NO REST FOR THE AWAKE - MINAGAHET CHAMORRO

As Guam is making international headlines once again, it is imperative that we use this moment in order to try to change the minute media frame that is used to give Guam meaning in moments like this. Guam is more than a military base and more than an island with a snake crisis. It is a contemporary colony in need of assistance in decolonizing and encouraging the United States to fulfill its obligation as a UN member to help make decolonization a reality. My last two columns for The Pacific Daily News focused on a letter that Governor Calvo, as the head of the Guam Commission on Decolonization sent recently to the Committee of 24 at the United Nations. The letter provided some small details on the situation in Guam, in particular impediments that have been put in place by the United States and its courts. But more than anything it represented a request for the UN to send a visiting mission to Guam to help bring attention to our quest for decolonization. It remains to be seen if th

Commonwealth is a word that continues to haunt discussions of decolonization in Guam. For most younger people, they have no idea what Commonwealth means in a Guam context, although they know of it in the context of the CNMI's political status. It is something that has some very profound meanings for people of a certain age, most older than I am, because of the way it represents nostalgia for a time when political status change on Guam seemed to have a more clearly defined direction. Commonwealth in terms of Guam, was a decades long movement to try to get the island to a new political status, something along the lines of "improved status quo." It involved long negotiations with different presidential administrations, different iterations of Congress, all in the hopes of moving Guam to a slightly better political position. In terms of political status options, Commonwealth would fall between integration and free association. It kept Guam and the US tightly conne

Independent Guåhan Upcoming General Assembly will Honor Former Bank of Guam President Anthony Leon Guerrero and Discuss Jones Act For Immediate Release, January 20, 2017 – Independent Guåhan invites the public to its monthly General Assembly on Thursday, January 26 from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. at the main pavilion of the Chamorro Village in Hagåtña. For this first General Assembly of the year, the focus will be on the Jones Act and how Guam’s economy has been inhibited by this colonial imposition. The Merchant Marine Act, more commonly known as the Jones Act, was passed in 1920 and is designed to protect U.S. shipbuilding and maintain a vibrant American maritime industry. It requires that trade of goods between U.S. ports, including those in the territories be conducted on U.S. built ships, owned by US citizens and crewed by permanent residents or citizens of the U.S. This act has led to an artificial inflation of prices on goods sold in places such as Guam, which cannot take advan

In response to the confusion and anxiety on the island following Donald Trump's electoral college victory over Hillary Clinton last month, I decided to organize Teach-In on what Trump's reign might mean for Guam. I was expecting a small crowd of maybe 20 or 30 students. In truth, we had more than 70 people attend, with most of them staying almost an hour past the end time to keep asking questions and discussing their concerns. The Teach-In was so successful that I would like to have a monthly teach-in based on relevant issues in the community. The next one that I'm planning is on war reparations scheduled tentatively for January 5th. Stay tuned for more information. *************************** Trump Teach-In at UOG Calls for Independent Political Status by Bruce Lloyd The Pacific Island Times December 6, 2016 In the spirit of the anti-Vietnam War teach-ins that informed opposition to that war in the 1960s, members of the Guam Commission on Decolonization Tuesd

It has been weeks now since the US presidential election ended. Recounts are taking place in certain states. Protests are still sparking in certain areas across the US. Basic political conventions continue to be challenged as Trump tweets constantly and thinks rarely. As Guam is often simply subsumed within the flow of American power and politics, it is easy to just sit and watch and imagine ourselves along for the ride. But just as President Trump means a great deal of uncertainty for the US in general, the same goes for Guam, albeit in our own particular ways. This is a great piece by Tom Maxedon from The Sunday Post which covers alot of group in terms of imagining what a Trump administration might look like. Things have changed somewhat since it was written last week, but most of it is still in place. I'm glad that he was able to attend the Trump Teach-In that we had at the University of Guam last month. As much of what I suggested during my presentation already seems to be co

The delegate race has been unfolding in an interesting way in recent weeks. For the first time ever Congresswoman Bordallo has a significant challenge for her re-election as Guam's non-voting delegate. Frank Blas Jr. is challenging her on the Republican side, but their dialogue has been muted as Bordallo faces off two other challengers, one from within her own party and another an independent wild card. When the primary is over than the real race may be beginning. Delegates tend to have an incept date ( Bladerunner reference) of 10 years, and so if Bordallo can survive this challenge, she'll have surpassed Won Pat, Blaz and Underwood in terms of longevity. Karlo Dizon has shown himself to be very measured and intelligent in terms of addressing the issues, but to me he seems to suffer the populist, everyday appeal to changes someone from someone that a voter may find interesting, to someone they are excited to hand their vote to. In most circles you might refer to him