1 00:00:02,880 --> 00:00:19,640 Speaker 1: This for all you guys, so you get there. 2 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:22,439 Speaker 2: Twice In the week I spent on Marjoro, I didn't 3 00:00:22,440 --> 00:00:25,040 Speaker 2: get to sleep until after midnight because the hotel's event 4 00:00:25,079 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 2: space was about eight feet from my pillow and someone 5 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:30,960 Speaker 2: in that event space was having an absolute rago. Before 6 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:33,159 Speaker 2: trying and failing to go to sleep, I chatted with 7 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:34,680 Speaker 2: some folks who were at the party to see what 8 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:38,360 Speaker 2: was going on. The first night was a first birthday party. 9 00:00:39,159 --> 00:00:41,479 Speaker 2: Infant mortality has been so high in this area in 10 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:43,519 Speaker 2: the past that children making it through the first year 11 00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:47,239 Speaker 2: of their life was a cause for massive celebration. It 12 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:49,280 Speaker 2: was rather sweet to see adults enjoying such a good 13 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:51,480 Speaker 2: time around a one year old who had no idea 14 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:54,840 Speaker 2: what was going on. The next party, a few days 15 00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:57,360 Speaker 2: later was no less festive, but for a much more 16 00:00:57,360 --> 00:01:00,640 Speaker 2: somber reason. It was a celebration to an eight year 17 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:04,440 Speaker 2: old girl who died exactly one year before. People showed 18 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:07,039 Speaker 2: me her photo, and despite my condolences, they assured me 19 00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:09,520 Speaker 2: that it wasn't a sad affair. I don't want to 20 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:12,120 Speaker 2: make this series a sad affair either, because despite the 21 00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:16,160 Speaker 2: incredible challenges they have faced, Marshally's people have persevered, and 22 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:18,200 Speaker 2: they clearly have a great pride in their islands, and 23 00:01:18,240 --> 00:01:19,640 Speaker 2: I don't think they would want to be seen as 24 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:24,200 Speaker 2: helpless and acted upon by global forces beyond their control. Instead, 25 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:26,720 Speaker 2: they should be seen as a strong community that has 26 00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:29,039 Speaker 2: withstood some of the worst things a history can thriller 27 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:34,160 Speaker 2: community and continue to thrive. As we spoke about yesterday, 28 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:36,960 Speaker 2: they're taking huge steps to ensure that they lead the 29 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:40,480 Speaker 2: way on sustainable development. They're also ensuring their future in 30 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:42,920 Speaker 2: other ways. Some of those might not be as shiny 31 00:01:42,959 --> 00:01:45,640 Speaker 2: and glitzy as solar power grids or canoes powered by 32 00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:48,320 Speaker 2: the sun, but which have made a huge difference to 33 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:51,280 Speaker 2: the residence of the country, particularly in the outer atolls. 34 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:53,400 Speaker 2: What I want to talk about today is one of 35 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:58,760 Speaker 2: those projects. It's a project imagined, implemented, and executed by 36 00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:03,120 Speaker 2: the women of Quarter in the name means women who 37 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 2: rise at dawn, and it's very appropriate every interview you've 38 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:09,040 Speaker 2: heard so far and every place we went to thanks 39 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:11,360 Speaker 2: to the women of Kio. The trip I was part 40 00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:13,760 Speaker 2: of was there to witness the installation of the final 41 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:16,720 Speaker 2: water filters on the island of wrong Ram that will 42 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 2: bring to a successful conclusion a five year project to 43 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 2: ensure that every single person in the Marshall Islands had 44 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:25,560 Speaker 2: access to clean water. I'll let them introduce themselves to 45 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:27,160 Speaker 2: you as it did to us. 46 00:02:27,440 --> 00:02:31,440 Speaker 1: My name is Francine wasase Jacklick, but most people around 47 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:34,600 Speaker 1: town called me, so if you hear Francine, they're not 48 00:02:34,639 --> 00:02:38,239 Speaker 1: going to go today. I am a queu member. I'm 49 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 1: one of the officers as the secretary, and I've been 50 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:47,360 Speaker 1: a queue member of GOSH. I can't remember when, but 51 00:02:48,080 --> 00:02:50,720 Speaker 1: you know we've got we've come along when he is 52 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:56,200 Speaker 1: about seventeen years old right now? Wow, seventeen. Yeah, it's 53 00:02:56,320 --> 00:02:57,959 Speaker 1: been a very. 54 00:02:59,480 --> 00:02:59,920 Speaker 3: Fun road. 55 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:03,480 Speaker 1: It's my fun job outside from Q. As my fun work, 56 00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:06,440 Speaker 1: I work at the Ministry of Health and Human Services. 57 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 1: My permanent position is the Deputy Secretary overseeing Office of 58 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 1: Health Planning, Policy, Preparedness, Personnel and epidem analogy. And three 59 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:24,360 Speaker 1: months ago I was also given the authority rule as 60 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:29,440 Speaker 1: the acting Secretary of Health because the Secretary was not 61 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:40,160 Speaker 1: the nude politics. So yeah, Q is q Corina Rani 62 00:03:40,240 --> 00:03:43,720 Speaker 1: and we're very happy because our founder is here and 63 00:03:44,280 --> 00:03:45,080 Speaker 1: it's money. 64 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 4: So we'll do introduction and then we'll go into the agenda. 