A Le Ko Kau Forum

(**Note: This article was first published in Tia Belau Newspaper and later appeared in the Bridge_List on November 24, 2002. It has since been re-posted again to the Bridge_List a few days ago, and it is worthy of reprint here as well.- Administrator)

Father Francis X. Hezel in his book titled, “The New Shape of Old Island Cultures”, discusses many social issues that are subtle but serves as markers for the gradual fading away of our values and culture. In this book Father Hezel misses one of the most critical markers of a fading culture, which is the empowerment of youths as a cultural and an economic strategy in nation building. As he writes about “family, land, gender roles, birth, marriage, death, sexuality, political authority, population and migration”, it becomes clear that the initiation of the Palauan youths toward a true ownership of the future of this country should not be a passing thought for our leadership. It must be a true commitment in harnessing active engagement and tangible investment in terms of mobilizing our youth toward such ownership, the true ownership of our future.

I recently loaned a book to friend of mine which I have owned for many years and from time to time I would read the book to anchor myself to the basics of “my little place.” The title of the book is, “A small Place” by Jamaica Kincaid of Antigua, an island much like Palau in the Caribbean. It is a book that all Palauans must read as it provides some internal perspective on how we cannot “smell our own breath”. 

Ms. Jamaica talks about a public library much like our own which was destroyed by an earthquake that rocked Antigua in 1974. In the marketplace in Antigua there is a sign that says, “THIS BUILDING WAS DAMAGED IN EARTHQUAKE OF 1974. REPAIRS ARE PENDING.” This was published in 1989, some fifteen years after the earthquake.  

Palau, my little place presents few of these oxymoron perspectives and many have been left to be “repaired in the future.” Like the library in Antigua, many are critical issues in the development of the social capital in my little place. 

Recently, in the very corner of Palau, including the coffee shops and the taxi stands everyone deliberated on the national budget and the closure of the government. In the aftermath, “it was not anyone’s fault” was the conclusion at least from both committees of OEK, a strike contrast of the conclusion from the streets of my little place. As a student of government in my little place, I presume that the reasons there is a contrasting conclusion the governed and the governors is because there are intrinsic issues that are left to be repaired. 

The first issue is, Democracy as a government of the majority. In the past few years, the Olbiil Era Kelulau has deliberated as two distinctive branches of government. How can nine senators and nine delegates are over ruled by the “minority block of the HOD?” Where is the government of the majority? Is the overall voice of OEK based on majority opinions or not? If not, why not? If this is not prudently corrected, than in my little place, the separation of powers will continue to be violated by the politics of exploitation. 

The second issue is, The passing of retroactive legislations. I suspect that there is a constitutional issue with retroactive legislations. Laws cannot have past memories as they are to be prospective. For instance, retroactive budget laws while good for the short term; it does take away the power from the voting constituents to demand expediency from their leaders. It is a systematic bribe to the demand of the owners of the government. If this is not corrected, a door has been opened for laws to have past memories and systematic bribery.

The third issue is, The substitution of politics and policies. Several occasions during this deliberation, politics dominated the policies. For instance, the budget bill for my little place became a rider on other bills. Policy? No, politics. Politics is the game that is played but policies are what provide the framework for the governance of my little place. While politics is a game for politicians, policies is life for the constituents. 

The fourth issue is, People cannot smell their own breath. So who watches the government and how it deliberates? Transparent governance can only be a conclusion of an independent evaluation and I suspect that my little place needs such institution. The voting and service user constituents must be empowered to evaluate how their government is meeting their needs and expectations. That is the basis of the statement, “government by and for the people.” The ability to evaluate their government by their votes must not be removed from them. 

My little place, Palau is much like the “small place” of Antigua where if we do not start repairing the damages of the past, we are doomed to repeat them. As Mr. Issigonis (1988) once said, “a camel is a horse designed by a committee” and truly we cannot smell our own breath in my little place. (This article also appeared in Tia Belau, January 12- 18, 2007)

By Stevenson Kuartei, MD

The theory of relativity was formulated by the Nobel Price Winner, Albert Einstein. The theory of relativity became the foundation for the energy formula (E=mc2). Through the process of nuclear fusion, energy is produced and this lead to the invention of nuclear bombs including those tested in the Pacific and those dropped in Nagasaki and Hiroshima. The application of the theory of relativity to cultural and political forces has been taken on by many sociologist and political scientists as they predict societies. 

The recent conflicts between the Executive Branch and Olbiil Era Kelulau while part of the democratic process, the expression of the conflicts are examples of adverse political forces. The Ngatpang constitutional issue, Ngiwal’s speakership and Ngchesar political fragmented factions have created schisms in these small communities and not because of philosophical difference but that of alliance. Even within Olbiil Era Kelulau, the political factions which used to be the leverage for political debate has now become a platform for personal debate. The contradicting roles of traditional leaders in the modern governance and the debate about equal representation have slowly fueled the underlying conflicting forces within the Palauan society that carries with them potential energy when collide. 

Our culture and traditions are going through trying times as there are those who would argue to completely get rid of it and there are those who live by it. There are conflicts between clan Ourot, the title holders and even among the Ulechell and Ochell in many clans in Palau. The modern justice system is full of cases on traditional power struggle that includes title and land ownership. There is a constant application of modern jurisprudence in dispensing traditional conflicts which continues to fractionalize and at times disengages members of the Palauan society. The conflict that Palauans deeply feel between modernity and traditions rots the very core of our essence as people. It portrays symptomatically as depression, alcoholism and explodes as suicidal ideations and actions. 

 In some of our churches, there is tradition of gossiping among the members, narcissism among congregation and pulpits, self proclaimed sanctimony which at times creates conflicts within the church. These conflicts within the church are gradually leading to spiritual abuse and in some cases spiritual suicide and sometimes go unrecognized by the churches themselves. 

These conflicting forces according to the theory of relativity would one day collide and as they do, a societal, a political and even a religious would take place. Palauan history has not been spared from such events. The furlough, the bombings, the assassinations and shootings of the eighties were expressions of such political explosions. The emerging of Modekngei in the 1914 was a religious expression of such explosion. The neo-creation and expression of the role of traditional leaders in our constitution creates governing conflicts that exists today, where they are sometimes ridiculed openly. 

The discussion around town, among the commoners, fathers and the likes, the fishermen, the farmers, the merchants, the taxi drivers expresses such frustrations is drawing nigh. Such expression of the quiet inner anger must be taken seriously by the leadership because, in bountiful time it is calm, but in times of famine, it is expressed. 

The political, societal and spiritual conflicts can lead to the demise of he very fabric of why WE are Palauan society. The solution lies in what separates politicians from statesmen, reactionaries from visionaries and technocrats from true leaders. 

This critical juncture in Palauan history must be marked by leaders who will rise beyond political rhetoric and move us toward a harmonious relativity. Anything short will only mean turmoil just beyond the horizon. (This article also appeared in the issue of Tia Belau, January 5 – 12)  

By Dr. Stevenson Kuartei