GUAM\u2014The Independence for Gu\u00e5han Task Force held its second general assembly last Sept. 22 at the main pavilion of the Chamorro Village in Hag\u00e5t\u00f1a. <\/p>\n
More than 70 people gathered to listen to presentations, pay tribute to a Chamorro educational pioneer and to help coordinate small family and organization-based conversations meant to diversify the ways in which our community is educated about decolonization and independence.<\/p>\n
The meeting opened with a tribute to Dr. Bernadita Camacho-Dungca, a Chamorro linguist and indigenous rights activist best known for writing the Inifresi, who passed away earlier this year. The Inifresi calls on the people of Guam to pledge to protect and defend the precious natural and cultural resources of their island. It was in this spirit that this month\u2019s meeting focused on various ways in which these core elements of our lives are being threatened by Guam\u2019s use as a strategic base by the United States.<\/p>\n
Guam\u2019s media and elected leaders often portray the U.S. bases on island as keeping Guam safe, and thus, community members regularly ask the task force how an independent Guam will prevent attacks from North Korea and China. Responding directly to this question, the task force\u2019s co-chair Victoria-Lola Leon Guerrero, challenged the audience to more closely examine why Guam is threated by these nations in the first place. Weaving together statements from military commanders and government officials both from the U.S. and Asia, she argued that any current threats to Guam are not aimed at the island or the people themselves, but rather at the U.S. military\u2019s offensive presence on the island. A presence that as an unincorporated territory, Guam has no formal authority over and no say in the actions of.<\/p>\n
Co-chair of the task force\u2019s Educational Development Committee, attorney Ana Won Pat-Borja conducted the first in a monthly series of educational presentations on successful independent nations that Guam could use as self-governance models. She presented on Singapore, one of the \u201cFour Asian Tigers\u201d and widely considered to be one of the richest countries in the world. Singapore is slightly larger than Guam in terms of landmass, and has particularly been successful at trade. With control of the island\u2019s port, an independent Guam could expand its trade industry and boost the economy.<\/p>\n
The meeting concluded with co-chair of the Campaigns Committee Melvin Won Pat-Borja introducing the Fanhita initiative, which aims to bring the Task Force\u2019s educational outreach directly into the homes and offices of Guam. The Task Force is offering to organize educational conversations called fanin\u00e5yan with smaller groups that are organized by interested members of the community. The meeting ended with several dozen individuals committing to organizing their family or co-workers to host such gatherings.<\/p>\n
The Independence for Gu\u00e5han Task Force will continue to host general assemblies every month, in addition to other outreach activities, thus providing a regular forum for the community to ask questions, obtain information and sign up to promote decolonization and independence for the island. The next general assembly will take place Oct. 27 from 6pm to 7:30pm at the main pavilion in the Chamorro Village.<\/p>\n
For more information, please contact Independent Gu\u00e5han chairperson Dr. Michael Lujan Bevacqua at (671) 988-7106, email independentguahan@gmail.com, or visit www.independentguahan.com. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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