65 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:52,320 Speaker 4: Is that okay, okay, so I will hand it to 66 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:55,960 Speaker 4: the bag, which is our founder money. 67 00:03:56,320 --> 00:04:00,040 Speaker 1: Somebody go ahead, ill everyone. 68 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:02,640 Speaker 5: Hi, how come my money? 69 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:04,360 Speaker 6: I am the cocoon there? 70 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:05,360 Speaker 7: You actually not. 71 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:11,800 Speaker 6: We're really happy that you've made it. You know, your 72 00:04:11,880 --> 00:04:16,080 Speaker 6: flight wasn't canceled last week. So many flights are canceled, 73 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:19,600 Speaker 6: so were so but welcome. 74 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:23,440 Speaker 3: In our language, we say yah yeah. 75 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 4: Means rainbow and quays you. 76 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:27,840 Speaker 7: So you are a rainbow to us. 77 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:34,720 Speaker 3: I am a mother for now. 78 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:36,119 Speaker 5: I don't I don't work. 79 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:40,719 Speaker 3: Most of us have their work, but I'm a full 80 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:47,839 Speaker 3: time mother and this is my baby. Actually, Kiyo started 81 00:04:47,880 --> 00:04:53,400 Speaker 3: sixteen years ago. Myself and a friend. 82 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:56,680 Speaker 5: We were in school in the East Coast and we 83 00:04:56,880 --> 00:05:02,800 Speaker 5: graduated and we all came back and you know, we 84 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:05,560 Speaker 5: were raised with this mentality to give back. 85 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:12,120 Speaker 3: We have lots of Marshallese proverbs and what bio means. 86 00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:13,400 Speaker 7: To turn the tides. 87 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:16,040 Speaker 8: So it was our time to turn the tides. 88 00:05:16,720 --> 00:05:21,839 Speaker 3: So we banded together, always like minded, smart ladies and 89 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:26,360 Speaker 3: created Q And it's a volunteer organization. 90 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:29,279 Speaker 7: We do this in our sleep. 91 00:05:29,440 --> 00:05:34,560 Speaker 9: Basically all volunteer, yes. 92 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:40,280 Speaker 3: So we do various work from small projects like you know, 93 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:43,400 Speaker 3: reading with the kids and just. 94 00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:45,520 Speaker 6: Big projects like water. 95 00:05:45,880 --> 00:05:47,120 Speaker 4: It's water culture project. 96 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:51,200 Speaker 5: My name is Kathleen. I work for the Ministry of 97 00:05:51,720 --> 00:05:55,760 Speaker 5: Natural Resources and Commerce with the Fisheries. 98 00:05:56,880 --> 00:06:02,240 Speaker 8: Memora and I've been in film members and it's of 99 00:06:02,279 --> 00:06:10,919 Speaker 8: course you're what sixteen years ago and it is like 100 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:14,480 Speaker 8: moving said, it's it's an honor and we are very 101 00:06:14,560 --> 00:06:19,040 Speaker 8: humble when visited. A welcome you all and hope we 102 00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:20,000 Speaker 8: have a great visit. 103 00:06:20,560 --> 00:06:22,000 Speaker 10: Thank you, Okay, names all. 104 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:27,479 Speaker 3: Yeah, but my name is Samantha. 105 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:31,719 Speaker 11: I work at the Munictrial Fight Access as an accountant 106 00:06:31,800 --> 00:06:33,839 Speaker 11: and I'm cure of treasure. 107 00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:35,839 Speaker 12: Thank you, thank. 108 00:06:35,640 --> 00:06:36,200 Speaker 13: You me. 109 00:06:39,520 --> 00:06:42,039 Speaker 4: Yeah, why everyone, and welcome you to our shore. 110 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:45,600 Speaker 14: My name is Graised, but everyone call me Kuma. 111 00:06:46,480 --> 00:06:48,880 Speaker 1: So I'm very pleased to meet all of you. 112 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:52,359 Speaker 14: When they say we have uh all these media, you know, 113 00:06:52,839 --> 00:06:55,400 Speaker 14: big news media, I would let come. We probably say 114 00:06:55,400 --> 00:07:00,360 Speaker 14: that I was kind of nervous, but anyways, I've been 115 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:05,160 Speaker 14: a few remembers since twenty fourteen, and I was so 116 00:07:05,240 --> 00:07:07,800 Speaker 14: amazed by all the work that these ladies have been 117 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:11,640 Speaker 14: doing for the Marshall Islands. And I'm there probably be 118 00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:16,000 Speaker 14: part of quet club. I work at Romola at all 119 00:07:16,040 --> 00:07:19,800 Speaker 14: Local Government and I'm not sure you know, but Ronav 120 00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:22,760 Speaker 14: is one of those. It's all that was affected by 121 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:24,120 Speaker 14: the nuclear testing. 122 00:07:24,920 --> 00:07:29,280 Speaker 2: So again, welcome here. Work with Sawyer, the people who 123 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:31,480 Speaker 2: make the Ubiquitous water filter, which is a favorite for 124 00:07:31,560 --> 00:07:34,800 Speaker 2: through hikers and other outdoors people, to provide a water 125 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:37,920 Speaker 2: filtration system that allows Marshal's people to filter the rain 126 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:41,320 Speaker 2: water they collect and remove harmful bacteria that can cause 127 00:07:41,360 --> 00:07:45,040 Speaker 2: diarrhea and vomiting. Well, these might seem undesirables listeners in 128 00:07:45,080 --> 00:07:48,800 Speaker 2: the US, they can be fatal in other settings. Twenty nineteen, 129 00:07:48,960 --> 00:07:52,080 Speaker 2: around one point five million people died from diarrheal diseases. 