
Read Moreabout me
Vid Raatior is a devoted dad and husband, a member of the Pwaraka & Alengeitaw clans, an international educator, a former Jesuit, a citizen journalist, a social entrepreneur, and a web designer. Originally from the outer islands of Chuuk in the Pacific island nation of Micronesia, Vid lives in Northern California with his wife Desha and children Keala and Keoni and works at Santa Clara University.