Micronesia Climate Change Alliance

Numa'lo Refillery is a mobile zero waste, low impact business and the first of its kind in our region. Guam currently imports 90% of all products including furniture, clothes, food, etc. When all of these items are used, they have nowhere else to go but our landfill. Because Guam is only 40 miles long and 10 miles wide, land is finite and the financial burden of expanding our landfill will heavily impact our island residents for the years to Guam. Numa’lo currently provides body and household products that are sustainably sourced and created from local business owners throughout the Pacific. Customers bring their jars or buy one of our aluminum bottles and can refill their shampoo, conditioner, body wash, etc. Our solution to help Numa’lo Refillery transition to a co-op means that the business will move from a sole proprietorship to a community-centered business owned, controlled and run by and for its workers to address place-based economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations. The need for a solution to the waste crisis on Guam is critical and while Numa'lo is only a small business, expanding into a worker owned cooperative will create opportunities for the zero waste movement to grow on Guam.

Due to our lack of political status as an unchartered U.S colony, our communities’ priorities are often put on the backburner. Although we are a part of the United States, residents of Guam are treated as second-class citizens- we aren’t given the political freedom to vote, are denied access to social security and unemployment, and are perpetually fighting against the U.S military presence to keep land in natives’ hands. Because of this political status and hyper-militarization, people are disproportionately impacted by a multitude of travesties such as environmental degradation, sickness, drug addiction, lack of access, and poverty. Poverty in particular is a devastating issue Guam faces, with more than 30% of people being dependent upon food stamps and medicare. There is very limited economic opportunity, and many younger generations relocate to the United States or join the military. The opportunity for residents to be empowered, sustainable, and safe by their own means is a highly desired dream for many who live on the island. 

We are working towards decolonization and decentralization in order to facilitate a continuous cycle of wealth accumulation into the hands of indigenous pacific islanders. By developing a thriving democratically managed cooperative, island residents will have the opportunity to be in spaces of leadership and have access to capital. By meeting the needs of the indigenous CHamoru people in our community, we can not only build wealth within an equitable working environment, but a greater movement that challenges the destructive, extractive systems that perpetuate oppression.

Because Guam’s political status coupled with the current capitalist economic structure does not make space for budding entrepreneurs or equitable access to capital, the solution to develop Guam’s first democratically-governed co-op would offer workers the chance to live and lead high quality lives. However, in order to generate wealth, you must have capital first. We seek access to capital so that we can establish a thriving coop that will offer incentivized business and leadership training and professional development opportunities to empower community members to become business owners. Our solution also divests from the enclosure of financial wealth and power from the hands of  the dominant extractive industries (military, tourism, etc) back into the hands of community members who are struggling to survive. It is a very tough time to be an indigenous descendent on the current colonized status of Guam: The price of gas just surpassed $6.00 a gallon, the rate of power and water also increased this year, and the cost of housing as well as high-sustenance food is out of reach to many islands residents. Most of Guam is in a state of poverty, and because of our political status, it’s very hard to feel like we have any control over improving the quality of CHamoru lives. The challenge we face is access to capital, which we seek to regenerate and put back into the hands of the community through a worker-owned coop.

Guam is home to the CHamoru people, the indigenous people who have called the Mariana Islands home for the past four centuries. As an unincorporated territory with no voting rights or representation, CHamoru voices are often put on the back burner. Giving the community itself a collaborative, locally-rooted, & worker-owned co-op provides a safe environment for our community leaders to work together and create community-centered solutions to the worldwide climate crisis that we as a frontline community face the devastating effects of. Because co-ops are deeply democratic in nature, it welcomes diversity of perspectives and encourages cooperation to work towards a mutually sought goal or set of principles. In this case, our principles are centered around a refillery store that is waste-free, locally sourced, and community driven.

Numa’lo was born out of the urgency to the plastic crises the island faces. With only one landfill and an average of 660,000 lbs of trash daily, our small island of less than 200,000 creates an absurd amount of trash. We do not currently recycle any plastic on island or offer free recycling resources to residents. Not even glass is recycled on Guam right now. Residents are so overburdened, they dump their trash in the middle of the jungle or ocean. Guam is just coming into zero waste options, and it’s a service Numa’lo is proud to provide. With this service, individuals can learn to make accountable choices with their consumer shopping habits, and that is also a power within itself.

