MISSION

Copyright 1972 Rosemary Grimble, Author of
Migrations, Myth and Magic from the Gilbert Islands,
Routledge & Kegan Paul, London and Boston, 1972.

Public and Charitable Purposes

The public and charitable "mission" of the Atoll Institute is stated in its Articles of Incorporation as follows:

The public and charitable purposes of the Atoll Institute are to engage in educational, scientific, literary and charitable activities concerning the conservation of atolls and the betterment of their inhabitants, including but not limited to investigating and moderating the past, present and future impacts from sea level rise due to global climate change.

Mission of the Atoll Institute

The overwhelming body of scientific research indicates that because of sea level rise the atolls of the world will largely become uninhabitable in this century, initially caused by salt water intrusion in their potable fresh water lenses, causing the inhabitants to flee as environmental refugees with the attendant loss of their culture, history, ways of life, economies, and national autonomies.  The mission, therefore, of the Atoll Institute, which is the only known organization of its kind, is to seek mechanisms to moderate these problems and, to the maximum extent possible, then make the atolls and atoll nations veritable Edens in a world that is reeling under the adverse affects of global climate change.  This mission can be achieved.

Initial Methodology

The Republic of Kiribati has been chosen by the Atoll Institute as the initial focus of its quest for solutions.  Kiribati has been designated by the United Nations as one of the handful of nations that are most affected by sea level rise due to global climate change.  It is comprised of 33 low-lying coral atolls in the central Pacific Ocean which have a combined land mass of about 300 square miles and comprise three island chains that are intersected by the equator and international date line, thus it claims about 2 million square miles of ocean territory.  While atolls are found in the Indian Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and Caribbean Sea, they are most abundant in the Pacific Ocean.  Therefore, Kiribati is an ideal candidate to focus upon as it is typical of an atoll nation in the region of the world where atolls are most abundant.  Moreover, Kiribati is undoubtedly one of the nations least affected by western society, and therefore its traditional culture will be most severely affected by future resettlement initiatives required to cope with, or adapt to, sea level rise; and its government lacks the financial and technical resources to do so if and when it is needed.  While responsibility for this dilemma is international in nature, the problem currently resides almost exclusively with the government of Kiribati.  Regrettably, all that is presently being done for Kiribati about sea level rise is measuring the rate, and acknowledging the growing problem.

The intent of the Atoll Institute, therefore, is to generate international awareness of the existence of the atolls and nation of Kiribati, the uniqueness of its traditional culture and value to humanity, and the growing urgency of focusing international resources on finding solutions that will permit its islanders to cope with the detrimental and growing effects on its shorelines and water supplies in the short term, to possibly dredge lagoons and fill islets to raise selected areas over the medium term, and to eventually build elevated platforms or floating atolls in the future. Accordingly, the initial methodology that seems to have the greatest likelihood of generating international 'awareness' is one that will generate international 'publicity.'  There is no better means of doing so that through the print and television mediums. Thus, the best prospect of 'getting the message out' is by engaging in news-worthy activities.  And, the most news-worthy activity that could do so is through a series of documentaries that will identify the atolls in a factual, interesting and entertaining manner, educate the public on the history and culture of the inhabitants, and engage in a riveting and lengthy activity that will command ongoing media coverage of events in and concerning Kiribati.  One of the most effective means of doing so will be by engaging in the construction of a traditional 'Baurua' outrigger canoe such as those used in discovering and settling the atolls one to three thousand years ago in a process of eastward migration from Southeast Asia, and then launching the Baurua outrigger in order to continue the migration eastward until its logical termination on the continent of North America, consistent with anthropological speculation about what could have actually occurred prior to European discovery of North America.

The Atoll Institute therefore intends to initially launch an expedition called the 'Tungaru Expedition' to film all of the atolls of Kiribati, both inhabited and uninhabited, and thereby educate the public as to what landforms exist, what is unique about them, and what problems and priorities are associated with preserving them.  In this process a visual record will also be established for future generations when the atolls of Kiribati, in their natural or present forms, will cease to exist.  Upon concluding this initial documentary film phase, the Atoll Institute will commence the second documentary film phase which will entail commissioning the construction of a traditional 'Baurua' outrigger canoe at Tarawa, the capitol of Kiribati, by using traditional materials, construction techniques, and boat builders.  A Kiribati navigator and crew will be assembled and trained in traditional navigation and sailing.  Then, when the western winds finally arrive it will be time for the 'Baurua Outrigger Expedition' to quickly cast off eastward from Tarawa for landings in the Phoenix Islands and Line Islands, then northward towards Hawaii, and finally eastward again for a landing in North America.  The international media will be welcome to follow the expedition, assuming that their vessel can keep up as Baurua outrigger canoes were reported to have reached speeds in excess of 30 knots on the flat waters of Kiribati's lagoons.  Upon a successful landfall in North America the substantial research and development work of the Atoll Institute will be begin.

The natural and intended translation of international awareness and concern about Kiribati and its struggle to cope with sea level rise will be research and development.  Research will entail pure and applied scientific activities focusing upon the entire spectrum of human and environmental challenges directly associated with a changing physical habitat.  Development will entail promotion of economic projects that will have minimal adverse impacts on the fragile atoll habitats and traditional cultural sensitivities, and yet generate needed hard currencies to finance the immediate needs of the people and their adaptation to sea level rise.  Currently, Kiribati's primary source of hard currency is from the sale of fishing license to foreign fishing fleets, which is likely to decline over the near future as fishing stocks decline.  Substitutes will therefore be needed for this anticipated decline in revenue, thus other maritime related industries will be investigated and pursued, and recommendations will be made.  And, new or expanded industries will be investigated and promoted, to include agriculture, manufacturing and tourism; efficiency and self-sufficiency are key goals, and certain projects have already been identified.

Advocacy

Advocacy will be an essential element in the successful process of adaptation to sea level rise.  It will be necessary to educate Kiribati's people to the new and potentially overwhelming issues they are and will be facing, and the limited range of solutions that are available to them.  Equally and perhaps more importantly, advocacy will be necessary in representing Kiribati's interests to the world community of nations, and in generating both goodwill and materiel support for their cause. Advocacy will take the form of educational, moral and legal initiatives that transform domestic and international relations to facilitate survival in a habitat of rising sea levels.  To the greatest extent possible advocacy will be proactive not reactive.  Foremost in this regard will be a key feature of the traditional atoll community life, and that is cooperation, not competition.  While free-enterprise is important, maintaining the traditional community and extended family values is truly paramount.

The mission of the Atoll Institute is to preserve as much as possible of the deemed 'beneficial' aspects of Kiribati's culture, lifestyle, landforms and habitats in the face of sea level rise, while discovering and creating solutions that will inevitably transform the nation from one that is literally on the brink of obliteration to a modern nation that has prospered and adapted in a manner that will make it a model for other similarly situated nations.  Sea level rise due to global climate change presents an unprecedented opportunity for Kiribati if it is able to perceive it that way and adapts to it accordingly.  The challenge for the Atoll Institute over the balance of this century and in centuries to come is thus generally defined.

Copyright © 2006, Atoll Institute, all rights reserved.      info@atollinstitute.org