Pacific Island Times Turning Points Global Agenda 2019 | Page 6

FROM THE PUBLISHER’S DESK
The Age of Anxiety
By Mar-Vic Cagurangan
“T
HROUGH the
mist of change
precipitated by
President Trump’s
consuming narcissism,
some new order is taking
shape, but its form is as yet
indiscernible. Sometimes a
many-headed beast seems
to loom, shrieking in
discordant voices, promising strife. Still,
perhaps that is to underestimate the promise
of a hyperconnected 21st century,” Roger
Cohen writes in this issue of Turning Points.
While Cohen describes this juncture in
history as “An Era Without a Name,” the
global community sees the usual cycle of
political crisis, the unabated violence as
people around the world struggle for
self-governance, and the emergence of new
demagogues in countries seeking to transi-
tion to democracy.
We live in the Black Mirror age, where
technology and innovations constantly
change the way we live. They empower us.
They weaken us. They make us smart. They
make us dull. They usher us into the paradox
of resistance and submission to the growing
tyranny of the digital kingdom.
These are among the discussions you will
find in the Turning Points: Global Agenda 2019,
an annual magazine from The New York
Times Licensing Group, featuring content
from globally recognized voices. The following
pages contain opinion pieces by political,
cultural and economic thinkers who look at
trends and ideas from around the world to
identify key turning points 2019 and explain
how they may influence the years ahead. 
Other features include The Big
Question, where contributors offer their
answers on a major issue affecting everyone;
The First Time Ever, which identifies events
and trends that happened for the first time in
2018; a Year in Cartoons roundup and a
graphic report that illustrates the year ahead.
You are holding the inaugural Guam
edition of the Turning Points, published by the
Pacific Island Times.
Our local contents look into the
happenings in the Pacific Islands and analyze
how changes in the global and regional
landscapes trickle down the local scene.
Dr. Robert Underwood, former Guam
congressman and former president of the
University of Guam, discusses the weakening
ties among Micronesians.
Dr. Thomas Krise, president of the
University of Guam, acknowledges the bigger
responsibilities that higher education in the
Western Pacific must take on amid threats
from artificial intelligence and other technol-
ogies that radically transform the work
environment.
Michelle Voacolo, climate change
specialist at Micronesian Renewable Energy,
reminds the world that it is currently on track
for carbon dioxide emissions to increase 2
percent this year. And who else is at risk for
global warming and climate change? Guam,
Micronesia and the CNMI.
Gabriel McCoard, former director of
Micronesian Legal Services, tackles China’s
growing influence in the Pacific region and
the island nations’ search for stability as
lenders question their priorities.
Jon Nathan Denight, former CEO and
president of the Guam Visitors Bureau,
underscores the importance of developing
secondary markets to sustain the growth of
Guam tourism, the island’s main economic
driver.
Bruce Lloyd, Pacific Island Times’
associate editor, interviewed Guam’s new
governor, Lou Leon Guerrero, who has
mapped out her plans for the island in the
next four years.
Finally, where is Guam going? Why does
the island’s quest for self-rule seem like a pipe
dream? This year, the appeals court is expected
to rule on the plebiscite vote challenge.
Anticipation, challenges and uncertain-
ties await in 2019.
PACIFIC ISLAND TIMES
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1082 Pale San Vitores Road
Tumon, Guam 96913
Telephone: [phone]
Mar-Vic Cagurangan Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Email: [e-mail]
[e-mail] Website: www.pacificislandtimes.com
Bruce Lloyd Associate Editor
[e-mail]
Contributing Writers
Jon Nathan Denigt
Dr Thomas Krise
Gabriel McCoard
Dr. Robert Underwood
Michelle Voacolo
The Pacific Island Times is published
monthly by the Pacific Independent
News Service LLC and circulated in
Guam, CNMI, Palau and FSM.
Editorial and advertising submissions
become property of the Pacific Island
Times and cannot be lifted without
consent of the publisher. Views and
Janice San Nicolas Furukawa Sales and Marketing Executive
Anna Marie Alegre Account Executive
6
Turning Points
opinions from contributors do not
necessarily represent the editorial
position of the Pacific Island Times.