We do not plan on expanding our solution to the states because our community is urgently in need of local solutions that generate wealth for our people. However, there is a large diaspora community of Chamorro people across the United States and a lot of these people want to come back home but economic opportunities here are slim. In 2010, it was reported that 147,798 Chamorro people were residing in the US which was a 60% increase in a decade. This number will likely increase with the ongoing military buildup, increase in housing, gas and utility rates. A long term goal for us would be to make connections with Chamorro diaspora and create strong economic systems, such as cooperatives, that could provide them with an income and a decent livelihood.

MCCA is a grassroots network of individuals and organizations dedicated to creating community-centered solutions to the climate crisis. Although we are a small team, we have an ambitious agenda to improve the sustainability of our island home by focusing on a wide spectrum of issues such as promoting food sovereignty, tackling the consumption and waste crisis and moving funds and resources into the hands of the indigenous people in our community. Our overarching goal is to transition from the extractive economy to a regenerative economy that is rooted in equity and values the environment, community and well-being over everything else. We believe that we can all thrive without leaving anyone else behind or destroying resources. This also includes uplifting businesses, such as Numa’lo, whose mission aligns with ours. By establishing policies for cooperatives and helping to develop a democratic, people centered economy, we are promoting climate action and social justice.

• Systems of oppression influence and impact our daily lives and plague justice movements. We must collectively dismantle internalized capitalism, colonialism and engage in principled struggle, working collectively to build a new economy that values resources and human life. Cooperatives are more productive, address local issues, provide sustainable employment and protect Guam residents from the boom and bust of the tourism and military sector. They also challenge the economy of Capitalism through a people over profit approach. The roots of a co-op stem from the intentional decision to address community issues, creating an Economy of Care. 

• A worker-owned coop would help members of our community step into spaces of welcomed opportunity where they can directly serve the communities they are from. Owners and members of the coop work in coalition with collective governance. They move as a community towards one goal.

• Funding through this business and this model means access and opportunity for residents of Guam and Micronesia to have a zero waste option for essential plastic-popular household staples, like body and cleaning products. It is an encouraging time to introduce a zero waste store on Guam because everyone wants to be eco-friendly. This is a blooming community on Guam, and people want to reduce their waste. We just need a dedicated team to provide that business for the community.

Our organization has indirectly served various small businesses since we started in 2018. During the height of the pandemic in April 2020, we allocated over $1,000 to purchase gift cards from small businesses to giveaways from our social media account. In 2021, we held a plant-based and sustainability festival called Veg Fest, where we invited 15 small businesses to be vendors. At this event, these small businesses were able to not only gain exposure but generate thousands of dollars in revenue. We regularly work with four businesses on various projects but in the last year, we have been focusing a lot of our time and attention to Numa’lo because their business is rooted in climate justice which aligns with our mission. We have provided the Numa’lo team access to the Just Transition Finance Training through our partner Climate Justice Alliance, a highly affordable vehicle lease and most recently, a portion of our office for their store-front. In the year since they have opened, Numa’lo has been able to garner a solid customer base of 30 people and we hope to double this amount once they are fully operating out of our office space. In the next five years, we hope to grow Numa’lo into a worker owned cooperative consisting of a team of 5 with a customer base of 100 or more people. We also want to educate our community on the benefits of democratic ownership and support other small businesses in starting or transitioning into a cooperative.

Guam is a frontline indigenous community facing multiple threats from the climate crisis as well as challenging relations with the U.S. which are primarily extractive, militaristic, and often neglectful. Issues including military buildup, the plastic crisis, and climate adaptation on top of the mobility challenges of COVID-19 make this a critical time to introduce the cooperative model and build community power. Our stakeholders include small sustainable businesses, community members, Guam Economic Development Authority (GEDA), Guam Women’s Chamber, and 15 senators as a part of the 37th Guam Legislature. In order to grow the co-op economy on Guam, we will need to overcome an existing Guam law which only allows for non-profit organizations in the fishing and agriculture sector to be recognized as cooperatives. Through education, advocacy and on the ground community organizing, we are well positioned to amplify the potential of a co-op model.

