Art and activism : writing the Pacific experience

Abstract

For Pacific writers Julian Aguon and Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner, art and activism are inseparable. But while creative expression can be an act of resistance in itself, both authors also see it as a powerful means of fostering resilience and inspiring others to action. Aguon, a human rights lawyer and writer from Guam, and Jetñil-Kijiner, a Marshallese poet and activist, are both alumni of the East-West Center in Honolulu and appeared together in a recent EWC online "talk-story" event, "Word Baskets and Witness Bearing."