WILMER JOEL A man’s ambition for equality for citizens of the freely associated states (FAS) in the US has opened numerous opportunities for them through successful lobbying for legislative bills to be passed. Loyd Henion, 84, a retired economist and now senior lobbyist for the COFA Alliance National Network (CANN), is from Oregon. CANN is […]
The Enewetak community on the Big Island of Hawaii came together March 10 for a celebration and reflection on the challenges of building lives in exile from their home atoll, a former nuclear weapons test site. “People from Enewetak understand that it is not safe to return to a contaminated and radioactive home,” said event […]
Representatives of the COFA Alliance National Network (CANN) met with President Hilda Heine late last month during a visit to Majuro to participate in the Association of Pacific Island Legislatures (APIL) meeting. Project Coordinator David Anitok and Board Member Loyd Henion, both of whom were founders of the organization, met with the President. Heine conveyed […]
As more islanders from the Freely Associated States (FAS) settle in the United States through visa-free terms of the Compact with Washington, island communities are becoming increasingly active with state legislatures seeking recognition and engagement. In the mid-1990s, the US Congress eliminated eligibility of Marshall Islanders, Micronesians and Palauans for federal Medicaid health insurance, and […]
