NO REST FOR THE AWAKE - MINAGAHET CHAMORRO

I am currently in St. Vincent and the Grenadines for the United Nations Committee of 24 Regional Seminar. I was invited to intend to speak as an expert on the situation in Guam and the Chamorro people's ongoing quest for self-determination and decolonization. This is my fourth time to be invited to speak at the UN C24 Regional Seminar, as I attended once in Ecuador in 2013 and then twice in Nicaragua in 2015 and 2016. I have never been to this part of the world before, meaning the Caribbean, and so I am excited not only to represent Guam, but also to learn more about the struggles for independence and decolonization that have ta ken place on these many islands. I'll be writing about the happenings of the regional seminar and my experiences under the theme of "Decolonization in the Caribbean." Watch this space over the next few weeks to read my posts.

Esta kana' bente años na taigue i Kumision i Fino' CHamoru. Ma'establesi gui' fine'nina gi 1964. Lao mas sen matungo' gui' gi duranten i 1990s', pi'ot annai ha ketulaika i dinilitreha para i palåbra "Chamorro" asta "Chamoru" pat "CHamoru." I yinaoyao put i dinilitreha muna'påra i che'cho'-ña i kumision. Maolek na i ma'pos na Liheslaturan Guåhan yan ma na'lå'la' gui' ta'lo gi lai. Lao ta li'e' kao diferentes i tano' på'go pat parerehu ha'? Kao para u ma'aksepta i kumunidåt i tinago'-ña yan i disision-ña i kumision, pat kao para u ma'embeste ta'lo? *********************** CHamoru Language Commission re-established by Manny Cruz The Guam Daily Post May 9, 2017 For the first time in nearly 20 years, the CHamoru Language Commission became a functioning body once more on Monday. The commission's first order of business: Establish an explic

I wrote yesterday about the case Tuaua v. the United States , which deals with the issue of birthright citizenship, American Samoans and whether the US Constitution automatically follows wherever the American flag is flown. This case, which was recently declined by the US Supreme Court and won't be heard this year, has been casting an anxious shadow over Guam, as it could have serious ramifications for how the Government of Guam decides to forge ahead with its plans for decolonization. I mentioned briefly another case that has cast an even larger shadow over the decolonization movement in Guam for the past few years and that is Davis v. The Government of Guam, which was filed by Dave Davis, who argues that the planned decolonization plebiscite and the Chamorro registry that will determine who can vote in it, violates his constitutional rights as a US citizen. The case has been going around in circles and so many have come to believe it is already over. It was initially dismisse

Last year, the attendees to the UN Committee of 24 Regional Seminar in Nicaragua got to meet the President of the country, Daniel Ortega. It was a surprise visit, and most of use weren't prepared as we had just spent the day driving around during tourist activities and weren't dressed for an official state visit. Several of the country representatives lamented their attire and that they couldn't officially share their photographs as their dress violated their official protocol. All in all, our meeting with Ortega lasted for more than two hours. With him speaking at length about his experiences with the United States, the United Nations, Leftist movements in Latin America, and also decolonization in Africa. I meant to write a post about that conversation, but never got the chance to. I'm hoping to do so this year, especially if we are fortunate enough to meet with him again. Several country reps and representatives from Non-Self-Governing Territories refused to take

I wonder who writes the press releases or the formal statements at the United Nations. Some of them must be easy as you simply include basic pertinent information. You recognize a country, an anniversary, a resolution or something like that. It might also be easy because so many of the press releases and statements, year after year, can be very similar and so you can really just cut and paste something from last year, change the dates and maybe a word or two. Such is possible is any large bureaucracy and so we shouldn't assume the UN is immune from this. But in truth, if you are taking your job seriously you can't do this, you have to give the impression that something is different or that something has changed, even if nothing has. For the issue of decolonization, we are currently in the Third International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism from the world. Over these past 26 years, very little has changed or shifted in terms of ridding the world of colonialis

