Roundtable discussion garnished with interviews on what will happen to Micronesia at the end of the 15 year Compact of Free Association in the year 2001. Features Resio Moses, William Iriarte and Alex Panuelo.
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For the Love of Chuuk: Working Towards the Common Good
Chuuk, with half of the FSM population, a thriving business sector, and a strong church community, has much to celebrate. On the other hand, the state has also faced two financial crises in the past ten years. Electricity is off-and-on and government services such as health and education are mediocre at best. Chuuk, an island …
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The U.S. and the Marshalls: The Next 20 Years
Over the past 15 years, the Compact of Free Association has provided financial support and U.S. Federal Programs to the Marshall Islands. In exchange, the Marshalls has granted defense rights and "strategic denial" to the United States. The financial provisions of the Compact are set to expire in September, and with them the support that …
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The Legend of Bill: From Birth to Law
In the FSM, how are Congressional Bills developed? How does a bill become a law? What happens to laws once they are made? This video illustrates this process by following "Bill" through his lifetime. Journey with Bill back in time to learn about the history of the FSM legal system and then walk with Bill through the process of …
It’s My Own Land, Isn’t It?
In the minds of most Micronesians, land is a family possession. The government may make its laws, regulate traffic, impose taxes, but it has no right to dictate how individuals or families should use their land. At least that's the feeling among most Micronesians today. This video holds this belief up to the light. In the first of …
FSM: The US Pacific Outpost
A brief overview of US relations with Micronesia over the years. Focused on the FSM, this documentary surveys problems of development in the islands.
The Upside Down Economy
A Micronesian leader once compared the FSM economy to a turtle on its back, its feet kicking in the air, but going nowhere. For years the economy in the islands has been upside down. The foreign subsidies that supported an expensive government structure has, in turn, created a small private sector consisting of service industries. This video explores …
History V: March Toward Self-Government
This final segment in the History of Micronesia video series presents the final two decades of US administration, when change was the order of the day. The election of President Kennedy in 1960 signaled a profound change in US policy in its Trust Territory, beginning with a focus on education and health services. As the …
Island Government: Making it Work
What does good government mean for island nations in the Pacific? This video is an extended conversation on that very question punctuated by mini-dramas that underline some of the tensions between government and culture. The march to self-government was a long and arduous process lasting for a decade and a half and resulting in the …
Beyond the Spoken Word: Insuring the Legacy of Our Land
Land has long meant security, identity and status for the people of the Marshall Islands. Before these islands knew Western civilization, land was handed down orally, through stories, songs and legends. In every village people knew the owners of the lands and the boundaries that divided them, and this knowledge was stored safely in their …
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