CHAPTER 11: Main Development Issues

The Cruel Dilemma

When confronting the question of development, village people will always sense the specter of future change hanging with a dark and heavy presence over their lives. Whatever arguments might be made in favor of development, it always entails the passage from the familiar and tested to the new and unknown. Most people in most countries, from one historical period to another, probably would have preferred to be left alone to live out their lives surrounded by the familiar.

There is no reason to believe that Micronesia is different from any other traditional society in this respect. Yet, the people of FSM are being told that they must be willing parties to a pattern of development that means inevitable changes for them and their children. The economic future of their island nation depends on their willingness to develop a productive economy that can underwrite the public services they will need in the years ahead, they are told. It is assumed that they have already become habituated to these services and the standard of living that a partially monetized economy has made possible.

Yet, they cannot escape the responsibility of having to make a fundamental choice between preservation of the traditional ways and moving toward a more secure niche in the modern global economy. What some development theorists call "the cruel dilemma" persists. By opting for faster economic growth, people implicitly accept a course that will inevitably lead to great social change in their homeland. Failure to acknowledge this in development planning only compounds the problem by adding "cruel deception" to the "cruel dilemma".

Development and traditional folkways almost always clash, in practice if not in theory. If there are any doubts on this clash, one need only recall the impact of monetization on Micronesia, the effects of which are felt in every sphere of life today. Economic development as it occurred during the last 30 years in Micronesia uprooted venerable structures, forever changed the shape of the family, and altered some of the basic values of island society.

Must development always lead to this kind of upheaval? It will always mean social change of some degree, but the magnitude of the change will depend in great part on the pace of the development program and the strategies employed. Slow-paced change can be absorbed far more easily and with less serious social disruption, especially when accompanied by an understanding of what is happening to the society and why. Emphasis on sustainability in development is helpful not only in looking to environmental needs but in putting the brakes on speedy development projects that might have deleterious social effects. A process of change that proceeds from the grassroots level upward will cushion the inevitable shocks of change and better prepare communities to deal with its social impact. Moreover, anxiety over the future is diminished to the extent that local institutions--community organizations and chiefly authority, for example--are used as the vehicles of change.

In the end, however, there is no painless economic development. All development, even moderately paced and culturally sensitive, comes with a price tag attached. Unless we understand this, we run the risk of failing to adopt appropriate strategies for development goals.

The Response to Development Policy

Identifying the key issues in development is already a half step taken toward resolving them, it is said. Once people are able to name their problems, they are well on the way to thinking them through and determining what must be done to solve them. Sometimes, of course, people don't take the course of action that planners recommend and common sense would seem to dictate. When this happens, it is usually because social or cultural reasons are lurking like shoals just beneath the surface.

Take, for instance, the great reluctance of governments, state and national, to lay off employees when no funds can be found for their salary. To the dismay of expatriate planners, Micronesians persist in viewing government as a source of livelihood for its employees rather than as a provider of necessary services for the public. Rather than cut some less essential positions, and thus deny some employees a paycheck to support their families, decision-makers prefer to cut back everyone a little. Often this takes the form of an across-the-board reduction of work hours--in some cases even retrenchment to a four-day work week--at the expense of critical government services. Government efficiency suffers, but Micronesian decision-makers are looking out for the welfare of everyone and meeting the demands of justice, at least according to their perception.

Coordination of government services is another case in point. Collaboration can mean subordinating offices to one another, or at least infringing on their bureaucratic autonomy. To local people, who are sensitive about overstepping their authority, what seems like a harmless plea for collaboration can be fraught with the risk of being accused of interfering in another's territory, with all the personal issues that might arise from this.

At times implementation of development policy may entail taking a position that is seen as directly opposed to another's interests. When two parties have conflicting claims--as to a piece of land--the usual island strategy is to sit tight and give everyone time to work out the conflict rather than force the issue. The assumption is that, given enough time, the issue will resolve itself (possibly one of the parties will withdraw his claim or die). This strategy operates on many levels today and inhibits the creation of clear and strong policy statements that Westerners look for in nations committed to development. It also prevents people from putting such issues as women's rights in the public forum and debating them.

