Micronesian Counselor, Issue 39

Hezel, Francis X. (2002-01-15). Micronesian Counselor, Issue 39. Micronesian Counselor (Report). Kolonia, Pohnpei: Micronesian Seminar. pp. 1–8.

• Has attachment: File:3RR6CTJP.pdf

Abstract: The lead article, Settling Disputes, by Francis X. Hezel, S.J., examines traditional practices of conflict resolution in Micronesia. It opens with the story of a reconciliation procession in Pohnpei following a serious accident, where gifts of food and formal gestures of apology helped restore harmony between families. The essay emphasizes the cultural preference for negotiated settlement over legal confrontation.

Additional discussion includes examples of family mediation in Chuuk, community councils in Yap that arbitrate disagreements, and reflections on how such methods align—or conflict—with formal courts in Kosrae and the Marshall Islands. The issue notes the continuing relevance of custom in maintaining social order while modern legal systems expand.

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