Arana Marama
The Esteemed Arana Marama | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Minister of Foreign Minister | |
| In office 6 July 2018 – Present | |
| Leader | Maui Uye-Ahua |
| Preceded by | Locklyn Le Roy |
| Leader of the Green Party | |
| In office 25 May 2017 – Present | |
| Preceded by | Desiree Motonui |
| Succeeded by | Incumber |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Arana Marama 6 August 1970 Noapa, the Oan Isles |
| Political party | Green Party |
| Spouse | Mr Timoteo Marama (m.2000-present) |
| Residence | Tokapa, the Oan Isles |
| Alma mater | University of Tokapa |
Arana Marama is an Oan politician who is currently serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Oan Isles. She serves in the Uye-Ahua government. In that role she has been heavily involved in Auroran politics. She previously worked in civil society as the head of a non-profit and non-governmental organization that supplied water infrastructure to water-scarce and underdeveloped countries. She is a transwoman and is married to Mr Timoteo Marama and has a son with him, Utani Tearoa. Born and raised in Noapa, she is a devout adherent of Mauism. Her ideals are aligned with environmental justice. Colleagues speak of her as a highly competent and ambitious politician.
Early life, education and career
Arana Marama was born to Agnes Rahua and Kiki Le Roy on 6 August 1970 in Noapa Medical Center. She was born biologically male and was assigned the male gender on her birth certificate. She describes her upbringing as happy and loving. Her parents were devout Mauists who actively participated in religious life. From an early age, she knew that she was meant to a woman. She told her parents and they supported her wish. She underwent medical treatment to realign her physical appearance with her innate gender and has lived as a woman since she was a teenager.
After matriculating from Noapa High School, she attended the prestigious University of Tokapa where she studied a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences. She worked as a social worker and volunteered at civil organizations involved in community organising initiatives. During this time, she joined the Green Party and became actively involved in politics without running for political office. She established the Water Project in 2008, a non-profit, non-governmental organisation which raised millions of Kiribs in funds for water sustainability and water supply projects especially in disaster-hit areas. Her organisation undertook many water provision projects in other nations. She eventually ascended to the leadership of the Green Party where she was elected Party Leader. She placed water management at the bedrock of her campaign.
Ministerial career
In July 2018, Prime Minister Maui Uye-Ahua announced that he had chosen her despite her lack of foreign policy experience because she had great organisational skills and organic leadership. Arana Marama took over the Department of Foreign Affairs from Locklyn Le Roy after he resigned from active politics. She was appointed by Emperor Oahoanu and she serves in the Maui Uye-Ahua government. She is politically aligned to the Green Party despite not being a member of the legislature. Soon after entering office, she proved her foreign policy chops by negotiating a military aid package from Great Morstaybishlia with Prime Minister Franklin Barvata. While the full about is not fully disclosed, reliable estimates puts the amount at at least 5 billion KRB a year.
As the leader of the Green Party, she also oversaw negotiations with the JV Marineworld property development company which was investing billions of kiribs into the construction of a marine-based resort in Anapa. She ensured that the company promised to stick to the highest standards of environmental sustainability. This involved using desalinated water, geothermal power and reforestation efforts.
In early 2020, Arana Marama spearheaded negotiations to establish the Auroran Monetary Fund. She strongly believed in the role that access to finance for development would enable nations to develop peacefully and prevent future wars on the scale of the APW. The Auroran Monetary Fund aimed to leverage private and public sector contributions from member states of the United Nations of the Auroran Continent to provide development finance for member states who would otherwise fail to raise capital for development projects on the bond market or from private sector loans. Despite robust discussions in the UNAC deliberative bodies, the initiative died down, but the Minister tried again to revive it.
Mrs Marama was part of a team that advised the Council of Ministers to establish a multi billion four year infrastructure investment scheme to greater connect the Oan Isles and the Morstaybishlian West Pacific Territories. The mechanics of the scheme and running of its operations were eventually developed and administered by the Departments of Commerce & Workers and of Public Works. Minister Marama oversaw the creation of a Special Geopolitical Threat Assessment Report (GTA) for the UNAC. The report followed concerns by the Council of Ministers of the Oan Isles that the late 2020 terrorist attacks in the Nocturne province of Caltharus in Great Morstaybishlia were an indication of greater geopolitical issues facing the region. The main aims of the report were to help the UNAC prevent growing instability that may lead to war.