The point of the previous examples is that there are hidden cultural assumptions governing what steps will and will not be taken to promote development. There is a hidden cost-benefit analysis that guides decisions but which is never openly laid on the table. These assumptions have a legitimacy and logic of their own, although they are rarely acknowledged in the discussions on development.

The Basic Issues in FSM

Throughout the previous ten chapters of this study, a number of issues have been identified within each sector. Rather than review all these, we present here what appear to be the basic or foundational issues related to sustainable human development in the FSM.

• The monetization of Micronesian societies has fragmented the customary extended family and led to the loss of traditional roles and change in the family authority system. Since there has been no replacement for the roles lost, the present-day roles of family members must be expanded or adapted so as to provide adequate care for all family members.

There is no institution as important to Micronesian life as the family. Yet, it is precisely this key social structure that has been most affected by the changes during the last three decades. The nuclearization of the family in all parts of Micronesia has left people without the social resources that they once possessed to assist in child-rearing and in incorporating young people into the community, with its mind set and values. The diminution of these roles, and the loss of resources accompanying it, have contributed greatly to a number of the social problems that plague the island societies today.

• Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other social groups, especially church groups, could be much better utilized to provide some of the social services needed to replace what was once provided by extended families and the community.

The nuclearization of the family and the weakening of traditional community structures has left a gap to be filled. The modern government has jumped in to attempt to fill this gap by allocating to government agencies the delivery of social services. Offices multiply and employees increase, but they are unable to provide the oversight and care that is needed on the village, family and personal level. Government is simply too removed from the daily workings of the community to be effective. Local community associations (which could be called NGOs) would serve more effectively since they operate at a grassroots level and know the parties who need help. Probably the best positioned of these groups are church-affiliated organizations (church women's clubs, youth groups), which are still underutilized by the community in providing social services.

• The complete distinction between male and female roles, which was honored in the past, remains in force even today in the public arena and most other areas of life. In the interests of women as much as men, the gender equality issue should not be forced but left for gradual resolution by the community.

Traditionally men's roles and women's roles were seen as complementing one another in a gender partnership. Women were given important roles, although not highly visible ones. On some islands they were even regarded as custodians of the land. In the past they were protected but confined. Today they are not only denied access to new roles, but their old roles are sometimes challenged by today's males. The question of what position women should have in the "new social order" has been justly raised. Yet, many women seem to feel that the issue should be handled delicately to avoid a gender war.

• The superimposition of modern political systems on traditional systems has led to the weakening of traditional leadership roles and increased reliance of the community on the modern government. How can traditional leaders be better employed in community development?

Traditional chiefs, it should be noted, do not exist everywhere in Micronesia, nor were their roles the same in those places where they did exist. While traditional chiefs are still honored and respected today, their functions have been curtailed by the development of a parallel authority system, that of the modern government. Elected officials, although not accorded the same respect, command more de facto authority over the direction of development than traditional leaders, if for no other reason than they have better access to development funds. Is there some way that traditional leaders can be brought from the margins to the center of decisions over development? This need not be formal recognition in the modern governmental bureaucracy; it could be in the form of better linkage with the local communities.

• Present-day leaders, traditional and modern, may not be as accountable to their people today as chiefs and other traditional authorities were in the past. There has been a decline in reciprocity between leadership and common people.

In the past, it was understood that chiefs were to receive respect--often in the form of first fruits and choice portions at feasts--in exchange for the services they performed for the community. It was expected that the chiefs would reserve a portion for themselves and redistribute the rest of these gifts to the community. Today these chiefs continue to receive material signs of respect, but these increasingly take the form of money or goods that cannot be as easily shared. Not only does the present day chief keep much more for himself, but his own service contribution to the community has declined with the advent of the modern political system. All this betokens a growing lack of reciprocity between present day chiefs and their people.

• The economy of FSM, which still depends mainly on foreign aid and government employment, has to be reversed if the nation is to become self-reliant. The government must be downsized and a healthy productive economy, with a strong private sector, must be established.

