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THE QUESTION OF GUAM
STATEMENT
OF THE
EDWARD ALVAREZ
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, COMMISSION ON DECOLONIZATION
GOVERNMENT OF GUAM
BEFORE THE
UNITED NATIONS SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON DECOLONIZATION
JUNE 21, 2011
HAFA ADAI (GREETINGS) CHAIRMAN FRANCISCO CARRION-MENA, ALL GOVERNMENT AND NON-GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, AND THE COMMITTEE OF 24 AMBASSADORS.
MY NAME IS EDWARD ALVAREZ, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE GUAM COMMISSION ON DECOLONIZATION. WHILE ATTENDING THE SEMINAR IN ST.VINCENT AND THE GRENADINE ISLANDS LAST MONTH, I REPORTED THAT GUAM HAS MADE SIGNIFICANT STRIDES IN A POSITIVE LIGHT REGARDING DECOLONIZATION IN THE LAST FOUR MONTHS. THE GOVERNMENT OF GUAM WILL BE EMBARKING ON AN AGGRESSIVE CAMPAIGN TO PARLAY OUR SITUATION TO A NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE. IN ADDITION, GUAM’S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATE HAS INTRODUCED LEGISLATION TO APPROPIATE MONEY FOR A CHAMORRO SELF-DETERMINATION EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN. THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR HAS EXPRESSED INTENT TO FUND THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM IN THE FUTURE.
HONORABLE CHAIRMAN, WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE LAST 20 YEARS THE COMMITTEE HAS BEEN INVOLVED WITH THIS ISSUE, COUPLED WITH ALL THE HISTORIC TESTIMONY, IT MADE SENSE TO ME THAT IT WAS TIME TO EXPLORE INNOVATIVE WAYS TO GET THIS ACCOMPLISHED. I WOULD ASSUME BY NOW, WE ALL MUST BE EAGER TO BRING CLOSURE TO THIS ISSUE AND DELIST THE 16 REMAINING NON-SELF GOVERNING TERRITORIES.
OUR HONORABLE GOVERNOR, EDUARDO BAZA CALVO, HAS GIVEN THIS ISSUE PRIMACY AND AIMS TO HOLD A PLEBISCITE IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS FOR THE EXERCISE OF CHAMORRO SELF-DETERMINATION. CHAMORROS ON GUAM HAVE CLEARLY BEEN DEFINED AS THE COLONIZED PEOPLE ON GUAM WITH THE INALIENABLE HUMAN RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION IN LOCAL LEGISLATION PUBLIC LAW 23-147 AND GOVERNOR CALVO INTENDS TO UPHOLD THIS POSITION.
MORE SPECIFICALLY, WE DO NOT INTEND TO DRAFT A CONSTITUTION AT THIS TIME; RATHER, WILL PURSUE THE RESOLUTION OF GUAM’S POLITICAL STATUS BY FACILITATING THE PROCESS OF CHAMORROS EXERCISING THEIR RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION- PARTICULARLY IN THE MIDST OF THE MILITARY BUILD-UP AND THE STATE OF THE WORLD ECONOMY.
U.S. PRESIDENT BARRACK OBAMA HAS ASSERTED IN THE CASE OF EGYPT. THAT THEY HAVE INALIENABLE RIGHTS, INCLUDING THE RIGHT TO THEIR OWN POLITICAL DESTINY, AND THE UNITED STATES WILL STAND UP FOR THEM EVERYWHERE; THIS SHOULD ALSO APPLY TO CHAMORROS ON GUAM.
HONORABLE CHAIRMAN, YOU STATED IN ST.VINCENT THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE "FRESH IDEAS" AND ENCOURAGE US TO BE IMAGINATIVE FELL IN LINE WITH THE STATEMENTS OF PRESIDENT OBAMA AND OUR GOVERNOR AND I BELIEVE THERE IS A RENEWED SENSE OF COMMITTMENT TO THIS ISSUE AND HOPE THAT ALL LEVELS OF ADVOCACY IN THE UNITED NATIONS WILL BE AFFORDED TO THE PEOPLE OF GUAM.
THEREFORE, I PROPOSE A DUAL APPROACH ALONG THIS LINE TO PARLAY THE AWARENESS AND PLIGHT OF THE COLONIZED CHAMORRO PEOPLE WHOSE POLITICAL DESTINY IS WAY OVER DUE.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1) A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE UNITED STATES PRESIDENT'S OFFICE TO HELP IN FACILITATING THIS ISSUE IN CONGRESS AS WE ENGAGE THEM AND THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR AS WELL AS THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. THEN WE WILL REACH OUT TO NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL MEDIA PROGRAMS TO GET OUR STORY TOLD AND MESSAGE ACROSS. WE WILL THEN SEEK ADVOCACY FROM AS MANY GROUPS, ORGANZATIONS, CELEBRITIES AS WE CAN AND BEGIN MAKING THE CASE THAT OUR PRESENT RELATIONSHIP NEEDS TO END.
2) THE UNITED NATIONS ADVOCATE FOR GUAM AND PUT PRESURE ON THE U.S. WE WILL DO THIS THROUGH A NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN AND MAY REQUEST AN INVITATION TO THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE.
CONCLUSION
HONORABLE CHAIRMAN, THE TIME HAS COME FOR ALL OF US TO COME TO GRIPS WITH WHAT IS RIGHT AND JUST FOR THE CHAMORRO PEOPLE OF GUAM AND WE ARE ASSURED THAT WITH YOUR LEADERSHIP, OUR QUEST AS A NON SELF-GOVERNING TERRITORY WILL BE A SUCCESS.
SI YUUS MA’ASE AND THANK YOU HONORABLE CHAIRMAN FROM THE COLONIZED PEOPLE OF GUAM.
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