130 00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:56,760 Speaker 2: That's more than all violent deaths combined. Around half a 131 00:07:56,760 --> 00:08:01,120 Speaker 2: million of those deaths were children. One thing that's remarkable 132 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:04,360 Speaker 2: about the project is a way it was realized. KEO 133 00:08:04,440 --> 00:08:07,040 Speaker 2: began distribution in the most remote and hard to reach 134 00:08:07,080 --> 00:08:10,360 Speaker 2: the tolls, taking tiny boats across choppy seas for days 135 00:08:10,360 --> 00:08:12,400 Speaker 2: at a time to get to remote islands, and then 136 00:08:12,480 --> 00:08:15,280 Speaker 2: working with traditional women leaders to ensure that everyone on 137 00:08:15,320 --> 00:08:18,920 Speaker 2: the islands knew how to use the filters. Then they 138 00:08:18,920 --> 00:08:23,320 Speaker 2: began working towards Marjora the capitol. I've seen lots of 139 00:08:23,400 --> 00:08:26,280 Speaker 2: ENDO projects in dozens of countries I've worked with someone, 140 00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:30,160 Speaker 2: but I've rarely seen a model that prioritizes need this well. 141 00:08:31,040 --> 00:08:35,040 Speaker 2: In far too many cases, proximity to power ensures access 142 00:08:35,040 --> 00:08:38,480 Speaker 2: to resources. This is a global problem. Just look at 143 00:08:38,520 --> 00:08:41,920 Speaker 2: how the US distributed masks and COVID resources to reservations 144 00:08:42,040 --> 00:08:44,960 Speaker 2: last or if I step outside, they can see how 145 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:47,240 Speaker 2: the lowest income parts of San Diego, the city I 146 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:49,439 Speaker 2: live in, have the worst roads and get the least 147 00:08:49,480 --> 00:08:53,400 Speaker 2: infrastructure spending. The fact that KYO did things differently is 148 00:08:53,440 --> 00:08:56,400 Speaker 2: a testament to the strength of their commitment to their community. 149 00:08:57,200 --> 00:09:00,319 Speaker 2: In fact, the project finished distribution during my trip to 150 00:09:00,440 --> 00:09:04,200 Speaker 2: Marshall Islands, completing the last island on madro Atoll in 151 00:09:04,240 --> 00:09:07,160 Speaker 2: early July, but a few days later than that, when 152 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:10,280 Speaker 2: QO invited myself and some other journalists to a goodbye breakfast, 153 00:09:10,559 --> 00:09:12,800 Speaker 2: they presented a filter to the former President of the 154 00:09:12,800 --> 00:09:16,640 Speaker 2: Republic of Marshall Islands, hilde Hind, Despite being the last 155 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:19,320 Speaker 2: person to get one. She was very grateful and it 156 00:09:19,400 --> 00:09:21,720 Speaker 2: served as a great illustration of the priorities of the group. 157 00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:25,079 Speaker 2: They wanted to go to the hardest places first because 158 00:09:25,080 --> 00:09:28,840 Speaker 2: they knew people then needed help. The most his President 159 00:09:28,880 --> 00:09:31,319 Speaker 2: Hilde Heine. After receiving her filter. 160 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:35,520 Speaker 9: I was telling Monique that we don't drink from our 161 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:39,000 Speaker 9: tab water hours we have our own system, or we 162 00:09:39,040 --> 00:09:42,760 Speaker 9: don't know if it's cleaned, so we buy our drinking 163 00:09:42,800 --> 00:09:46,000 Speaker 9: water all the time. So with this one I probably 164 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:50,280 Speaker 9: will stop bang for to make pure water. 165 00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:55,400 Speaker 2: I joined Kio and several other journalists for the final 166 00:09:55,480 --> 00:09:58,720 Speaker 2: leg of their project, which involves installing the water filters. 167 00:09:59,160 --> 00:10:02,199 Speaker 2: This doesn't really take long. They're basically a soil filter 168 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:04,240 Speaker 2: attached to a five gallon bucket with a length of 169 00:10:04,280 --> 00:10:08,560 Speaker 2: flexible hose, and then explaining their value and upkeep to 170 00:10:08,600 --> 00:10:12,280 Speaker 2: the community. As we heard yesterday, ground water is harder 171 00:10:12,280 --> 00:10:14,200 Speaker 2: and harder to come by in the Marshall Islands thanks 172 00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:17,840 Speaker 2: to climate change, and so people rely almost exclusively on rainwater. 173 00:10:18,679 --> 00:10:22,200 Speaker 2: They collect rainwater in giant plastic tanks. They've only recently 174 00:10:22,240 --> 00:10:25,840 Speaker 2: replaced a hodgepodge of different collection vessels. Incidentally, a visiting 175 00:10:25,840 --> 00:10:28,160 Speaker 2: scientist from a CDC told me that the installation of 176 00:10:28,200 --> 00:10:31,440 Speaker 2: these tanks has increased a safe disposal of waste because 177 00:10:31,480 --> 00:10:33,480 Speaker 2: people no longer need to take their bins to collect 178 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:37,760 Speaker 2: rainwater when it rains. Once water is in the tanks. 179 00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:40,040 Speaker 2: The residents can draw it out into their five gallon 180 00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:43,920 Speaker 2: bucket and then filter it for safe drinking. The soil 181 00:10:43,960 --> 00:10:46,760 Speaker 2: filter system may seem very simple, and it is, but 182 00:10:46,840 --> 00:10:50,559 Speaker 2: that's what makes it a perfect solution here. A complicated 183 00:10:50,559 --> 00:10:53,240 Speaker 2: electric filter, or one that relied on pipe water pressure 184 00:10:53,360 --> 00:10:56,240 Speaker 2: or had a ton of moving parts would require constant maintenance, 185 00:10:56,320 --> 00:10:58,840 Speaker 2: which is hard given a long journey to the outer Islands. 186 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:03,040 Speaker 2: In my career in journalism and in nonprofit, I've seen 187 00:11:03,040 --> 00:11:06,400 Speaker 2: countless well intentioned aid projects completely failed to consider the 188 00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:10,280 Speaker 2: need for sustainability and become useless olities in a few years. 189 00:11:11,640 --> 00:11:14,560 Speaker 2: Cargo bikes made a huge different coffee farmers in Rwanda 190 00:11:14,640 --> 00:11:16,560 Speaker 2: until they needed new brake pads and there wasn't an 191 00:11:16,559 --> 00:11:20,319 Speaker 2: importer for them. The same goes for countless glucometers I've 192 00:11:20,320 --> 00:11:23,000 Speaker 2: seen distributed to people who can't access the batteries they 193 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:26,760 Speaker 2: use or the test trips they rely on. This won't 194 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:29,720 Speaker 2: happen in the Marshall Islands in part because the project 195 00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:31,920 Speaker 2: was led by the community itself and not by outside 196 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:36,520 Speaker 2: nonprofits looking to maximize donation dollars or media opportunities, and 197 00:11:36,559 --> 00:11:38,760 Speaker 2: in part because the only maintenance or sort of filter 198 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:41,240 Speaker 2: needs is a backflush of the filtered water that it makes. 