The assessments offered by international planners unanimously cite the need to turn the economy around, increasing the size and strength of the productive economy while reducing the size of the government. Only in this way will the nation advance towards self-reliance and reduce its considerable dependence on foreign aid. Yet, this would mean reversing the directions of the past 30 years, during which the private sector was mainly service-oriented and fed off the government salaries. Productivity could be neglected because the economy, with its great infusion of aid from the US, could do without it nicely. As long as FSM had a wealthy patron, there was no urgency about developing a healthy private sector. Now, however, with the end of the 15-year Compact period rapidly approaching, FSM must develop its own springs of wealth.

• The traditional semi-subsistence economy, which remains an important part of the total national economy today, must be acknowledged as a legitimate option for people in the future.

In the race to develop a solid economy, the nation should not neglect the strong but hidden resource base that is already at work in the form of the semi-subsistence economy. Well over half, and perhaps closer to three-fourths, of the people of FSM provide their own sustenance from the land. Moreover, they are able to provide the relatively small amounts of cash needed to support themselves through cottage industries and cashcropping. This significant sector of the economy must be acknowledged and strengthened in future development plans.

• There is need for greater involvement of the private sector--businesses, churches, NGOs--in economic and social development now and in the future.

These organizations have the potential to share the government's burden in providing services for the public. Church groups might be encouraged to open new schools and expand existing schools to assist in the task of educating the growing population, while private businesses might offer more job training opportunities at their own expense. Private health care facilities could be expanded to stem the drain on government hospitals and dispensaries. Public utilities might be increasingly privatized in an effort to relieve the government of the expense of providing power and water to the population. As time goes on, the public will need to contribute more towards the costs of education, health care, and public utilities.

• The rate of population growth in FSM, which has declined sharply in the past decade and will decline further in years to come, remains a concern but no longer a critical issue. While public measures should be continued to keep the growth rate down, the population issue should not distract government from its top prority: economic development.

The fertility rate in FSM has been dropping for over 20 years and will no doubt continue to drop in the years ahead. Meanwhile, emigration has been syphoning off excess population from the most populous states. The adjustment that usually occurs in nations moving toward modernization seems to be occurring in FSM. The most reasonable projections show FSM's population increasing by half its present size in 20 years. While this growth will challenge the nation in development of health, education and other services, the most critical issue today is the building of an economy that supports its present population and a reasonable increase of people in the future.

• Given the limited resources with which FSM is forced to work, the nation must clearly define the purpose of its education system. Educational goals should be sharpened so that schooling might be done in such a way as to focus on basic objectives that serve to preserve the broad options for young Micronesians in the future.

Even relatively well-endowed schools cannot do everything. This is all the more true of a public education system that operates under severe financial constraints. Vocational education, for all the favorable attention it receives, is expensive and demanding. In view of the fact that young Micronesians face a difficult economic choice between entering the town job market, returning to the village subsistence economy, and out migration in search of jobs elsewhere, the educational goals embraced by the schools should be broad enough to encompass all three possibilities. Yet, they should be specific enough to offer the basic skills needed to launch young people into the future.

• The present public educational system must be improved if students are to meet the standards that are being set for them. Improvement of what exists is more vital than educational expansion. The government must decide where educational reform should begin.

Although a rather high percentage of high school graduates continue their education at the tertiary level, test scores indicate that most are poorly prepared for college. To accommodate these students, the College of Micronesia-FSM must offer remedial programs aimed at bringing students' reading and math skills to an acceptable level. Although there are "islands of excellence," educational achievement appears to have declined during the last 25 years. The government has dealt with this problem by offering young people access to more years of education rather than fixing what is wrong at the lower levels. Educational reform must begin from the bottom and work up rather than the other way around.

• Institutions that benefit the local communities and which can be managed at this level could be entrusted to the responsibility of the communities they serve. Elementary schools and local dispensaries and clinics are prime examples of such institutions. Only when they are restored to the care of the community can the local people gain ownership and a sense of responsibility for these systems.

