Jo-Jikum showcases local talent

At the end of the Jo-Jikum workshop’s presentation of their creative climate work at the Marshall Islands Resort July 29, everyone, including Australian Ambassador Brek Batley and US Embassy Chargé Jeremiah Knight (back center), joined for a group photo. Photo: Wilmer Joel.

WILMER JOEL

Jo-Jikum’s Climate and Health Art Seminar showcase once again shook us to our core as we witnessed 37 of our youth unleashing their talents through art, weaving, poetry, filmmaking, and songwriting at the Marshall Islands Resort Melele Room last Friday.

The results presented during Friday’s showcase developed from the three-week training that provided a platform for the young people to develop their skills in these five artistic areas to express their messages about climate and health.

The group was trained by an all-star cast of local artistic talent: Barab Edwards, Debby Schutz, Aravapo Leo, Susan Jeita, Kathy Jetnil Kijiner, and Chewy Lin.

Jo-Jikum’s masterminds Jollia Peter and Jobod Silk kicked off the showcase with a bang as they grabbed the audience’s attention with their poem and brought them back to reality.

Emcees Bianca Bolasina and Lyonel Myazoe did a great job of stirring the program that featured a lineup of talented musicians, poets, filmmakers, and singers who took command of the stage and displayed the results of the workshop. While the artists had their works up for display and bidding and purchase, the showcase wouldn’t have been complete without the help of Majuro’s hottest band, Laddik in Alwal, providing great music and instrumental accompaniment.

“Climate Change is a young person’s game,’ said Secretary of Health Jack Niedenthal. “However it is not the sea level that will get us first, it’s going to be disease.” He emphasized that the best defense against this formidable disease Covid-19 is to get vaccinated. “Don’t think because you are in the Marshall Islands (that) you can’t be the best in the world,” he said. “We have already proven that with Covid-19, nobody has equaled what we have done here especially when we talk about climate change.”

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