All our programs are specifically designed for underserved communities, collaborative by design and build on local know-how, Indigenous knowledge. Although there are social and climate initiatives being implemented across the United States, not much is being done to build resilience and cohesion at the community level on Pacific Islands such as Guam. At MCCA, we have developed free or low cost resources for our community on a range of environmental justice topics from the plastic crisis to food sovereignty. Our region faces many unique challenges, and there are limited resources available that highlight these issues. We created two web series entitled “From Our Nånas, For Our Nenis” highlighting food sovereignty and waste reduction. Our food sovereignty web program shares resources and tools that are highly accessible and affordable so that people in our region can become more food secure. This program was also launched in the height of COVID-19 where we were able to partner with a local non-profit working towards food sovereignty and not only did we amplify their work but we were also able to provide 25 families in-need each with a large bag full of fresh local produce valued at $25 for free. We also created a second web that investigated the history of plastic waste and how it has developed over the years and transformed communities across the Pacific. It also shed light on how consumerism, globalization, and colonization have fueled the plastic crisis and disconnected indigenous Micronesians from their homelands and seas. Both of these projects have been used by teachers, and students to learn about the waste crisis. We also have been able to provide service learning hours to high-school students remotely by having them watch the web series and writing reflection papers or using the learning materials we created. 

Towards the end of the waste crisis webseries project, we also deepened our work with members of the impoverished subdivisions that are at high risk for illegal dumping. We have raised over $6,000 by selling locally sourced and made cultural handicrafts created by these community members which was able to provide additional revenue to low income families during the pandemic. From the funds we will use $1,500 collaborating with one of the village Mayor’s office, the University of Guam’s Nursing students, and the Micronesia Resource Center One-Stop Shop (MRCOSS). We aim to create pamphlets and signs around these neighborhoods that inform residents of proper trash disposal and how to report illegal dumping. We have also created an incentivization mechanism for the residents to properly dispose of their waste by offering a $20 gas card if they present their transfer station receipt to the village Mayor’s office.

Currently, we have two youth centered projects that are focusing on waste reduction and digital storytelling. We launched an island wide school creation competition called "Telling Tales with Trash" where 400 students upcycled trash and created sculptures that depicted local legends and native flora and fauna. The project was released during earth month at the mall where the public could view each display and vote for their favorite submission. Collectively, the students were able to divert 1,000 pounds of trash from the landfill. 

The second project we are working on is called Kulo' which is the culturally significant conch shell in CHamoru, and used to gather and inform the community of important matters. The Kulo’ Fellowship has been ongoing since January where 15 youth have be given the space and tools to sharpen their hard and soft skills. This Fellowship also incorporates aspects of several humanities topics through discussions and critical analysis of Pasifika history, journalism, art history, media criticism, etc. In June, the project will culminate with a digital portfolio that interjects the Pacific youth narrative and addresses intersectional climate justice issues we face including food insecurity, gender identity, colonization, poverty, militarism, and beyond. We launched this project because many youth activists feel helpless, and with the climate crisis intensifying, they need the tools and resources to engage our broader community to take action.We hope to empower youth to take up the Kulo’ and create powerful digital stories, raising awareness on critical issues of this time. 

In only 3 years with limited funds and a small staff, MCCA has grounded the Just Transition in its headquarters on Guam and is cultivating regenerative relationships with organizers across the islands. We have created rich education resources like books, posters, stickers and web series that uplift local and indigenous plant medicine, encourage conscious consumer habits,and give analysis to issues on food sovereignty and the waste crisis. We have led opposition to new fossil fuel infrastructure development and supported efforts for demilitarization and protection of water resources. In addition to this, we have funneled over $45,000 into the hands of people in our community throughout covid to keep people in work and provide them with an income. Even though we have struggled to receive funding to expand our operations, we have made considerable efforts to support our community throughout times of need.

