FSMIS (October 18, 2013): On October 16, a joint event was
held in Pohnpei State, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) bringing together
several participants in celebration of the World Food Day (WFD) and the
International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR).
The
gathering kicked off with a formal ceremony lining up notable speakers in both
English and Pohnpeian, reflecting the multi-national characteristic of the
crowd at the symbolic and historic location – the Spanish Wall in Kolonia. The
team of speakers featured Pohnpei State Lt. Governor Marcello Petersen, the
Director of the FSM Office of Environment and Emergency Management, Mr. Andrew
Yatilman, the Iso Nahniken of Nett, Iso Salvador Iriarte and two brilliant secondary
school young girls: Shellany Saimon and Amabella Keiko. A statement by FSM President Manny Mori was
presented by Director Yatilman on his behalf.
In his
remark, Mr. Yatilman commented on the significance of the annual event.
“This year
in the FSM, World Food Day and the International Day for Disaster Reduction
have once again come together. The links should be clearly highlighted.
Agriculture depends heavily on natural resources. It can cause environmental
harm, but it can also provide environmental benefits.”
He also said
that the FSM is blessed with an abundance of natural resources and an ample food
supply. However, he cautioned against losing sight of the “careful balance”
that must be maintained in order to protect natural ecosystems while
“facilitating sustainable economic growth”.
Among the
various activities for the day was an essay contest for high school students.
The top best essays in both Pohnpeian and English were delivered by the student
authors themselves. Ms. Shellany Saimon from the Our Lady of Mercy Catholic
High School wrote in English while Ms. Amabella Keiko from Madolenihmw High
School spoke in her native language.
The students
researched and shared their perspectives on the topics “sustainable food
systems for food security and nutrition”, and “living with disability and
disasters”, showing how they relate and their significance in improving lives
in Micronesia.
The Iso Nahniken
gave the key message for the day in his traditional role, addressing mainly the
Pohnpeian participants.
There was
also a “food trade fair” portion of the festivity where farmers and food producers
displayed an assortment of locally grown crops and the many ways to prepare and
preserve them for sustainable use and production.
President
Mori’s statement refers to the event in the following.
“With help
from our international partners, in 2014 the FSM will develop a Joint National
Action Plan or J-NAP for Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change
Adaptation… Through this process we hope to be responsive to the needs of
vulnerable people and communities as well as streamline and better coordinate
our efforts for a resilient FSM… The focus going forward must be to increase
resilience at the community level, and I am heartened to see such programs
being implemented by our NGOs and inter-governmental partners coordinated
through the Joint Risk Management Network that put today’s event together.”
This 2013
celebration topped last year’s event in terms of the turnout as well as the
volume and variety of showcased products.
Planners and
supporter of the event included: College of Micronesia-FSM, Conservation Society of Pohnpei, Department of
Education, Department of Health,
Department of Land & Natural Resources, Environmental Protection
Agency, FSM Resource & Development, German Technical Cooperation,
International Organization for Migration, Island Food Community of Pohnpei,
Micronesia Red Cross Society, National Oceanic Resource Management Authority,
Office of Economic Affairs Agriculture, FSM Office of Environment and Emergency Management, Pohnpei Consumer Organization, Pohnpei Farmers’
Association, Pohnpei State Government, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, USDA
Natural Resources Conservation Service, The Australian Embassy and others.
No comments:
Post a Comment