THERE is reason to celebrate as we welcome our neighbors from throughout Micronesia for the 17th Micronesian Chief Executives’ Summit. This summit’s theme, “The Ocean Unites Us,” symbolizes the rising tide of opportunity in our region today. It is fueled by our people’s desire, and our leaders’ commitment, to transform Micronesia into a globally competitive region.

During the three-day summit, your elected leaders will spend their days working closely with one another to develop solutions to critical issues that affect the quality of life for our communities.

Topics will include a focus on how to fight the level of poverty for all our people, regardless of where you are from. As a Chamorro, Palauan, Pohnpeian, Chuukese, Kosraean, or Yapese, or whether you are from the Marshall Islands or the CNMI, every member of the Micronesian community has the potential to contribute something worthwhile to the growth and development of this region.

We will be collaborating on education, health care and economic development and sustainability. A mutual sharing of ideas will allow us to develop possible solutions and commit to establishing strategies to implement them. These areas are essential to improving our future.

Our people need a sound education in order to reduce our dependency on expensive imported oil, provide quality medical care, strengthen our infrastructure, and establish new business opportunities. If we want innovative leaders to drive diverse and thriving industries, we need to build a strong economy today so the next generation can reach even greater heights.

If we really want a sustainable future, we need to start looking within. We need to diversify. We need to be creative. We need to draw on the strength of our Micronesian forefathers who endured every challenge and every obstacle. Their ingenuity brought us here today. Our responsibility is to help make the next generation achieve their dreams tomorrow.

We all have great ideas. It’s time to put them to use. Simply “making it through” these challenging times is not enough. Our people deserve more.

I look forward to beginning a movement for the Micronesia region. I’m excited to work with our leaders to build a sustainable, thriving economy fueled by our greatest resource: our people. It’s time for us to look within. The future starts with us.

We can sail this rising tide of opportunity in Micronesia together.