Demonstration on 11/20 at ITC Intersection

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20TH
4:00PM to
7:00 PM
at the ITC Intersection

For Immediate Release
from the Guåhan Coalition for Peace and Justice
November 18, 2009

EIS Process Worthy of ProtestCommunity to Respond this Friday
The Guåhan Coalition for Peace and Justice will lead the community in a response to the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) scheduled for release this Friday, November 20.

The EIS is expected to report the impacts the proposed military build-up and population boom will have on Guam’s environment. However, it was not conducted in a manner that demonstrated a true assessment of the social, cultural and political implications an increased military presence will have on the island’s people. Local residents and their elected officials were largely excluded from the process of gathering information and making recommendations for this study.

The EIS is an 11,000-page document, and the community will have 90 days to respond. This does not provide a sufficient opportunity for local residents to thoroughly investigate its findings and voice their concerns. The Department of Defense is already finalizing their plans for the build-up, without first taking into consideration the comments and concerns from local residents and leaders. An 11,000-page visual will be presented at Friday’s event to represent the enormity of the EIS.

The Coalition, which is made up of grassroots organizations and individuals advocating for the political, cultural, social, environmental and human rights for the people of Guam, will gather at 4 p.m. Friday at the ITC intersection in Tamuning to express these and other concerns about the EIS.

When: Friday, November 20, 2009, 4 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Where: ITC Intersection
What: A Community Action Response to the Release of the EIS
Who: Guåhan Coaltion for Peace and Justice
For More Information: Call Victoria-Lola Leon Guerrero at 735-2747 or email reclaimguahan@gmail.com

Famoksaiyan Wins Rising Peacemaker Prize

On September 24th, 2009, the Chamorro organization Famoksaiyan received the Rising Peacemaker Prize from The Agape Foundation during the foundation's 40th Anniversary/5th Annual Peace Prize event at the War Memorial and Performing Arts Center in San Francisco, CA. Each year, Agape commemorates the International Day of Peace by honoring peacemakers dedicated to nonviolent social change. The Rising Peacemaker Prize awards groups or individuals that have made a significant contribution, for five years or less, to create peace in their national or international communities. Famoksaiyan, which started in 2006 and translates into "the time or place of nurturing or growing" or "the time to paddle forward," has worked to effect positive change for Chamorro communities in the Mariana Islands and the United States. Nominated for the prize by Margo Okazawa-Rey, the group received a cash award as well as a contract with the media consultant group Spark Action. Angela Tennison, Jon Blas, and Craig Santos Perez represented Famoksaiyan at the event.