199 00:11:42,120 --> 00:11:44,720 Speaker 2: Yesterday we had a little from the Marshal Lee's Environmental 200 00:11:44,720 --> 00:11:49,000 Speaker 2: Protection Agency about how they grapple with climate change. Today, 201 00:11:49,280 --> 00:11:51,840 Speaker 2: I want to explain how they're working alongside KIO to 202 00:11:52,000 --> 00:11:55,120 Speaker 2: ensure that even as sea levels rise, Marshal's people will 203 00:11:55,120 --> 00:11:59,400 Speaker 2: have access to safe water. The Marshal Lease EPA works 204 00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:02,480 Speaker 2: to ensure that the water in people's tanks isn't contaminated, 205 00:12:02,960 --> 00:12:05,560 Speaker 2: and the filters that KIA provided work to make sure 206 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:09,079 Speaker 2: that even if it is, people won't get sick. They 207 00:12:09,120 --> 00:12:11,400 Speaker 2: often travel to the outer islons together to reduce the 208 00:12:11,480 --> 00:12:15,040 Speaker 2: cost sharing a small boat. It's a rare example of 209 00:12:15,040 --> 00:12:17,839 Speaker 2: a nonprofit in the government working together without competing or 210 00:12:17,880 --> 00:12:22,160 Speaker 2: doing the same thing twice. At first, Marianna explained, people 211 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:24,240 Speaker 2: weren't sure that such a tiny filter could make such 212 00:12:24,240 --> 00:12:26,960 Speaker 2: a big difference, so KIA worked with the EPA to 213 00:12:27,040 --> 00:12:29,840 Speaker 2: use a visual test for microbial activity to show people 214 00:12:29,880 --> 00:12:33,000 Speaker 2: how effective it was. He She is explaining how the 215 00:12:33,040 --> 00:12:35,440 Speaker 2: EPA helped KIO build trust in the efficacy of the 216 00:12:35,480 --> 00:12:36,439 Speaker 2: soil filters. 217 00:12:37,160 --> 00:12:45,600 Speaker 12: When Sires and Kio approached us with the filters. Before that, 218 00:12:45,800 --> 00:12:48,720 Speaker 12: a lot of people were already asking us, so, can 219 00:12:48,800 --> 00:12:53,600 Speaker 12: we can we trust this, you know, can you do 220 00:12:53,679 --> 00:12:57,120 Speaker 12: a test in your lab to tell us and confirm 221 00:12:57,200 --> 00:13:00,720 Speaker 12: that this is, you know, as good as the claim 222 00:13:01,280 --> 00:13:01,720 Speaker 12: it to be. 223 00:13:02,280 --> 00:13:04,640 Speaker 2: Doing the test allowed the e PA to help ko 224 00:13:04,800 --> 00:13:08,120 Speaker 2: get greater uptake for their filters and allowed Kio to 225 00:13:08,160 --> 00:13:10,560 Speaker 2: help the EPA achieve one of its mandated goals. 226 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:15,760 Speaker 12: And so when we produced these very visual like Quanta 227 00:13:16,320 --> 00:13:21,480 Speaker 12: Quanta or Quanti trays, the the experts will. 228 00:13:21,280 --> 00:13:21,920 Speaker 11: Get into it. 229 00:13:21,960 --> 00:13:27,480 Speaker 12: But when we produce them and show a visual contrast 230 00:13:27,559 --> 00:13:31,520 Speaker 12: between the water before the filter and then the water 231 00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:38,560 Speaker 12: before the after the filter filtration, it was you know amazing, 232 00:13:39,040 --> 00:13:44,240 Speaker 12: like it's it's so clean, and you know, we we 233 00:13:44,280 --> 00:13:48,200 Speaker 12: make decisions based on science, and that science right there, 234 00:13:48,559 --> 00:13:54,520 Speaker 12: and so we use that visual photograph outside of that 235 00:13:54,520 --> 00:13:59,480 Speaker 12: that that meeting to show people, you know, we're not 236 00:13:59,480 --> 00:14:03,240 Speaker 12: going to get in to the microbils of whatever. This 237 00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:08,600 Speaker 12: is the difference the water before the filter and then after. 238 00:14:08,840 --> 00:14:09,199 Speaker 3: And so. 239 00:14:11,520 --> 00:14:16,240 Speaker 12: We're just really happy that Kiyo was able to include us. 240 00:14:16,920 --> 00:14:19,920 Speaker 12: This is one of our mandates, but we're never resourced 241 00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:24,120 Speaker 12: that way to do all of the things that we 242 00:14:24,240 --> 00:14:27,320 Speaker 12: want to do to address water quality issues. 243 00:14:27,680 --> 00:14:30,640 Speaker 2: Of course, it's impossible to deal with the water issue 244 00:14:30,680 --> 00:14:34,240 Speaker 2: in isolation. Everything in the Marshall Islands are really anywhere 245 00:14:34,320 --> 00:14:37,080 Speaker 2: elsewhere you're paying attention has to take into account the 246 00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:39,880 Speaker 2: impact of climate change and how communities are going to 247 00:14:39,920 --> 00:14:43,720 Speaker 2: survive when faced with an increasingly hostile home planet. No 248 00:14:43,840 --> 00:14:46,080 Speaker 2: yain't explained how access to clean water helps make the 249 00:14:46,080 --> 00:14:48,360 Speaker 2: community in the Marshall Islands even more resilient. 250 00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:53,040 Speaker 12: Well, if you're trying to survive, the last thing you 251 00:14:53,040 --> 00:14:56,520 Speaker 12: want to worry about is an outbreak of diarrhea or 252 00:14:57,560 --> 00:15:04,040 Speaker 12: apatitis or you know, water born diseases that are preventable, 253 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:11,480 Speaker 12: and so clean water, you know you're much much more 254 00:15:11,600 --> 00:15:17,840 Speaker 12: better as a community if you can thrive and on 255 00:15:18,520 --> 00:15:20,720 Speaker 12: clean water. It's as simple as that. 256 00:15:20,760 --> 00:15:21,720 Speaker 1: Water is life. 257 00:15:36,880 --> 00:15:39,440 Speaker 2: One night during my trip to the Marshall Islands, I 258 00:15:39,480 --> 00:15:41,760 Speaker 2: was able to join Kia for a dinner that celebrated 259 00:15:41,800 --> 00:15:45,080 Speaker 2: the completion of their water project, meaning that everyone in 260 00:15:45,120 --> 00:15:47,680 Speaker 2: the Marshall Islands had access to water that won't make 261 00:15:47,720 --> 00:15:50,400 Speaker 2: them sick. To get a better sense of what this 262 00:15:50,480 --> 00:15:52,720 Speaker 2: really means, I wanted to talk to some families who 263 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:55,240 Speaker 2: had received those filters and to see what the clean 264 00:15:55,280 --> 00:15:58,720 Speaker 2: water access meant to them. We've all heard that water 265 00:15:58,800 --> 00:16:01,760 Speaker 2: is life, and that was a slogan news for Kio's project, 266 00:16:02,400 --> 00:16:04,880 Speaker 2: but it's difficult to appreciate that if you live in 267 00:16:04,920 --> 00:16:06,640 Speaker 2: a place where you can just turn on a tap 268 00:16:06,640 --> 00:16:08,880 Speaker 2: and have access to clean, safe water whenever you want. 269 00:16:09,640 --> 00:16:12,520 Speaker 2: When Kio made their posters for that dinner, they included 270 00:16:12,520 --> 00:16:14,880 Speaker 2: a photo of a little girl on Arno Island who'd 271 00:16:14,880 --> 00:16:17,520 Speaker 2: been one of the first to receive their filters, happily 272 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:20,560 Speaker 2: drinking from a jar of clean water. That was back 273 00:16:20,560 --> 00:16:24,120 Speaker 2: in twenty eighteen. Since then they thought they'd heard the 274 00:16:24,240 --> 00:16:27,000 Speaker 2: terrible news that she died, but just before the dinner 275 00:16:27,040 --> 00:16:29,360 Speaker 2: they found out she hadn't, and so they invited her 276 00:16:29,360 --> 00:16:32,200 Speaker 2: to join the celebration. I was able to sit down 277 00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:35,280 Speaker 2: with her, her mother, and other recipients of the filters 278 00:16:35,280 --> 00:16:38,320 Speaker 2: for a quick interview via translator. On the tiny island 279 00:16:38,320 --> 00:16:40,120 Speaker 2: of boken Boat, al. 280 00:16:41,640 --> 00:16:47,480 Speaker 7: So, they never filtered the water before. They would drink 281 00:16:47,560 --> 00:16:50,480 Speaker 7: straight from the water wells or the water catchments. 