California volunteers are sending more toys for Head Start centers on the Atoll of Ulithi. Please contact Habele if you are interested in helping with this warm-hearted project. In regional news:

Trust Funds May Not Provide Sustainable Income for FSM
The new report, "Compacts of Free Association: Trust Fund for Micronesia and the Marshall Islands May Not Provide Sustainable Income," issued June 15, 2007, is the fifth in a series since July of 2005. The GAO has found accountability problems, sustainability challenges, and limited development prospects facing the two Pacific nations. Market volatility, in addition to the investment strategies chosen, may lead to a wide range of trust fund balances at the close of grant funding in 2023, states the GAO.

The faces of Micronesia's fallen
Since the war on terror began in 2001, Guam and its Pacific island neighbors have seen hundreds of their sons and daughters deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq and the Horn of Africa as part of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. To date, 22 sons of Micronesia are among those who have been killed, including more than 3,500 Americans killed in Iraq. This year has been the deadliest with eight casualties.

Habele is a US-based nonprofit working to promote educational opportunity and accomplishment in Micronesia's remote Outer Islands.

A quick review of news from the Outer Islands of Yap and around Micronesia.

Authors of a new paper in the Journal of Public Health Nutrition found that the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) has "suffered a great loss in production and consumption of local foods. Inconsistent external and internal government policies and food aid programmes have contributed to the problem."

Conservation Volunteers from Beautify CMNI recently discussed the idea of collaboration between the turtle protection programs on Ulithi and similar efforts proposed in the Marianas Islands.

The FSM Justice Department has filed charges against that nation’s former Ambassador to the US Jessie Marehalau.

United States Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne visited the Federated States of Micronesia, and spoke of the strong historical ties between the two nations. During the Trust Territory period the Department of the Interior oversaw the governance of the four states that now constitute the Federated States of Micronesia. While the FSM is now a sovereign self-governing nation, Kemthorne described the country as “an important part of the portfolio of the Department of the Interior.” This seemingly imprudent comment may be a function of the role played by his Department in the Compact of Free Association between the two countries.


The Habele Outer Island Education Fund is nonprofit organization serving the educational needs of communities and students in the Outer Islands of Micronesia. Habele grants scholarships to children attending private schools and supports public schools through material donations. Visit Habele.org for more details.

Habele is proud to announce that we, with the help of generous donors across the US, are within $200 of reaching our summer fundraising goal! Habele will be officially awarding its scholarships to Micronesian Outer Island students at summer’s end.

New photos of Habele scholars during the 2006-07 school year are now online at Habele’s Flickr photo page.

In broader Micronesian news:

Word Press reports on the role of lump sum government foreign aid in the Pacific. There is no ideology involved; the entire situation is due to the "culture of dependence" governments in Oceania, which are only interested in dollar terms. Both China and Taiwan are playing "check-book diplomacy." The one who can offer more can gain a new bedfellow as well as a valuable United Nations vote.

The Associated Press considers theories about, and the impact of, rising sea levels in Oceania. Island people disagree on whether it is global warming, but they know there is less sand and the trees are falling into the ocean. The question for some islands is, will there be anyone left to hear them fall?

Radio Australia covers the US calls for an audit of the Republic of Palau’s finances.

Habele is a nonprofit dedicated to the advancement of educational opportunity and accomplishment in Micronesia’s remote Outer Islands. We have no paid employees and do not accept government support. If you believe in the value of education and the power of grass roots change please consider donating today.

Habele volunteers in California have been gathering donated stuffed animals this week for the Head Start center on Falalop Ulithi.

Overseen by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Head Start is public pre-kindergarten program that promotes school readiness by enhancing the social and cognitive development of enrolled children.

Head Start began as a domestic US program for poverty reduction in President Johnson’s Great Society reforms, but Head Start services and support have been extended to Pacific Island nations in Free Association with the United States.

This volunteer-organized donation drive is an excellent example of how Habele works year round to fulfill its mission of supporting public schools in the Outer Islands of Micronesia. For more information on how you can support this project, or to learn about our private school scholarships, visit www.habele.org.

Habele is proud to announce a forthcoming collaboration with the Oceanic Society, a nonprofit conservation organization based in San Francisco, to expand our high school scholarships for Outer Island students in Yap State.

The Oceanic Society aims to protect marine wildlife worldwide through an integrated program of scientific research, environmental education and volunteerism. Toward that end, the society has been involved in a small scale ecotourism project in Yap State, with a special emphasis on turtle tagging and tracking project begun by former Peace Corps volunteer Jennifer Johnson on the Ulithi Atoll.

The partnership will enable Habele to offer an additional scholarship in the 2007-08 school year. Habele, a nonprofit founded by a group of young Americans with teaching experience in the Outer Islands, works to promote educational opportunity and accomplishment in the most isolated areas of Micronesia. Visit www.habele.org for more details.

The Economist recently published an excellent piece on the power of educational vouchers. The article argues that greater parental choice in K-12 education correlates with improved student performance, and not merely from the so-called "skimming" of smart students or "self-selection" by ambitious parents.

Harry Patrinos, an education economist at the World Bank, cites a Colombian programme to broaden access to secondary schooling, known as PACES, a 1990s initiative that provided over 125,000 poor children with vouchers worth around half the cost of private secondary school. Crucially, there were more applicants than vouchers. The programme, which selected children by lottery, provided researchers with an almost perfect experiment, akin to the "pill-placebo" studies used to judge the efficacy of new medicines. The subsequent results show that the children who received vouchers were 15-20% more likely to finish secondary education, five percentage points less likely to repeat a grade, scored a bit better on scholastic tests and were much more likely to take college entrance exams.

