WAM in The Hague

October 18 until November 18 was a special time for WAM in world-renowned The Hague, Netherlands. A dynamic exhibition program known as Climate as Artifact was on full display in which artists, designers, scientists and society were brought together to review our perception of culture and nature. Amidst all of the various exhibitions was our very own lead trainer from WAM, Isocker Anwel, designing and building a traditional Marshallese canoe. Isocker was invited as a representative of WAM by Esther Kokmeijer to help build a traditional Marshallese outrigger canoe for the exhibition. Isocker left for The Hague on October 15th. Upon arriving, the task of building a traditional sailing canoe in just under 2 weeks started right away. Working closely with Esther Kokmeijer and Henrik Richter-Alten (GIZ) in building and designing a traditional Marshallese outrigger canoe thousands of miles away from home left a big mark on Isocker. “To see that even thousands of miles away, people want to know more about my culture, and a big part of that culture is centered on our canoes, that left a big impression on me. It taught me that that what we do in WAM is important, not just for Marshallese, but for other cultures as well.” This kind of trip and exposure goes hand-in-hand with WAM’s mission since its inception in the late 1990s, which has always been to work with the youth, their families and the local and international community to preserve and protect Marshallese culture and tradition through canoe building and sailing, and through this cultural connection develop life skills and a work ethic that creates meaning in the lives of all participants.