282 00:16:51,120 --> 00:16:55,400 Speaker 2: Sometimes, she said, people would get sick. We also spoke 283 00:16:55,440 --> 00:16:57,800 Speaker 2: to Aneiti, a resident of Wrong Wrong, on the day 284 00:16:57,800 --> 00:17:00,880 Speaker 2: that she got her filter Frontine helped translate her. 285 00:17:00,760 --> 00:17:11,200 Speaker 15: Responses, Yanity, thank you, okay, but she had heard about 286 00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:14,760 Speaker 15: that there was going to be filters coming to the island. 287 00:17:15,600 --> 00:17:18,639 Speaker 1: When she first heard, she thought the filters were going 288 00:17:18,720 --> 00:17:22,639 Speaker 1: to go directly to the water tanks. And now that 289 00:17:23,080 --> 00:17:27,480 Speaker 1: it's more accessible, it's like she saw this bucket. She's happy. 290 00:17:27,640 --> 00:17:28,640 Speaker 1: It's better. It's better. 291 00:17:28,960 --> 00:17:29,160 Speaker 16: Yeah. 292 00:17:29,640 --> 00:17:30,520 Speaker 1: Yeah. 293 00:17:30,560 --> 00:17:33,119 Speaker 2: Recently there have been an outbreak of diary around the atoll, 294 00:17:33,280 --> 00:17:34,640 Speaker 2: so this was a welcome relief. 295 00:17:35,680 --> 00:17:41,160 Speaker 1: So she had heard that there was optic of cases 296 00:17:41,200 --> 00:17:44,480 Speaker 1: in major, the capital, and when she had first learned 297 00:17:44,480 --> 00:17:52,240 Speaker 1: about her she was scared and worried. But to hear 298 00:17:52,359 --> 00:17:57,520 Speaker 1: that there's folks coming here to the island to check 299 00:17:57,520 --> 00:18:00,320 Speaker 1: on the water, it made them feel a little bit more. 300 00:18:00,960 --> 00:18:04,800 Speaker 2: You addings the family from Ana who travel a long 301 00:18:04,840 --> 00:18:07,080 Speaker 2: way on a small boat to meet us, we're looking 302 00:18:07,119 --> 00:18:10,000 Speaker 2: forward to getting back to their home. Life on the 303 00:18:10,000 --> 00:18:12,560 Speaker 2: outer a tolls isn't easy, but it's not one they 304 00:18:12,600 --> 00:18:15,359 Speaker 2: want to walk away from. With the threat of climate 305 00:18:15,480 --> 00:18:18,119 Speaker 2: change already putting their home in peril, having access to 306 00:18:18,160 --> 00:18:21,359 Speaker 2: clean water must be a welcome relief. I asked to say, 307 00:18:21,400 --> 00:18:24,080 Speaker 2: preferred life here on the Capitol a toll or back home. 308 00:18:24,760 --> 00:18:27,800 Speaker 7: Yeah, she says life in the outer Islands is better. 309 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:31,440 Speaker 7: There's more space, more freedom to move around for the kids. 310 00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:33,480 Speaker 2: There are things she'd like to change, of course, but 311 00:18:33,680 --> 00:18:36,480 Speaker 2: mostly her concern was preserving their little piece of paradise 312 00:18:36,560 --> 00:18:37,680 Speaker 2: for future generations. 313 00:18:38,920 --> 00:18:44,480 Speaker 7: She'd like her kids to be able to enjoy access 314 00:18:44,520 --> 00:18:53,160 Speaker 7: to clean water, whether it be through more water catchments 315 00:18:53,280 --> 00:18:57,879 Speaker 7: that are being available to the family, and also the 316 00:18:57,920 --> 00:19:04,720 Speaker 7: electric city as you mentioned, perhaps with the generator stuff 317 00:19:04,760 --> 00:19:08,040 Speaker 7: like that to make life more easier being the outer lands. 318 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:13,639 Speaker 7: She'd like to, you know, like in the future, be 319 00:19:13,720 --> 00:19:19,720 Speaker 7: able to see the fishing grounds preserved as well as 320 00:19:20,200 --> 00:19:23,760 Speaker 7: the land for their farming needs. 321 00:19:24,640 --> 00:19:27,560 Speaker 2: The way here works with local communities because they're from 322 00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:30,679 Speaker 2: local communities, enables them to be much more effective than 323 00:19:30,680 --> 00:19:33,880 Speaker 2: a nonprofit which comes from outside the community. On wrong 324 00:19:33,920 --> 00:19:37,399 Speaker 2: wrong they joke to laugh at local women Whenik's husband 325 00:19:37,440 --> 00:19:40,359 Speaker 2: comes from the island, so they were already welcome, and 326 00:19:40,400 --> 00:19:42,800 Speaker 2: then after some time bantering, they explained the way the 327 00:19:42,880 --> 00:19:46,600 Speaker 2: water filters work in marshal Leeds families. They're still a 328 00:19:46,640 --> 00:19:49,040 Speaker 2: fairly gender division of labor in many cases, and it 329 00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:50,919 Speaker 2: seemed to be that the women on the island were 330 00:19:50,920 --> 00:19:52,720 Speaker 2: the ones who stayed to learn about the filters, so 331 00:19:53,400 --> 00:19:58,359 Speaker 2: it was appropriate that it was women who were teaching them. 332 00:19:58,560 --> 00:20:02,280 Speaker 2: Preservation doesn't mean they can't change. The Marshall Islands have 333 00:20:02,320 --> 00:20:04,760 Speaker 2: seen a huge change in the last few years, and 334 00:20:04,840 --> 00:20:06,760 Speaker 2: much of that is down to the dedicated work of 335 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:09,280 Speaker 2: a large number of women who form community groups to 336 00:20:09,320 --> 00:20:12,640 Speaker 2: empower each other and address social, ecological and public health 337 00:20:12,680 --> 00:20:16,960 Speaker 2: issues that are facing their communities. The umbrella organization that 338 00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:19,359 Speaker 2: works with these women's groups is called whit Me. I 339 00:20:19,480 --> 00:20:22,320 Speaker 2: let Maria from Whitney explain what that means and why 340 00:20:22,359 --> 00:20:23,800 Speaker 2: they started the group in the first place. 341 00:20:24,600 --> 00:20:27,600 Speaker 11: First of all, welcome, as you know, with ME stands 342 00:20:27,600 --> 00:20:31,320 Speaker 11: for women in Needed Together marshal Allands. It also means 343 00:20:31,320 --> 00:20:36,480 Speaker 11: in Marshalise your flower, and that's how we wanted the 344 00:20:36,520 --> 00:20:41,040 Speaker 11: acronym to be to mean both English and Marshalise. And 345 00:20:41,080 --> 00:20:45,399 Speaker 11: as it was established in nineteen eighty seven to fill 346 00:20:46,680 --> 00:20:51,600 Speaker 11: a gap with respect to the advancement of women. In 347 00:20:51,680 --> 00:20:54,760 Speaker 11: nineteen seventy five there was the Decade for Women Union 348 00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:59,400 Speaker 11: Decade for Women, and there were two conferences that took 349 00:20:59,440 --> 00:21:03,560 Speaker 11: place and there were a lot of issues that came 350 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:09,360 Speaker 11: about In those two meetings, they were dealing with domestic violence, 351 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:17,840 Speaker 11: alcohol abuse, suicide, the youth, other problems of child abuse 352 00:21:17,840 --> 00:21:24,760 Speaker 11: and neglect. So from those women started to meet, at 353 00:21:24,840 --> 00:21:27,760 Speaker 11: least some women started to talk about this was there 354 00:21:27,760 --> 00:21:31,920 Speaker 11: were no representatives of women in the decision making bodies, 355 00:21:31,960 --> 00:21:35,879 Speaker 11: whether at the local government levels or at the national level. 