Tracy Guerrero, director of the CNMI Superior Court and chairwoman of the NMI Humanities Council, said the commonwealth is changing because there are more cultures coming.
“If you look at the younger generation and the school population you will see many more Filipinos, Chinese, Thai, and other ethnicities. Back then only Chamorros were in school, and a few Caucasians and Japanese students,” said Guerrero who was yesterday’s speaker at the Saipan Rotary Club meeting.
“The Humanities role is to foster better understanding across the different cultures and understanding who we are, and how we live and work together, and what does it mean for us in the future and how to appreciate our differences and similarities,” she said.
Guerrero said the Humanities Council is affiliated with and receives annual grant support from the U.S. National Endowment for the Humanities and additional support from other federal, state and private grants and donations.
A non-profit organization established in 1991, the Council is one of the few non-educational institutions in the CNMI that is educational tax credit eligible.
Guerrero said the council has only 11 board members for now.
“We have two vacancies that we are looking to fill and we are seeking applications to fill those positions. We would be happy to accept letters of interest from interested applicants,” she said.
Some ongoing Humanities Council projects include the “Your Humanities Half-Hour” radio program on Power 99 every Sunday from 2 to 2:30 p.m.; and the Teachers Institute, a bi-annual program that educates teachers about NMI history.
The council is also involved in the literacy programs at the Joeten-Kiyu Public Library and the Junior High Mock Trial.
For their 20th anniversary, Guerrero said they are holding a fundraiser dinner in The Magellan restaurant of the Pacific Islands Club on Friday from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.,
The keynote speaker will be Father Eric Forbes from Guam who was a priest at the San Roque church in the 1990s and a noted historian who has written several books.
The event will also feature an auction of unique and rare artwork by local artists. A ticket costs $50 which includes a summer cocktail menu, all the beer and wine PIC has to offer, live music, and a chance to win thousands of dollars in raffle prizes, roundtrip tickets to Hong Kong courtesy of Fly Guam, and roundtrip ticket to Japan, and other prizes.
All proceeds will go to public humanities programs and community projects. Tickets are available at the council office in Gualo Rai. For inquiries, call 235-4785 or visit www.nmihumanities.org.
