By the time you read this post, you will have heard the devastating news about our beloved brother Dr. Joakim “Jojo” Peter who passed away on April 8, 2019 in Honolulu. I have known Jojo since our undergraduate years at the University of Guam in the early 80’s. We’ve stayed friends since and reconnected in Hawai’i.
Brother Jojo, you have left a deep empty hole in all of our hearts which will take a while to re-fill. All we can try to do is to fill our hearts and minds with memories of the many things you have taught us by your life, your words, your values, your hopes and aspirations for our COFA community…with the promise of carrying forth your legacy.
If there was one word that encapsulates Jojo’s message for me, it’s the word he coined, Kichability, as a Chuukese strength-based alternative to the deficit-focused English term, Disability. Kich in Chuukese means, “We Are” or “We Together.” To him, disability is not an individual struggle, but rather a communal opportunity for advancement. In other words, the true success of us as a community is judged by our ability collectively to care for those in our midst with special and unique needs. As such, we must work hard to ensure that the environment and resources are accessible to ensure everyone’s success. We Are Ability! We Are Jojo!
It was this deep sense of community that has guided Jojo’s life’s work as long as I have known him. By the time I met him in college, Jojo had already embraced the Jesuit education value of being a “man for others.” He lived it professionally as an educator, administrator, activist, scholar, researcher, teacher, speaker, healthcare advocate. He also inspired it as a humble friend, mentor, brother, uncle.
Jojo was truly an inspiration to those of us who were blessed to know him. His wheelchair was never an excuse for self-pity. It was his wheeled canoe willing us forward, never backwards except to remind us of the strengths of our ancestors. Even as he struggled with increasingly challenging health scares, Jojo continued to be available to serve.
Social justice was Jojo’s heartbeat both for education back home in our home state of Chuuk and in Hawai’i for the COFA community. Governor Ike recognized this special and proud “Micro” by nominating him to serve on the Civil Rights Commission for the State of Hawai’i. Last Saturday, I submitted this testimonial for the public hearing that was scheduled for this Wednesday, April 10th. The Hawai’i ohana is losing someone who would’ve tried to be a bridge for all of us by his voice.
Jojo, thank you for calling me during your recent trip to Chuuk and Pohnpei. You were so full of hope yet so full of resolve to not give up on the children of Micronesia particularly our struggling State of Chuuk. I will always cherish that last video conference…so fitting to sail away leaving us full of hope. I promise, pwipwi, to carry on your legacy, never to give up on our community locally and globally.
Ole lo mwana nge know that your hopes and aspirations for a prosperous Micronesia (the region) will continue to be our call to action. Many of us have been so blessed to work alongside you at COFA-Community Advocacy Network (CAN), COFA-Community Leadership Advocacy Network (CLAN), We Are Oceania (WAO), Micronesian Youth Summit (MYS), Pacific Resources for Education & Learning (PREL), Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, Chaminade Univ., Center for Pacific Islands Studies (CPIS), Medical-Legal Partnership for Children (MLPC), Pacific Voices, UHM Special Education Department, Chuuk Department of Education, Island Pride, Marshallese Education Day, Micronesian Connections, Micronesians United – Big Island (MU-BI), Pacific Relevant Consulting (PRC), COM-Chuuk, Da Micro Consultancy Pirates, the list goes on. We will miss you forever. We will never forget you. Kemwarhuk rewe!