356 00:21:36,520 --> 00:21:44,159 Speaker 11: So that's and we got the support of our traditional 357 00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:45,199 Speaker 11: women leaders. 358 00:21:45,520 --> 00:21:49,080 Speaker 2: Woman works alongside traditional leaders are not around them. The 359 00:21:49,080 --> 00:21:50,840 Speaker 2: same was true of all the programs that have been 360 00:21:50,840 --> 00:21:53,840 Speaker 2: successful on the islands. On our last day, we visited 361 00:21:53,880 --> 00:21:56,720 Speaker 2: one the program that builds the canoes we heard about. 362 00:21:57,480 --> 00:22:00,280 Speaker 2: Although the programs founded to preserve the cultural heritage of 363 00:22:00,280 --> 00:22:03,400 Speaker 2: the islands and their unique seafaring technologies, some of which 364 00:22:03,400 --> 00:22:05,960 Speaker 2: are only just being replicated in modern crafted Europe in 365 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:08,840 Speaker 2: the USA, it also responded to a need that the 366 00:22:08,840 --> 00:22:11,679 Speaker 2: community had. In this case, that need was education. 367 00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:15,240 Speaker 10: So we are a training program for at risk young 368 00:22:15,280 --> 00:22:18,880 Speaker 10: men and women of the Martial Lands who It started 369 00:22:18,880 --> 00:22:22,240 Speaker 10: out as a project back in the eighties. One of 370 00:22:22,280 --> 00:22:28,280 Speaker 10: our twenty found co founder of this program. The museum 371 00:22:28,400 --> 00:22:32,560 Speaker 10: contracted him to go through various islands within the Republic. 372 00:22:32,840 --> 00:22:35,320 Speaker 10: And you're talking about back in the eighties and we 373 00:22:35,320 --> 00:22:39,960 Speaker 10: were losing our designs fasts. People were coming to Maaguro 374 00:22:40,920 --> 00:22:44,320 Speaker 10: or going to the States, which is going off islands 375 00:22:44,359 --> 00:22:47,760 Speaker 10: to the many reasons, and because of that, they wanted 376 00:22:47,760 --> 00:22:52,280 Speaker 10: to capture that uniqueness of these design But when he 377 00:22:52,400 --> 00:22:55,119 Speaker 10: was going through from one adult to another, he noticed 378 00:22:55,119 --> 00:22:58,520 Speaker 10: that there were a lot of young kids not going 379 00:22:58,520 --> 00:23:01,400 Speaker 10: to school. I am sure you if you're aware of it. 380 00:23:01,440 --> 00:23:06,400 Speaker 10: But throughout the republic there's only about four or five 381 00:23:07,119 --> 00:23:10,480 Speaker 10: high schools, and most of them are a boarding school. 382 00:23:11,080 --> 00:23:14,560 Speaker 10: So for example, I grew up in Jeluit, and in 383 00:23:14,600 --> 00:23:18,000 Speaker 10: that at all there's a high school, boarding high school, 384 00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:22,120 Speaker 10: and then it gators to about six or seven other islands. 385 00:23:22,720 --> 00:23:25,520 Speaker 10: So parents have no choice but to send their kids. 386 00:23:25,600 --> 00:23:28,600 Speaker 10: If they want to go beyond eight grade, you have 387 00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:32,359 Speaker 10: to leave home and go to these boarding schools. 388 00:23:32,359 --> 00:23:34,840 Speaker 2: In addition to offering a skill set and an education, 389 00:23:35,240 --> 00:23:38,360 Speaker 2: the program has counselors in mental health and addiction. They 390 00:23:38,359 --> 00:23:41,520 Speaker 2: teach young men and women maths, literacy, and how to 391 00:23:41,560 --> 00:23:44,480 Speaker 2: build the canoes, but they also empower them in creating 392 00:23:44,480 --> 00:23:47,600 Speaker 2: the sustainable alternative transport method that will be vital in 393 00:23:47,640 --> 00:23:51,359 Speaker 2: building a sustainable future for their home likewise would meet 394 00:23:51,359 --> 00:23:53,119 Speaker 2: the approach. It's based on listening to people. 395 00:23:53,680 --> 00:23:55,679 Speaker 17: Women a chiefs you know, will let them know what 396 00:23:55,720 --> 00:23:58,679 Speaker 17: we'll be doing and what what would they want us 397 00:23:58,720 --> 00:24:01,320 Speaker 17: to do, and we has tom to talk with their 398 00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:04,399 Speaker 17: you know, like because these women chiefs are owning some 399 00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:07,720 Speaker 17: of the neighboring islands and they know their people and 400 00:24:08,359 --> 00:24:11,240 Speaker 17: do need assessments so they can really understand what their 401 00:24:11,280 --> 00:24:14,920 Speaker 17: needs are because all their neighboring islands are different needs. 402 00:24:15,320 --> 00:24:17,479 Speaker 2: They make an effort to tie their efforts to traditional 403 00:24:17,560 --> 00:24:21,080 Speaker 2: Marshalist principles and in doing so they keep their culture alive. 404 00:24:21,640 --> 00:24:25,520 Speaker 11: So being together and getting this the other thing that 405 00:24:25,520 --> 00:24:31,760 Speaker 11: with me as done, which is connect our our being 406 00:24:32,359 --> 00:24:36,720 Speaker 11: to our culture. Being a matrilineal society, we have different 407 00:24:37,200 --> 00:24:42,080 Speaker 11: sayings or traditional traditional roles of women. Yeah, and then 408 00:24:42,119 --> 00:24:46,720 Speaker 11: we have our domestic balance when it's called whether in 409 00:24:47,840 --> 00:24:53,360 Speaker 11: weather meaning it's a land parcel, no mean to be alive, 410 00:24:54,000 --> 00:24:57,520 Speaker 11: to live and not to be killed as opposed to 411 00:24:57,600 --> 00:25:01,720 Speaker 11: being abused. So what do is somewhere you go to 412 00:25:02,320 --> 00:25:04,440 Speaker 11: and you're able to live freely or in a being 413 00:25:05,560 --> 00:25:10,840 Speaker 11: I mean you're well protected. So in all our conferences 414 00:25:10,880 --> 00:25:14,680 Speaker 11: we do use these traditionals, so that it's something that 415 00:25:15,160 --> 00:25:19,080 Speaker 11: it's not new, it's traditional, so they cannot say, you know, 416 00:25:19,119 --> 00:25:22,359 Speaker 11: you cannot do that because it's a tradition, and we 417 00:25:22,480 --> 00:25:25,000 Speaker 11: keep the culture alive through that way as well. 418 00:25:40,240 --> 00:25:42,760 Speaker 2: Almost everyone you've heard from in this series, aside from 419 00:25:42,800 --> 00:25:45,400 Speaker 2: the Man, is a member of With Me or both. 420 00:25:46,640 --> 00:25:49,040 Speaker 2: Kio is one of the chapters With Me and many 421 00:25:49,040 --> 00:25:52,399 Speaker 2: of the leaders as the Daughters of Woodman's Leadership With Me, 422 00:25:52,520 --> 00:25:56,560 Speaker 2: have implemented parent as teacher, early childhood education programs, domestic 423 00:25:56,680 --> 00:26:01,200 Speaker 2: violence prevention programs, and many other social economic programs across 424 00:26:01,240 --> 00:26:05,120 Speaker 2: the islands. The results are easy to see. All over 425 00:26:05,200 --> 00:26:08,760 Speaker 2: the Marshall Islands, government officers and NGOs are run by women. Now, 426 00:26:09,760 --> 00:26:11,840 Speaker 2: the Marshall Islands had the first woman president in the 427 00:26:11,840 --> 00:26:15,040 Speaker 2: whole Pacific, and she was elected in January twenty sixteen, 428 00:26:15,520 --> 00:26:18,440 Speaker 2: a year when rampant misogyny was more evident than ever 429 00:26:18,520 --> 00:26:22,080 Speaker 2: in the United States presidential election. Of course, many Marshal 430 00:26:22,119 --> 00:26:25,280 Speaker 2: LEAs women go to the United States, and Woman's Members 431 00:26:25,280 --> 00:26:25,919 Speaker 2: are no exception. 