The first week of April, Marshall Islanders representing over 30 different community-based organizations convened in Salem, OR for the First Annual Marshallese Leadership Summit. The Summit was put on by the newly-formed National Marshallese Community Coalition (NMCC), an umbrella organization started by the leadership of three current Marshallese non-profits in Hawaiʻi, California, and Oregon. Participants came from as far away as Ohio and Arkansas for the five-day summit, bringing with them a range of backgrounds. While some already had extensive non-profit experience, most came with express interest in learning the ins-and-outs of starting up and running an advocacy non-profit in their home communities. 

NMCC chairs describe the summit as the first step towards building a nation-wide network of Marshallese advocacy organizations to better serve Pacific Islander communities across the US. “This coalition has been a 3-plus decade dream of our elders that have rolled up their sleeves and got in the dirt to pave the path for us,” writes NMCC co-chair and co-founder Kelani Silk. Silk is an experienced community advocate and program director, with over two decades in the non-profit sector. Currently as the founder and executive director of the California-based organization Marshallese Youth of Orange County (MYOC), Silk has worked to raise the issues of nuclear justice and Compact negotiations alongside US House Representative Katie Porter, who thanked Kelani and the other participants in a pre-recorded video for the summit. 

In his opening remarks, Jesse Gasper, president of the Oregon Marshallese Community Association (OMCA) elaborated on the goals of the summit. Speaking in both English and Marshallese, Gasper spoke to a crowd that included honored guests RMI Ambassador to the US Gerald Zackious, Oregon-based COFA migrant advocate and honorary RMI citizen Loyd Henion, and Irooj (chief) Winston Milne. Gasper quoted from the Bible saying, “As iron sharpens iron” so too does he hope the summit provides the opportunity for Marshallese community advocates “to uplift and empower each other and our communities.”  

Throughout the week Gasper often shared the microphone with the third NMCC co-chair and co-founder, Jendrik Paul. A retired army veteran and resident of Honolulu, Paul is also president of the Marshallese Community Organization of Hawaiʻi (MCOH). During the summit, Paul often emphasized the Marshallese saying, “Kajoor wōt wōr”, meaning there is strength in numbers when organizations collaborate to take on big challenges. He attributed the successful containment of COVID-19 among Marshallese in Hawaiʻi as an example of the potential positive impact community-based programs can achieve through strategic partnerships with state, private, and other non-profit groups. As a testament to this success, MCOH recently acquired an additional $500,000 grant to continue their work addressing health disparities now receiving overdue attention from the pandemic. 

Hoping to build on the successes of groups like MCOH, OMCA, and MYOC, the Leadership Summit brought a combination of expert consultants and experienced Marshallese advocates to lead a variety of training sessions during the week. Speakers covered topics ranging from how to officially register a non-profit organization, to identifying and securing funding, to effectively using social media platforms like Facebook, and how to help community members navigate state Medicaid programs. NMCC leaders often pointed out that these complex bureaucratic systems are not made to accommodate Marshallese migrants living in the US. Formalizing into a 501(c)(3), for instance, requires hundreds of dollars in start-up costs, complicated legal forms, and specialized administrative skills. To address these challenges, NMCC leaders expressed hope that the summit training, and the relationships it fosters, will provide participants the technical skills and knowledge they need to more effectively serve the needs of their home communities. 

While session topics were sometimes challenging, and the church conference center accommodations modest, the week was filled with the iakwe spirit. Between sessions, participants caught up with relatives and friends, often staying up late talking about the topics of the day. Summit planners also made sure each day also included team building activities, like trips to scenic locales in Oregon as well as a food pantry-style community outreach project. Meanwhile, the tireless efforts of women from local church groups ensured all attendees were fed throughout the week. By the closing “graduation ceremony”, a new cohort of Marshallese leaders seemed both ready and nervous to apply what they learned to the challenges waiting for them back home.

Photo Credits: Marlynn Livai and Caleb Klipowicz