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Manit Day Panel Discussion

Join us for a Q/A panel discussion with Marshallese community members in partnership with Marshallese Educational Initiative.

Fayetteville Public Library and Marshallese Educational Initiative have partnered to bring events that highlight Manit Day – a celebration of the culture and customs of the Marshall Islands. This program is part two of a two-part series celebrating Manit Day.  If you are unable to attend the in-person event, a livestream option will be available on our Facebook page.

In this panel discussion, panelists will discuss the history of the Marshall Islands, living in the United States after the nuclear testing aftermath, and the current state of the Marshall Islands. Panelists include Benetick Kabua Maddison, Dr. Sheldon Riklon, Albious Latior, and Eldon Alik. The panel will be moderated by Paul Swington. 

• Benetick Kabua Maddison

  Before moving to Arkansas’ Ozark Mountains, Benetick and his family lived in the low-lying Republic of the Marshall Islands. They all moved to Springdale in 2001 to start a new life. He is the project specialist for youth, climate and nuclear issues at MEI. Benetick has years of experience working with younger Marshallese students and their families on projects to increase retention rates in school, and to promote Marshallese culture and history and issues affecting his people and homeland.

• Dr. Sheldon Riklon

  Sheldon Riklon, M.D., is a Marshallese family physician who joined the UAMS Northwest faculty in August 2016. There, he is an associate professor in Family and Preventative Medicine, a co-investigator in the Office of Community Health and Research and the medical director for the Center for Pacific Islander Health. He is the inaugural recipient of the Peter O. Kohler, M.D., Endowed Chair in Health Disparities. He also serves as a primary care physician at Community Clinic in Springdale that serves large Marshallese and underserved patient populations in Northwest Arkansas.

• Albious Latior

  Albious has worked for numerous organizations and agencies in Northwest Arkansas as an advocate for the Marshallese community, including the Worker’s Justice Center in Springdale and Springdale Public Schools. He has campaigned at the national and state levels for the restoration of Medicaid for the Marshallese community. His work with MEI includes collecting stories of Marshallese elders and of poultry workers who have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 for two grant-funded projects. Currently, he is an outreach coordinator with Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Fayetteville. In this position, he has raised awareness and donations for Marshallese poultry workers who have experienced financial strain due to the pandemic.

• Eldon Alik

  Eldon is the Consul General in Springdale for the Republic of the Marshall Islands. He graduated from the Marshall Islands High School in 1981 and went on to earn degrees from Gonzaga University, Portland Community College and George Fox University. He served in the United States Army, and has worked at RFD Publications LLC, The Oregonian, Northwest Family Services and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

• Moderator: Paul Swington

  Born an islander, raised an American. Was born on the Island of Majuro and was raised in the state of Georgia. Graduated from Springdale Harber High School in 2010 and attended NWACC in the fall of 2010. Transferred to the University of Texas in 2013 and was married in 2014. Moved back to Arkansas in 2016 and worked for the Springdale Public Schools until 2019. Accepted a job at the Center for Sexual Assault as a victims advocate and have been there ever since.

About Marshallese Educational Initiative (MEI): MEI was established to blend scholarly research with practical outreach efforts to create awareness on a national stage, while also making a real difference in the lives of individual Marshallese. Through educational programming, MEI promotes the cultural, intellectual, and historical awareness of the Marshallese people to facilitate intercultural dialogue that fosters positive social change. For more information regarding MEI, please visit their website: https://www.mei.ngo/. 

In keeping with the City of Fayetteville Ordinance 6465, all persons visiting the library are required to wear masks covering their nostrils and mouth.

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