University of Hawai'i Summit to address Militarisation of the Pacific

UH Summit to Explore Impact of Militarization 

on Pacific Islands

The symposium will feature panels focused on the Marshall Islands, Mariana Islands, French Polynesia and Hawaii.

By ANITA HOFSCHNEIDER 

The University of Hawaii Asian-Pacific Law & Policy Journal is hosting a symposium this month exploring the impact of militarization on Micronesian and Polynesian islands.

The event, entitled “Bombs in Paradise: A Legal, Social, and Political Discussion of Militarization in the Pacific”, will take place on April 17 at the University of Hawaii law school campus.

PF Bentley/Civil Beat

Sailor’s Hat on Kahoolawe where the Navy dropped a 500lb TNT bomb to simulate the effects of an atomic blast.

The symposium will feature panels focused on the Marshall Islands, Mariana Islands, French Polynesia and Hawaii. Julian Aguon, a Guam native who is an attorney, author and activist, will give the keynote speech.

In Hawaii, state lawmakers are figuring out how much money to set aside this year to support the restoration of the former bombing range Kahoolawe, once known as “Target Island.”

For more background on Kahoolawe, read Civil Beat’s series Promised Land.