Our impact goal for the next year is to develop a 5 year strategic plan with a roadmap outlining the steps we need to take to move towards food security, energy democracy, and creating economies of care. In August, we will be hosting a Just Transition training with five mutual aid, direct action and grassroots nonprofit organizations in Micronesia. Two trainers from Climate Justice Alliance will be flying out to facilitate discussions that will help us think critically and organize around systemic issues related to climate injustice on US island territories. These discussions will help to inform our strategic plan while building the collective resilience needed to dismantle extractive systems such as fossil fuels, food imports, and destructive capitalism. In the next five years, MCCA plans to help transition Numa’lo Refillery into a successful and profitable cooperative which will serve as the baseline to establish more cooperatives. In year 1, we plan to strengthen our advocacy to change the cooperative law on Guam and work with our coalition and a policy maker to amend the existing law. During this time, we also intend to have a fully operational storefront with at least 5 workers employed at Numa’lo. By year 2, we will begin hosting training and workshops for those interested in developing a cooperative or being a part of a cooperative. In years 3-5, we plan to expand to other sectors such as renewable energy and agriculture to develop energy and food cooperatives.

There is a lack of movement infrastructure in the region, and we are well-positioned to facilitate this collaborative approach to building on what exists by connecting and amplifying sustainable businesses’ work in order to widen the environmental movement and distribute wealth.  There are currently no co-operatives on Guam nor are there many economic opportunities that pay life-sustaining wages. Many people in our community choose to work in the tourism industry, or join the military. With calls for decolonization across the United States and territories, the time is ripe to disrupt extractive work structures and build the new. It is an opportunity for transformation and for the CHamoru people to root ourselves back into our indigenous value systems which have served us for more than 4,000 years. We have an all-star team of mostly indigenous women and men, some of whom identify as LGBTQ. A majority of our team grew up in lower to middle working class families and have first hand witnessed how drastically our community has changed after the increase in militarization. Over the last two decades, we have witnessed rising poverty, crime, drug use, illegal dumping and mental illness. We have watched our CHamoru people suffer, to great measure, from the devastating impacts of colonialism, destructive capitalism, climate crisis and the militarized economy. All of our programs are approached with a culturally rooted lens and developed to serve the most urgent needs of our community

We are applying to the Truist Foundation because as a team of mostly BIPOC women and LGTBQ living in a United States colony, we are limited in funding and opportunities. We understand the urgency of dismantling colonialism, and destructive capitalism because we see how it has impacted our families, friends and our community at large. Having access to this funding would help our two small but mighty organizations co-navigate the tumultuous future ahead of us and possibly inspire future generations to build and grow with confidence. We believe that our solution has the potential to ripple across the waters and impact other communities throughout Micronesia to forge connections and build cooperatives that generate community wealth.

Our partnership goals include building collective leadership to transform oppressive economic and social systems which do not serve our community. This includes scaling people-centered solutions such as cooperatives which can help to address other issues such as food sovereignty, energy democracy and the plastic crisis. There is a deep history of cooperativism in Chamorro culture and it has been a guiding force in many aspects of ancient and modern life. But colonialism, capitalism and American imperialism have eroded Chamorro customs and disconnected us from our connections to the land and water. We believe that a large part of our work in climate justice is rooting ourselves back into our cultural value systems and uplifting pacific voices in this great fight for our planet. In our community, many resistance efforts have been voluntary or vastly underfunded. Leaders, including our own team, have experienced intense burnout due to the workload and emotional labor of community building. A huge barrier between us and our goals is financial capacity and a shortage of labor. If we were able to have the funding to properly pay ourselves and hire other people, we feel that we could put more time and energy into building cooperatives that provide people with a decent job, stable employment, and dignity of work.

The types of organizations we are interested in partnering with organizations who have non-extractive loan programs or business incubators. Developing a non-extractive loan program is not something we are looking to launch within the next five years but we are interested in learning more about it and making this a 10 year goal. We are also interested in partnering with organizations who have access to capital for cooperatives. Based on a lot of our research, finding capital for cooperatives is a challenge and we would be interested in having a network that we could leverage for future cooperatives.