Help for Weipat High School
My alma mater, Weipat High School, located on the remote outer island of Onoun in Chuuk State officially made one giant virtual leap toward bridging the huge digital divide. They are now hooked up to the internet via a solar powered satellite dish thanks to Deacon Bill Hagen and a team from his Guam-based Cuthbert Project and TR Mori from Chuuk-based iSolutions.com which completed in a week what...
Read MoreNorthwest funding…same old
FSM Congress has recently appropriated funds (Public Law No. 17-30 on December 29, 2011) to each of the Election Districts in Chuuk. The Northwest Election District #5 (Pafeng, Namonweito, and Pattiw) received a total of $200,000 for what appears to be an exact replica of the last appropriations. Once again, of that amount only $9,000 is set aside for education by way of financial assistance; the...
Read MoreThe Case for Justice for Micronesians in Hawaii
The Hawai’i Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice has just released a report entitled, “Broken Promises, Shattered Lives: The Case for Justice for Micronesians in Hawai’i,” which should be read by anyone who wants to understand the historical background, language, cultural, social barriers facing the Micronesians who have legally migrated to the Hawaiian islands...
Read MoreFan iten Northwest voters
Today I have sent the following email to the two gentlemen who have announced their candidacy for the congressional seat for the Northwest Election District; namely, Mr. Robson Romolow (rtromolow@yahoo.com) and Mr. Williander Jack (ukunik@comcast.net). Ai anean pwe repwe anenia ai tingor ngenir fan iten naurh aremahan Northwest. Dear Mr. Romolow and Mr. Jack, Thank you both for making yourself...
Read MoreFSM Responds to GAO Report
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a report which does not fully support Senator Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) overzealous efforts to curb legal migration of Pacific islanders from the freely associated states (FAS) to the U.S. Using the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the American Community Survey (ACS), the report from the investigative arm of the U.S. Congress...
Read MoreEnd Racial Discrimination
Senator Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) is exercising racial discrimination against the legal immigrants from the Pacific island nations of Micronesia, Palau, and the Marshall Islands. Ironically, Senator Inouye claims on his vimeo site to have been responsible for breaking the racist attitude and segration in the House of Representatives. Now he and his usually socially aware and compassionate leaders...
Read MoreFanapi Center
The people in the Northwest region need a non-governmental organization (NGO) to centralize the services and resources for Pattiw, Pafeng, and Namonweito in the areas of educational opportunities, economic development, health care, leadership development, and cultural preservation. Governed by a diverse Board of Directors comprising political, traditional, religious, women, and youth leaders, the...
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 Leadership
“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 Moreour photos
follow us