Last year when I attended this same regional seminar in Nicaragua, I wrote a series of posts about my time here under the title of " Quest for Decolonization ." I've listed each of the posts below with easy links for those who might be interested in reading them. I touched on a variety of issues, such as United Nations politics, the history of Nicaragua and the life in contemporary colonies.  These sorts of writing projects are important for me. So much happens when I travel and it can be difficult to keep track of everything, even if I record interviews and take plenty of notes. Quest for Decolonization #1: Tinituhon Quest for Decolonization #2: Statement from the UN Secretary General Quest for Decolonization #3: Small Lands, Big Dreams Quest for Decolonization #4: The Most Famous Chamorro of All... Quest for Decolonization #5: The List Quest for Decolonization #6: Liberation Theology with Father Miguel D'Escoto Quest for Decolonization #7: Decolonial D

Once again I've been invited to speak at the United Nations Regional Seminar for the Special Committee on Decolonization. I've spoken at this seminar as an expert twice before, in Ecuador in 2013 and in Nicaragua in 2015. This year the seminar will once again be held in Nicaragua. I will be providing updates on the decolonization movement in Guam and also providing an overview of the different positions on decolonization for the three major candidates for president of the United States. I'll be writing about my experiences and interactions under the label of "Tales of Decolonization" or "ToD" on this blog. Keep coming back throughout the week to learn more. Press release for the regional seminar is pasted below: **************** 27 May 2016 GA/COL/3288 Special Committee on Decolonization to Hold Pacific Regional Seminar in Managua, Nicaragua, 31 May - 2 June General Assembly Background Release The Special Committee on Dec

Life has been keeping away from this blog for the past two weeks. It is upsetting because I haven't been able to finish up all the drafts I started for my "Quest for Decolonization" series. I am hoping to find time before the end of the month, but things are so up in the air right now. I'm teaching five hours everyday and then have film commitments, family commitments, writing commitments, activism commitments, government commitments and a host of other obligations. I have kept this blog going for more than 10 years now and so I promise that I will return to wrap things up. This year's Regional Seminar for the UN was different than any of the other experiences I've had with the United Nations and I want to be sure that I can articulate more of my thoughts. So keep coming back to this blog for the next few weeks, I have a few more things to share about my recent trip and Guam's continuing quest for decolonization.

There are so many interesting things when traveling to different parts of the world. Environments and landscapes change. Languages and cultures change. The sense of time can feel different. The referents that we use to pin down meaning, to create social and cognitive maps shift. It can be disorientating in a very fundamental sense. You rely on certain things to give a sense of stability. Certain things to be understood by those around you. When those shift it can be bewildering.  One thing that I've found most interesting from the two UN regional seminars that I've attended, both in Latin America, is the way the pantheon of historical referents shifts. In a Guam context, there are certain figures that can be safely and comfortably referred to and provide a stable sense of communal meaning. Magellan, Yokoi, Hurao, Kepuha, San Vitores, the Archbishop, various Governors, maybe some MMA fighter or a Chamorro musician. People may debate their legacy, their social value or pulsi

Someone once told me that Nicaragua is a land of wounds. If Latin America is a land of open veins, Nicaragua is a land of wounding after wounding. Since becoming independent from Spain in the early 19th century, it has gone through regular periods of social upheaval and repression, generally with the United States playing some form of oppressor. In the 1850's a US mercenary and would be monarch William Walker took over the country and re-instituted slavery. Although the US government didn't necessarily fund and organize his private imperial venture, they recognized his facade of a government, as it would be one where they were certain it would follow their interests. Walker was expelled by a coalition of local Central American leaders who all detested the power that the United States and its economic and military emissaries tended to wield over their local affairs. As the United States saw Latin America as their sphere of influence, they closely monitored any potential inte

The United Nations keeps a list of non-self-governing territories or places that remain colonies today that require assistance in achieving decolonization. At one point this list, after World War II, the UN recognized 72 colonies. Over the years world events and the United Nations have helped push this matter to the point where there are only 17 territories left in the world that the UN recognizes as colonies. These territories are: Western Sahara Anguilla Bermuda British Virgin Islands US Virgin Islands Cayman Islands St. Helena Falkland Islands Montserrat Turks and Caicos Islands Gibraltor American Samoa French Polynesia New Caledonia Tokelau Pitcarin Island Guam They are all primarily small islands in the Pacific and the Atlantic. Most of them are colonized by either the US or the UK. They go by many names. Territories. Overseas Territories. Possessions. Unincorporated Territories. Protectorates. It is good that