I'm Alana Barcinas Chargualaf, a Guam native raised in the southern village of Inalåhan. Throughout my life, my village has served as a center of harmony; safety; happiness; abundance of nature and culture; rich in inafa’måolek, our local custom of making things right; and inagofli’e’, the ability to see a person or situation with clarity and understanding, or beyond what lies at the surface. All these characteristics set the tone for the Guam I continue to envision and serve as the basis of my decision making in the best interest of all.   

Reconnected 

Last summer, my career took a serendipitous turn, as I accepted an opportunity to join the inaugural cohort of the Guam Green Growth Conservation Corps. In the days leading up to the program’s commencement, I couldn’t help but analyze all the reasons for the issues our island faces: poverty, discrimination, inequality, pollution, economic hardship, threatened health of our land and oceans, organizational dysfunction, and, above all, a society that seemingly, in part, is not as cohesive or understanding as I once remembered it. At this point in my life, I constantly hoped for signs of reassurance that our island would rise and heal from all this.  

Hours into my first day with the program, I was pleased to discover our island’s leaders and frontrunners in sustainability have united with dozens of individuals and organizations committed to transforming Guam through the holistic, advantageous plan of achieving the 17 U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) by 2030, during the ongoing “decade of action.” Afterward, I could not stop sharing all the great progress and brighter days our people will see, if we made these goals happen! 

Reading up on these goals, straightaway, I saw Guam’s future in great hands: No Poverty; Zero Hunger; Good Health and Well-being; Quality Education; Gender Equality; Clean Water and Sanitation; Affordable and Clean Energy; Decent Work and Economic Growth; Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure; Reduced Inequalities, Sustainable Cities and Communities; Responsible Consumption and Production; Climate Action; Life Below Water; Life on Land; Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions; and Partnerships for the Goals.  

While time is of the essence in this decade of action, a greater sense of hope and connectedness has been restored in my heart. I firmly believe embodying the values of inafa’måolek and inagofli’e’, and living with a profound sense of appreciation for all things, will restore the harmony and balance we need in our community, and influence healthier actions to align how we manage our environment, resources, and organizations with the SDGs in mind.  

Community and humanity are paramount  

What a beautiful life it is when the senses of community and humanity are paramount. After all, if we take a moment to revisit the words of our Guam pledge, or the Inifresi, which means “offering” in our native tongue, and the customs of the CHamoru people, we might just realize how naturally these adjustments could come of us. And, for those who’ve maybe lost touch with this identity, hopefully it’ll be a chance to reconnect. 

I am thrilled to see a growing number of individuals, businesses, and government organizations adjusting to sustainable practices, but there is still so much to accomplish within ourselves, our homes, our social lives, and in how we view our roles in contribution to our surroundings.   

Stay tuned, as I share the simple ways we can accomplish the SDGs in our everyday lives and further this meaningful mission. In the meantime, visit guamgreengrowth.org and sdgs.un.org/goals to learn more. Sustainability starts with us! 

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Sustainable Development Goals

1. No poverty
2. Zero hunger
3. Good health and well-being
4. Quality education
5. Gender equality
6. Clean water and sanitization
7. Affordable and clean energy
8. Decent work and economic growth
9. Industry, innovation and infrastructure 
10. Reduced inequalities
11. Sustainable cities and communities
12. Responsible consumption and production
13. Climate action
14. Life below water
15. Life on land
16. Peace, justice and strong institutions
17. Partnerships for the goals