Let’s Reform Not Reverse Our Chuuk!

“It is for politicians to know which way the wind is blowing; it is for organized concerned citizens to raise the winds.”

The Chuuk Political Status Commission (CPSC) is using the late Governor Earhart Aten as the mascot or inspiration for their initiative to secede from the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) to become an independent nation. But what about all those other outstanding Chuukese leaders who are the founding fathers of our nation of the FSM? Do we not value the contributions of the first President of the FSM, the late Tosiwo Nakayama who worked hard to keep the federation united? And how about the late Pedrus Mailo, Raymond Setik, Aton Amaraich, and others who who against all odds fought hard for a sovereign nation of the FSM?

Today, Chuuk has an abundance of politicians and a real shortage of leaders. Future generations of Chuukese will suffer greatly because of failed leadership today.

But failed leadership is not the only reason for the desperate state of our government. While we need to understand the major role that incompetent politicians have played in our history of failure, voters are equally culpable. For so long now, we have enabled mediocrity and incompetence into our leadership psyche. Even with no solutions in sight, and blatant incompetence, we continue to elect the same politicians who have become a hindrance to change. Under the guise of respect for those in office, we continue to watch the same old horror movie (pin fich) but hoping for a happy ending. We Chuukese citizens need to stop hoping for change and be the reform we want to see happen in Chuuk.

We’re all in it together to sink or swim. With March elections around the corner, one wonders how voters and politicians are preparing for it. Are unscrupulous politicians writing their platforms without the future generation in mind? Instead, are they cashing out projects for campaign handouts in cash, sacks of rice, turkey tails, fiberglass boats, and an assortment of empty promises trumped up in all night drunken fests with mayors and clan leaders? And are voters expecting these handouts to sway their votes? Are we blindly following the influence of our clan or municipal leaders without demanding long-term solutions that benefit future generations? Are Chuukese citizens capable of political anger to balance out the shortage of political will among our incompetent politicians? When votes are cast and the next batch of recycled politicians take their place in history, will we have achieved Aten’s “Wech ei Chuuk!” or will Chuuk be weched all over again?

I have great hopes in the new generation of politically aware, outspoken, tech-savvy and educated citizen-leaders of Chuuk. These reform-minded Chuukese citizens are found speaking their minds on political issues in Chuuk. Exhibiting the same tenacity of the Chuukese warriors of old, these political activists are often personally attacked by small-minded Chuukese. It is this cadre of courageous Chuukese who share a deep commitment to creating a better future for Chuuk who will bring the much needed political change to Chuuk.

Clearly, there is a need to empower this movement of reform-minded Chuukese citizens.To that end, I have created this Chuuk Reform Coalition website as one way to synergistically engage politically aware and inspiringly active citizens who have new ideals, and a hunger for reform. This coalition of concerned citizens though physically dispersed globally would use the Chuuk State website (www.chuukstate.org) as their virtual uut (meeting house) to network, inspire and challenge one another, share news, and strategize on solutions specifically for Chuuk. My hope is to attract members in academia, business, government, non-profit, business, and other sectors of life in Chuuk and abroad to build the guiding principles and vision for a better Chuuk.

I challenge any reform-minded Chuukese to be part of the movement to reform our Chuuk State first before thinking about secession. To join is easy and free; to organize respectfully takes patience; to demand reform requires humility; to lead takes courage; to succeed through perseverance in always doing the right thing is empowering. In line with the American abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison who would say, “It is for politicians to know which way the wind is blowing; it is for organized concerned citizens to raise the winds.” While we must embody the solutions we seek from others, we must also unite our breezes and our clouds to form a typhoon for justice to propel politicians toward a more just and prosperous Chuuk.

And if members can raise the winds, maybe…just maybe we can change the culture of disengagement among voters in Chuuk State. Maybe we can live to witness a vision in which citizens are aware of social and political issues affecting them as a people, inspire each other to humble greatness, take responsibility for demanding a transparent and competent government leadership, actively engage in decision-making processes in the community, support political leadership based on sound information and judgment, and share a commitment to take actions that promote the common good of the Chuukese people over self-serving needs. And that would be a great way to respect the legacy of those Chuukese citizens who have modeled for us true selfless leadership… Petrus Mailo, Tosiwo Nakayama, Erhart Aten, Raymond Setik, Josefa Hashiguchi, etc.

(This is a revised version of an op-ed piece that was published in the Kasalehlia Press on January 3, 2009)