432 00:26:26,240 --> 00:26:28,640 Speaker 11: One of the major challenges has been to make sure 433 00:26:28,680 --> 00:26:36,280 Speaker 11: that we keep the organization intact. You guys, it's especially 434 00:26:37,040 --> 00:26:40,600 Speaker 11: at present time, because there's a lot about migration that 435 00:26:40,640 --> 00:26:43,439 Speaker 11: we have to constantly work, especially with women in the 436 00:26:43,680 --> 00:26:47,560 Speaker 11: islands where they are. They come and then they're stay 437 00:26:47,640 --> 00:26:51,840 Speaker 11: long in the urban areas, they just migrate out. So 438 00:26:51,960 --> 00:26:54,440 Speaker 11: now there are so many of them that they're trying 439 00:26:54,440 --> 00:26:57,639 Speaker 11: to form women's group in the in the United States 440 00:26:57,720 --> 00:27:03,960 Speaker 11: as well. Seeing so so they come and visit US 441 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:09,359 Speaker 11: and we communicate with them occasionally, share and sharing information 442 00:27:09,560 --> 00:27:13,960 Speaker 11: or other issues because what the issues they experienced, you know, 443 00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:18,240 Speaker 11: they're also experience in the United States, and so they 444 00:27:18,320 --> 00:27:20,480 Speaker 11: need to be aware of how we're trying to deal 445 00:27:20,520 --> 00:27:20,960 Speaker 11: with those. 446 00:27:21,720 --> 00:27:24,000 Speaker 2: But many women also go to the US for their 447 00:27:24,119 --> 00:27:26,800 Speaker 2: education and then return to be part of their community 448 00:27:26,800 --> 00:27:31,000 Speaker 2: and help lift their community up. Now, thanks to Whipman's 449 00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:34,399 Speaker 2: hard work and the government's efforts, women don't have to 450 00:27:34,480 --> 00:27:37,280 Speaker 2: leave to get these skills. The Energy Department has trained 451 00:27:37,320 --> 00:27:39,600 Speaker 2: women on outer islands, for example, to fix their own 452 00:27:39,640 --> 00:27:40,280 Speaker 2: power grades. 453 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:42,960 Speaker 13: Yeah, so we're kind of all over the place, and 454 00:27:43,040 --> 00:27:50,760 Speaker 13: one time we went and actually uh train a community 455 00:27:50,880 --> 00:27:55,320 Speaker 13: of all women, like uh, you know, we had to 456 00:27:55,920 --> 00:27:59,199 Speaker 13: include men to allow women to be part of the training, 457 00:27:59,720 --> 00:28:05,520 Speaker 13: and we have nine women that graduated certified trainers and 458 00:28:06,640 --> 00:28:09,560 Speaker 13: we awarded them with tools and everything, so. 459 00:28:11,040 --> 00:28:11,920 Speaker 10: When there's. 460 00:28:13,680 --> 00:28:17,000 Speaker 13: Power outages and there's solar home systems and they can 461 00:28:17,040 --> 00:28:20,360 Speaker 13: address it. And Grace who's in the middle, that that's 462 00:28:20,400 --> 00:28:23,680 Speaker 13: the island where she's from, where we train the woman 463 00:28:23,760 --> 00:28:27,880 Speaker 13: to become trainers, and it's our first ever. So when 464 00:28:27,920 --> 00:28:31,040 Speaker 13: we found that it was successful, we try to extend 465 00:28:31,080 --> 00:28:34,520 Speaker 13: it out to the other islands. So I think that's 466 00:28:34,520 --> 00:28:36,840 Speaker 13: one of the reasons why it's difficult for countries such 467 00:28:36,880 --> 00:28:40,480 Speaker 13: as US where we've been colonized and trying to find 468 00:28:40,480 --> 00:28:45,200 Speaker 13: a balance between a modern day government form of democracy 469 00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:51,120 Speaker 13: where you're taught that individualism is important and your rights 470 00:28:51,160 --> 00:28:55,520 Speaker 13: are important, and then you have your traditional structure where 471 00:28:56,080 --> 00:29:00,120 Speaker 13: when you're grow up, you're taught that it's a collective society. 472 00:29:00,880 --> 00:29:09,600 Speaker 13: Your piety is important, respecting your thoughts are not worth it. 473 00:29:09,760 --> 00:29:13,560 Speaker 13: Your elders and you know your chiefs in So I 474 00:29:13,600 --> 00:29:15,480 Speaker 13: think that's where we have to find the balance. 475 00:29:16,760 --> 00:29:19,040 Speaker 2: This comment that Angeline made in our chat after her 476 00:29:19,040 --> 00:29:22,480 Speaker 2: excellent presentation on energy sovereignty really got me thinking about 477 00:29:22,480 --> 00:29:26,280 Speaker 2: the post colonial future of the Marshall Islands. Today, they're 478 00:29:26,320 --> 00:29:29,160 Speaker 2: empowered as an independent nation, but they still have to 479 00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:32,640 Speaker 2: exist within a framework where corporations and more powerful governments 480 00:29:32,680 --> 00:29:35,080 Speaker 2: don't have to pay for the consequences of their actions. 481 00:29:35,760 --> 00:29:38,200 Speaker 2: In twenty twenty two, the US unsealed indictment of a 482 00:29:38,280 --> 00:29:41,560 Speaker 2: Chinese couple who bribe five Marshallease members of parliament and 483 00:29:41,600 --> 00:29:43,920 Speaker 2: attempted to bribe a six in order to help them 484 00:29:43,920 --> 00:29:46,400 Speaker 2: carve out a kind of mini state, a so called 485 00:29:46,400 --> 00:29:49,760 Speaker 2: special economic zone, as a tax haven on wronga Lapatole. 486 00:29:50,760 --> 00:29:52,560 Speaker 2: This is one of the places is heavily impacted by 487 00:29:52,600 --> 00:29:56,960 Speaker 2: the nuclear testing we spoke about earlier. Hildehind, among others, 488 00:29:57,000 --> 00:30:01,120 Speaker 2: opposed this. She said economic di element is and should 489 00:30:01,120 --> 00:30:03,640 Speaker 2: be encouraged, but not at the expense of money laundering 490 00:30:03,680 --> 00:30:06,280 Speaker 2: and other similarly ill activities that are usually a part 491 00:30:06,280 --> 00:30:09,160 Speaker 2: of money laundering. As was obvious in the wrong l 492 00:30:09,160 --> 00:30:13,520 Speaker 2: Appatol Special Administrative Region legislation, the people of wrong Glapp 493 00:30:13,560 --> 00:30:19,120 Speaker 2: deserved better standards of living and economic development. While there's 494 00:30:19,120 --> 00:30:22,080 Speaker 2: no evidence of CCP involvement in the scheme, it came 495 00:30:22,080 --> 00:30:24,480 Speaker 2: as part of a larger panic about Beijing's influence in 496 00:30:24,520 --> 00:30:27,560 Speaker 2: the region. Twenty twenty two, the Solomon Islands signed a 497 00:30:27,560 --> 00:30:31,040 Speaker 2: pack with China to help improve their internal