Since the early 1960s, with the centralization of the education and health services systems in the Trust Territory, island communities have been discouraged from taking an active role in providing for their own needs. Since those days the schools and dispensaries have been run from a distance, with minimal input demanded from the communities. Although there are clear indications that many feel this direction should be reversed, few concrete steps have been taken to bring these and other institutions under the control of the communities. Decentralization is not only a financial imperative; it is a move that results in the empowerment of the community.

• Any major improvements in the health status of the nation can only be made with the full participation of the people themselves. Public education for prevention of illness seems to be a very high priority today.

The immunization programs conducted throughout FSM have had a measurable impact on the health of the young and check against contagious diseases. The most serious health problems today are those associated with a modern lifestyle: diabetes and hypertension. Individuals themselves must be taught to take steps to prevent these diseases, just as they must learn to take sanitary measures to guard against

other types of disease. Hence, an effective public education program is of critical importance today.

• Opportunities for earning cash must be expanded, in the private sector as well as in the semi-subsistence village economy, even as the government imposes more stringent restrictions on the use of natural resources to insure sustainability.

With the growing population and the increased demand for a cash income, the nation must offer more alternatives for people seeking a livelihood. Even those in the village economy living on locally produced foods need ways to obtain ready cash for other expenses. With the decline in earlier methods of earning money to supplement the income--such as making copra or collecting trochus--many have turned to quick but ecologically destructive methods of earning cash. An example is the growing of sakau on the highlands of Pohnpei, thus endangering the watershed. How does the government maximize earning power for all, yet protect valuable land and sea resources for the future?

• In the interest of maximizing the use of its scarce land resources, the government will have to begin to impose regulations on the use of private land. This will require a change in attitude toward freedom to use land as the private owners wish.

Land is a valuable but scarce resource in FSM. Wise use of land is imperative if the nation is to develop the productive industries that it hopes for. At the present time, the public's attitude is that the use of private land should be entirely determined by the owner, without any interference from the government. Owner's rights are paramount in this view, even if the common good is hindered by his decision. Land taxes and eminent domain are still generally unacceptable to people, although the shortage of land for business purposes will require strong controls governing the use of land.

• At all levels--national, state and municipal--governments must better coordinate their efforts in order to reduce waste of money and other resources.

Sometimes the governments work at cross purposes to one another. At other times they merely overlap in their programs. In either case, lack of coordination results in wastage of funds or worse. The problem appears within state jurisdictions and between the states and the national government. As outside funding becomes ever more scarce, it is imperative that the nation look at ways to create savings by avoiding duplicative and uncoordinated efforts.

Approaches to Development

There is more than one path to development, we are often told. The variety of strategies that can be used to implement these goals is even more numerous. At bottom, however, there are a few basic approaches that might be recommended, no matter what development goals are chosen. The three fundamental strategies explained below are of vital importance for insuring human growth as well as for successful implementation.

Community education. Genuine human development implies that people participate in the decisions that will affect their future lives. If this is to happen, they must be educated to understand the various development options with their costs and benefits. Development goals can be proposed, but choices cannot be made by anyone other than the people affected.

Any attempt to short-circuit this process will ultimately be self-defeating, as development planners around the world have learned through their own sad experience. This is just as true in Micronesia, where cultural assumptions that can thoroughly deflate programs abound. The citizens of the FSM, not merely their leaders and planners, will be required to implement the plans. If they are not convinced of their value, the plans will eventually come to nothing.

Local participation hinges on effective community education. People at the grassroots level must be informed on issues affecting them. Much of the background information they need to make effective decisions can be picked up at discussions of the issue.

Ultimately, the most effective form of public education is community discussion of current development issues. This involves a free exchange of ideas between people in the community, regardless whether such exchanges take place as village or church meetings or as informal conversations between a handful of neighbors. Information flow on these topics can be presented via radio, or possibly even TV in some areas.

Partnership. Over the final years of US administration and the early years of FSM self-rule, local people have become accustomed to looking to the government to provide everything--public safety, road repair, power and utilities, health services, and an increasingly expensive array of social services to treat the casualties of their modernized society. In many communities, people have relinquished any responsibility for these and other services and have turned instead to church or other organizations as creative outlets.