Habele's donor-financed scholarships are another type of voucher; a privately funded one. Currently, we are in the midst of our annual summer fundraising drive. Special thanks to recent donors Valerie, Jay, Ana, Charlotte, and Josh. We hope to continue this drive and complete our goal of two full scholarships by summer's end.

We at Habele see this type of merit-based privately-financed scholarship as an excellent tool for promoting educational opportunity and accomplishment in the the remote outer islands of Micronesia's Yap State. To learn more about the Habele Outer Island Education Fund, visit our website www.habele.org.

American Blogger and Yap State resident R. K. Ledgerwood posted about the FSM Justice Department's search and seizure of documents belonging to former FSM Ambassador to the US Jesse B. Marehalau. The "raid" occurred on the Atoll of Ulithi. There are numerous posting about the incident at the Micronesian Seminar’s online discussion forum.

The United States Postal Service has announced the re-adoption of a range of postal services to Pacific Islands associated with the United States, including the Federated States of Micronesia. Postal support from the US has long been an important part of the US-FSM Compact.

Pacific Island leaders announced a desire to build partnerships with the US, rather than merely remain consumers of the superpower’s aid. Meanwhile Taiwan (ROC) has pledged over $1 million in development aid for projects throughout the Pacific.

Habele is a nonprofit dedicated to the advancement of educational opportunity and accomplishment in the Outer Islands of Micronesia.

A group of graduating seniors from the University of South Carolina have been working with Habele to send their lightly used clothing to students at the Outer Island High School on the Atoll of Ulithi.

"This is a great chance for us to clear out our dorms as we graduate and help out the Islanders in the process" explained Megan Cott, a business and economics major who spearheaded the drive. Habele donors from throughout the US have been sending in financial support as part of an ongoing summer fundraising drive. This money will help pay for the shipment of the donated clothing, as well for the awarding of Habele’s annual scholarships.

"We have all been busy with finals, projects, graduation plans, and job seeking" said Lauren Johnson, an advertising and public relations major, "but this has been a great chance to support needy students in the Outer Islands!"

To learn more about Habele’s role in supporting educational opportunity and accomplishment in the isolated Outer Islands of Micronesia visit www.habele.org

Habele has begun it’s fundraising drive for the 2007-08 school year. The Fund, an IRS recognized nonprofit organization, is looking to raise $3,000 in order to pay for two scholarships for Outer Island students attending boarding schools in Micronesian district centers. More details in the coming weeks. Check out our new promotional brochure designed by a Habele volunteer in Kentucky.

Habele is also working with students from the University of South Carolina who are compiling donations of clothing for Outer Island students. If you are interested in helping, please let us know!

In regional news…

Former Governor of Yap State John Mangefel died at age 75. In addition to serving as the state’s first Chief Executive, Mangefel played a major role in the US-run TTPI administration of the district, and he served in both chambers of the FSM’s National Legislature. Mangel was a staunch advocate of a formal Palau-Yap Union.

Island leaders concluded the PIJAAG summit on HIV in Pohnpei. Initial discussions focused on regional initiatives, with particular emphasis on increasing the support of agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control for the Pacific Regional Strategy on HIV.

The Federated States of Micronesia reiterated its concern about global climate change at the United Nations. The discussion was part of a Security Council debate on the topic.

Guam’s Pacific Daily News published an article about Chuukese-born Micronesians who are living in Guam. The author notes that transition difficulties [can] occur when Chuukese cultural mannerisms clash with those of Western society. The paper also points out that the population of Chuukese is the fastest growth segment on Guam.

Green Valley News in Arizona reported on local resident Dr. Lee Vensel’s Navy experiences in the Pacific, including time spent on Ulithi.

Visit habele.org to learn more about the Outer Islands of Micronesia and how YOU can help foster educational oppurtunity and accomplishment there.

Last week we noted that Miriam K. Hughes was nominated by the White House to serve as Ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM).

The Federated States, or simply “Micronesia,” is a collection of four island groupings in the Central Pacific. The islands were once administered by the United States Department of Interior as part of the US Trust Territory of the Pacific. The FSM now enjoys a position of "Free Association" with the US. The reliance of the FSM on US economic assistance results in a complicated relationship between the two nations.

You can read a brief bio of Miriam K. Hughes on the original White House Personnel Announcement dated April 4, 2007. She is listed in the third paragraph. Hughes is characterized as a career civil servant.

In her position as head of the economic and social development section of the US mission to the UN Hughes she issued a wide range of statements on US foreign policy and international affairs.

In November of 2006 she criticized the newly formed but contentious UN Human Rights Council as "a disappointment". Her statement reaffirmed the position adopted by the US in March of 2006 of not seeking a seat on the Council because of concerns about the narrow focus and limited credibility of that body.

In her work at the UN she has also:

- called for stronger humanitarian responses to the crises in Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia and northern Uganda;

- defended the importance of a strong private sector , a positive investment climate, the rule of law, and property rights in pursuing international development goals;

- and quoted First lady Laura Bush who has advocated for increased emphasis on gender in development. Hughes further described education as a birthright, and vital to the attainment of political power and economic strength.


The Habele Outer Island Education Fund is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of educational opportunity and accomplishment in the remote Outer Islands of Micronesia. We provide scholarships to students attending private schools and book donations for public schools. Toward this end we also work to keep US based donors informed about events in Micronesia. To learn how you can help, visit Habele.org!