9 Feb 2011

Guam government encourage to tackle poverty

2:33 pm on 9 February 2011

A transition subcommittee report released by Guam's new government pinpoints poverty as the island's greatest problem.

The Pacific Daily News reports that Guam is described as becoming a mini-Third World island where the gap between the rich and poor is widening as unemployment rises.

The report recommends that the new government address two key issues which it links to poverty: the effect of migration on the Guam population, and family fragmentation.

The report says that abortion and divorce on the island show how far Guam and some of its people have strayed from traditional family values and how life has been devalued over the past few decades.

It also says that many of Guam's social problems relate to the increase of Micronesian immigrants on Guam.

The Eddie Calvo administration says its plan for long-term economic sustainability on Guam is to implement a classrooms-to-careers initiative, while offering more support to struggling families.