A conference focused on Guam’s political future brought together government officials, educators, students, and community members for a discussion on sovereignty. The Commission on Decolonization’s Free Association Task Force hosted Hita La’mon: Toward Sovereign Futures on Thursday. The conference brought together people of different ages and backgrounds to discuss possible political futures for Guam, with a focus on independence and free association.
Free Association Task Force Chair Nolan Flores said the conference was intended to create space for the community to consider both the opportunities and responsibilities that could come with sovereignty.
“Sovereignty is the agency to envision a Guam that is politically empowered to act on its own behalf,” Flores said. “That is why the Free Association Task Force and the Independence Task Force collaborated to build this conference, a space to talk about the opportunities, the challenges, and the responsibilities that may come with sovereignty.”
The conference began with a keynote presentation from former University of Guam President Robert A. Underwood, who has also served as congressional delegate, on the exercise and practice of sovereignty.
The program included two panel discussions, an interactive community dialogue, a featured performance by Breaking Wave Theatre Company, and a sovereignty task force workshop.
The first panel, Envisioning New Futures for Guam: Governance, Security, Environment, examined potential changes in those areas. The second panel, Envisioning New Futures for Guam: Economy, Regional & International Engagement, Comparative Analysis, focused on Guam’s economic future, regional and international relationships, and comparisons with other political factors.
Organizers say the conference provided an opportunity for the community to engage in conversations about Guam’s political status and what different sovereign futures could mean for the island.
