GIFF JOHNSON Where to start a conversation about Professor Andrew Garrod, who died at age 87 last week in New Hampshire after an extended illness? Andrew touched quite literally thousands of people in the Marshall Islands over the nearly 30 years that his presence was felt here. And hundreds of those were the young people […]
GIFF JOIHNSON Two new Japan International Cooperation Agency volunteers who arrived earlier this month in Majuro bring to 17 the total number of Japanese volunteers working on Majuro and Ebeye. Sachiko Kutsuma, a Japanese language teacher, and Yasuhiro Fukuda, a food processing and manufacturing specialist, are mid-way through their orientation program before heading to their […]
GIFF JOHNSON Eight years ago, following passage by Nitijela of container deposit legislation, Majuro Atoll Waste Company launched recycling of aluminum cans, and plastic and glass bottles. Now it’s embarking on a new pilot project to improve and expand its recycling and export program and is asking for community support to make it happen. The […]
The United World College National Committee of the Marshall Islands has been offering scholarships to Marshallese high school students to attend UWC international schools around the world since 2012. They got together for their annual “selection day” program at the College of the Marshall Islands conference room last week with six students from four high […]
We stopped by the Waan Aelon in Majel (Canoes of the Marshall Islands) program in Delap the other day to find master canoe builder and trainer Binton Daniel making “ekwal,” the rope made from coconut fiber that traditionally was used for the lashings of outrigger canoes. We got into a brief discussion and we asked […]
GIFF JOHNSON Christmas in the Marshall Islands goes on for a while. Jeptas practice nightly in the lead up to December 25, when they showcase their dance routines, known locally as “biit,” and songs. A number of jeptas will perform in multiple churches on Christmas Day. Many more arrange special performances at churches in the […]
GIFF JOHNSON The RMI EPA has won $29 million in damages for the grounding of a ship on Taka Atoll near Utrok in 2019 — but can it collect from the company and its insurer? High Court Chief Justice Carl Ingram ruled late last month in the RMI EPA’s favor against Ningbo Eurasian Ocean Fishing […]
Personally, we like Mondays. A lot of people complain about blue Monday and so on, but for us it’s just another day to move around and see what’s happening in town. Further to this blue Monday thing, workers at government offices are often criticized for showing up late to work etc. So there we were, […]
GIFF JOHNSON Every December, fisheries officials from the Marshall Islands and Forum Fisheries Agency countries troop off to the annual Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission — often for battles with some distant water fishing nations over policies that impact tuna fishing on the high seas in the region. But this year, said MIMRA Director […]
GIFF JOHNSON The conversation in Majuro has been dominated by the word “Enra” for the past week. Everywhere you go, people are talking about Enra. Did you register? Is it really going to happen? How much are we getting? When is the distribution? Did you see the traffic backed up from MISSA with people trying […]
