Journal 6/28/1983
P1 Compact signed
President Amata Kabua and US Ambassador Fred Zeder on June 25 signed the Compact of Free Association and all the remaining subsidiary agreements, including that for nuclear claims (177) in a ceremony at the Nitijela chamber. Kabua, as he did for the first time last week, asked for the support of the people in the plebiscite. Nitijela will be asked to set 7 September as the date of the vote.
P1 FSM passes Compact by landslide
The Federated States of Micronesia voted overwhelmingly for the Compact of Free Association but voters in Ponape rejected the Compact 4,264 yes to 4,453 no.
Journal 6/26/1992
P1 Pastors push baby control
Leaders of several of the major Protestant and Catholic Churches on Majuro say that family planning and population control is needed to confront and solve the overcrowding on Majuro and Ebeye. Four pastors interviewed by the Journal believe that the church needs to be involved in finding solutions to problems stemming from over-population. Their message is that parents need to take responsibility for their actions and their children. In the oft-quoted Bible phase, “God says go forth and multiply.” Fr. James Gould, SJ, pastor of Assumption Church, said the Bible also says that people must love one another. “If you bring a child into the world that you can’t feed, clothe and teach to pray, then you are going against the greater command of God,” he said. “Using the scripture in this way (to justify having babies) is evading responsibility.”
P14 Knowledge of canoes builds pride and identity
American Dennis Alessio was line fishing off the stern of a large sailing ship anchored in Ailinglaplap Atoll’s vast lagoon in 1989 when a group of six young lads padded a small outrigger out to the ship. Hopping aboard, the young Marshall Islanders clustered around Alessio. Alessio, a boat builder by trade, admired their canoe. But the boys weren’t impressed when he told them their canoe looked great. “Western ideology has conditioned people in the Marshalls to believe that Western things are better,” Alessio said. “Most people don’t realize how perfectly designed a canoe is for these atolls.” Since 1989, Alessio has managed the Waan Aelon Kein (Canoes of These Islands) project for the Alele Museum. “Western boat designers still haven’t caught onto the ingenuity and genius of the design of Marshallese outrigger canoes,” Alessio said. “Marshallese are among the most advanced engineers in hydrodynamic design.”
Journal 6/29/2026
P2 Namdrik NGO wins global recognition
The Namdrik Atoll Local Resources Committee, a non-governmental organization, received global recognition for outstanding efforts in sustainable development at the 2012 United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Equator Prize Award ceremony held at the Vivo Rio Concert Hall in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, last week Wednesday. The Equator Prize award recognizes the successes of community-led initiatives in improving livelihoods, conserving biodiversity, developing sustainable natural resource management, and building community resilience. “This is a proud moment for Namdrik in particular and RMI in general,” said Namdrik Senator Mattlan Zackhras. Mayor Clarence Luther was on hand to receive the award in Rio de Janeiro from UNDP Administrator Helen Clark, the former Prime Minister of New Zealand.