2006-07 Rotary Grantee
Peter W. Black
Professor of Sociology & Anthropology
College of Arts & Sciences
Dr. Black will teach an intensive anthropology course on Peoples and Cultures in the Pacific at the Palau Community College (PCC) in June and will consult with the PCC as it develops an anthropology degree program. He will also work on several interrelated projects with the Tobian Islander minority community to:
- Develop a Public Health Page for the Friends of Tobi Island (FOTI) Website - This page would be a significant addition to FOTI and a valuable resource for the community. Its creation will require intensive work with local public health professionals and residents to determine what health information is most useful to and desired by Tobians living in the hamlet of Echang in Koror.
- Collaboratively Preserve Ramari Hatohobei, an Endangered Carolinian Language - Given the small number of Tobians, the survival of their language is of great concern to the community. Dr. Black will record archaic vocabulary before the senior generation passes, promote language literacy among the rising generation, develop a phonemically adequate orthography representing the language, and make language tools available on the FOTI website.
- Develop Tobians' Internet & PC Skills - To make FOTI more accessible to the community, ensure its eventual transition to community control, and enable local content contributions, Dr. Black will develop a comprehensive training and development program for potential webmasters and content developers.
- Develop a Webpage for the Hatohobei State Government - At the request of the Governor of Hatohobei (Tobi) State, Dr. Black will help create an official state web page using the State Government page on FOTI as a prototype. This project will not only provide the Hatohobei State Government with an effective and flexible website, but will also assist key state personnel determine and refine the mission and goals of the State Government and serve as a model website for other state governments in Palau.
- Assist Tobi Island's Summer Program and Learning Center - Over the summer vacation, this community-based project teaches traditional island skills and crafts to elementary and high school students while simultaneously polishing their academic skills. Dr. Black will help plan and implement in expanded version of the project that incorporates new information technologies.