security, and 498 00:30:31,320 --> 00:30:34,040 Speaker 2: China has already provided the Solomons with police training and 499 00:30:34,120 --> 00:30:37,040 Speaker 2: donated replica guns and riot control equipment such as water 500 00:30:37,080 --> 00:30:41,360 Speaker 2: cannon vehicles. The Solomon Islands are still covered in bombs 501 00:30:41,360 --> 00:30:43,720 Speaker 2: from the US and Japan's fighting in the Pacific, but 502 00:30:44,280 --> 00:30:47,320 Speaker 2: instead of helping dispose of these, this form of investment 503 00:30:47,360 --> 00:30:49,760 Speaker 2: is sending more weapons to the government, not help to 504 00:30:49,800 --> 00:30:53,280 Speaker 2: the people there. According to a recent published study in 505 00:30:53,320 --> 00:30:56,800 Speaker 2: the journal Science, the world's corporations produce so much climate 506 00:30:56,880 --> 00:30:59,240 Speaker 2: change causing pollution that it would eat up forty four 507 00:30:59,240 --> 00:31:01,640 Speaker 2: percent of their so they had to pay damages for 508 00:31:01,680 --> 00:31:05,320 Speaker 2: the impact of their activity. Your reusable straw might help, 509 00:31:05,520 --> 00:31:08,640 Speaker 2: and it's good that you're using it, But until the 510 00:31:08,680 --> 00:31:12,160 Speaker 2: world and giant corporations especially listen to the voices of 511 00:31:12,200 --> 00:31:17,520 Speaker 2: people impacted by our choices, things won't change. I want 512 00:31:17,560 --> 00:31:19,240 Speaker 2: to end by talking about the future of the Marshall 513 00:31:19,280 --> 00:31:23,120 Speaker 2: Islands and how Marshallysee people are determining that in the 514 00:31:23,240 --> 00:31:25,000 Speaker 2: last century they've been let down by the League of 515 00:31:25,080 --> 00:31:28,640 Speaker 2: Nations who reallocated the islands to the Japanese under Southeast Mandate, 516 00:31:29,240 --> 00:31:31,320 Speaker 2: then let down by the US and the UN after 517 00:31:31,360 --> 00:31:34,480 Speaker 2: the war, and They're still being let down by international 518 00:31:34,480 --> 00:31:38,040 Speaker 2: institutions today when their demands for climate fairless are ignored, 519 00:31:39,000 --> 00:31:42,840 Speaker 2: But this doesn't mean they can't benefit from international solidarity. 520 00:31:42,920 --> 00:31:46,680 Speaker 2: It was American made water filters and a significant donation 521 00:31:46,960 --> 00:31:49,800 Speaker 2: from a company better known for hiking that helped every 522 00:31:49,840 --> 00:31:53,360 Speaker 2: single person in the Marshall Islands get clean water. It 523 00:31:53,400 --> 00:31:56,640 Speaker 2: was Greenpeace who relocated people when the US government wouldn't, 524 00:31:57,040 --> 00:31:59,560 Speaker 2: And it was Marshally's women who took week long Norse 525 00:31:59,600 --> 00:32:02,600 Speaker 2: or induced boat rides across dangerous seas to distribute those 526 00:32:02,640 --> 00:32:05,760 Speaker 2: water filters that save lives in places where there's less 527 00:32:05,760 --> 00:32:09,520 Speaker 2: access to care. With access to the right resources and 528 00:32:09,640 --> 00:32:12,720 Speaker 2: international solidarity and good will, the possibilities for the Marshall 529 00:32:12,720 --> 00:32:17,280 Speaker 2: Islands seem endless. They've endured World War, survived the dropping 530 00:32:17,360 --> 00:32:20,440 Speaker 2: of the atom bond, and they're adapting to climate change 531 00:32:20,440 --> 00:32:23,440 Speaker 2: by centering community and their obligations to each other rather 532 00:32:23,520 --> 00:32:25,960 Speaker 2: than trying to each take what they can and get out. 533 00:32:27,320 --> 00:32:29,800 Speaker 2: With access to clean water and homes free of smoke, 534 00:32:30,160 --> 00:32:32,720 Speaker 2: their children will be healthier, and every child I met 535 00:32:32,720 --> 00:32:34,880 Speaker 2: on the island seem to have bright hopes for the future. 536 00:32:35,440 --> 00:32:37,680 Speaker 2: I met one kid who wanted to be a basketball player, 537 00:32:38,520 --> 00:32:40,920 Speaker 2: and another who aspired to apparently be as tall as 538 00:32:41,000 --> 00:32:44,520 Speaker 2: I am. People in the Islands don't focus on their past, 539 00:32:44,640 --> 00:32:47,000 Speaker 2: but on their future, and with a little solidarity and 540 00:32:47,040 --> 00:32:49,160 Speaker 2: decency from the rest of the world, they have a 541 00:32:49,280 --> 00:32:52,040 Speaker 2: very bright one. I want to finish this series with 542 00:32:52,080 --> 00:32:54,440 Speaker 2: the explanation we got from Whitney of the Marshal Lely's flag. 543 00:32:54,640 --> 00:32:56,320 Speaker 2: It's a great flag, by the way, and you should 544 00:32:56,320 --> 00:32:58,280 Speaker 2: look it up if you haven't seen it. It's one 545 00:32:58,280 --> 00:33:01,040 Speaker 2: of the most common flags of convenience for merchant vessels 546 00:33:01,080 --> 00:33:04,200 Speaker 2: all over the world. I've seen it in several continents 547 00:33:04,360 --> 00:33:07,800 Speaker 2: but never really knew what it meant. At least for now, 548 00:33:08,120 --> 00:33:10,560 Speaker 2: it seemed to mean that these tiny islands, which have 549 00:33:10,640 --> 00:33:13,600 Speaker 2: been through so much still have great hopes for the future. 550 00:33:14,080 --> 00:33:19,120 Speaker 11: The Marshalist flag there's two the orange and the white right, 551 00:33:20,320 --> 00:33:24,320 Speaker 11: and there they represented the relic chain and the Radit chain, 552 00:33:24,440 --> 00:33:27,880 Speaker 11: the sunrise chain of island and the sensor chain of 553 00:33:27,960 --> 00:33:31,960 Speaker 11: violent which formed the Marshal Land. So those two lines, 554 00:33:32,320 --> 00:33:37,440 Speaker 11: but those lines there's one orange and one weight. Orange 555 00:33:37,480 --> 00:33:44,400 Speaker 11: is for courage, it's called cleo and and the white 556 00:33:44,600 --> 00:33:50,040 Speaker 11: is for peace. So but these lines are not parallel. 557 00:33:50,760 --> 00:33:55,320 Speaker 11: I mean they become larger as they move up, and 558 00:33:55,360 --> 00:33:58,920 Speaker 11: they don't start from the corner. They start from a 559 00:33:58,960 --> 00:34:03,640 Speaker 11: little bit over the corner of the flag, meaning that 560 00:34:03,760 --> 00:34:06,840 Speaker 11: we have a past. We didn't start from the beginning 561 00:34:06,840 --> 00:34:09,680 Speaker 11: when we started this new government in nineteen seventy nine. 562 00:34:10,520 --> 00:34:12,680 Speaker 11: And then you have the moves out. It doesn't go 563 00:34:12,760 --> 00:34:15,120 Speaker 11: all the way to the corner at the top because 564 00:34:15,600 --> 00:34:19,240 Speaker 11: we're always growing. There's so you know, we're always growing. 565 00:34:19,280 --> 00:34:21,120 Speaker 11: We need to grow. It's very important. 566 00:34:26,520 --> 00:34:29,000 Speaker 16: It could happen here as a production of cool Zone Media. 567 00:34:29,120 --> 00:34:31,760 Speaker 16: For more podcasts from cool Zone Media, visit our website 568 00:34:31,800 --> 00:34:34,040 Speaker 16: cool zonemedia dot com or check us out on the 569 00:34:34,080 --> 00:34:37,680 Speaker 16: iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 570 00:34:38,080 --> 00:34:40,160 Speaker 16: You can find sources for It could Happen Here, updated 571 00:34:40,239 --> 00:34:44,280 Speaker 16: monthly at coolzonemedia dot com slash sources. Thanks for listening.