If development is to happen, communities must be willing to invest their own resources in projects. While they may not have adequate resources to do the job themselves, their contribution should be encouraged, if for no other reason than to give them a sense of ownership over the project and control over their community affairs.

The grant-in-aid approach that the US administration took during the 1950s and early 1960s, when government budgets were much smaller and funds had to be disbursed with great care, was a better model for development than the approach of later and richer years. The government provided a major share of the funding necessary on condition that the community itself furnish a stipulated amount of the labor and other resources needed for the completion of the project. This may have been closer to a genuine partnership between community and government than anything seen since.

Only approaches of this sort can stem the feelings of disenfranchisement that small communities

commonly feel when they measure their own resources against those of their behemoth government. Moreover, they introduce a spirit of partnership with government and a new sense of participation in creating their own future.

Utilization of local social resources. A development aimed at the growth of people should make maximum use of their resources--not just their ideas but all the social resources the community has at its disposal. Just as development projects that bring in expensive construction equipment but neglect the labor of the local people lose something, so those projects that depend entirely on foreign institutions rather than homegrown ones sacrifice a vital element in human development.

Though this may seem abstract and removed from reality, there are any number of real life illustrations from Micronesia. The ones chosen below show a creative blend of traditional and modern elements to produce a system that has proven its effectiveness.

• Chuuk:
  In the 1951, one of the municipalities was faced with the problem of raising enough cash to buy shares of stock in Truk Trading Company, the newly founded export-import firm in the district. The island chief appealed to his people many times to invest in the company, but to no avail. After a time he invented a system known as a toochap that contained strong elements of the traditional culture. At a village meeting clans were called up in turn to present an envelope that contained their donation, the contents of which were announced to the assembled village. Then appeals were made to individuals to come up and add to the contributions, with improvised Chuukese songs and dances performed in between these appeals. The toochap was so successful that it became a standard means of raising money for community projects thereafter. (Mahony 1960)
• Yap:
  During precontact times, Yapese chiefs of high-ranking villages met only occasionally to discuss major problems affecting several villages. Regular meetings were first established by the German governor of Yap in the early 1900's to plan island-wide public works projects and settle inter-village conflicts. During the US administration of the island, the ranking chiefs were organized into a formal council that met to provide advice on development plans and other major issues. Soon a parallel group was formed for the chiefs of the Outer Islands of Yap, the atolls that contain about half of the state's population. The two councils were then convened at regular intervals to provide input from the traditional leaders on matters being considered by the state legislature. The chiefs' councils have become the means by which the voice of the traditional leaders is carried into the workings of the modern government.
• Kosrae:
  Each of the four villages of Kosrae was organized by the church into two or three competitive work groups. This manner of organization was an echo of the traditional subsectional divisions that existed before the great population decline in the last century, but it was done under the leadership of the United Church of Christ, which became the successor of the ancient political authority system in Kosrae. The groups carried out road repair work, community cleanups, and other village tasks.
• Pohnpei:
  In the early 1980's, several community leaders recognized that a segment of troubled youth were not being "captured" by service organizations. Young people, mostly young males, were being arrested on minor offenses and detained at the local jail along with adults. There was no other place for them to go and no organization to work with them. This resulted in the creation of "Aramas Kapw", an organization that targeted as its clients the young people who were falling through the net of other youth and social service organizations. With private grant support, the group formed, secured an abandoned warehouse, and developed a residential program that stressed discipline, hard work, confidence building, teamwork, basic job skills, and career counseling. Though the program was modeled on "Outward Bound", it took a local flavor with its emphasis on swimming and floating skills, canoe paddling and Pohnpeian-style talk sessions. As the program's reputation spread, the police began releasing young offenders into the custody of the program rather than have them languish in jail.

Development programs like these utilize traditional systems and structures to meet present-day needs. Not only do they conserve and strengthen elements from the society's past, but they offer a better chance of success over the long run than programs that depend on entirely new systems.