This article covered efforts by Portland high school student and GUA youth member Kaiya Yonamine, and her efforts to film and interview local Okinawan youth about their thoughts on the new US military base construction in Henoko, Okinawa. She connected the issue to the Black Lives Matter movement in the US, and stressed the importance of youth raising their voices. Some comments from the Okinawan youth present included statements related to how the message that there is “One ocean and one world” should be conveyed to people abroad, while another youth present voiced a desire to help people from outside the prefecture and the country to not only come to Okinawa for sightseeing, but to interact with Okinawans and to learn.

In this article it related the speech of GUA youth member Kaiya Yonamine, who talked about the importance of the sea and about being anti-war, and also discusses how she plans to continue to talk about the importance of protecting the environment at Henoko.

This article interviews GUA member Eriko Uehara Hopkinson, and her life as an overseas Uchinanchu living in Ireland, and her many musical accomplishments. She describes what she hopes to convey in her music, her musical influences, and her thoughts on how Ireland’s history is similar to Okinawa, in that both had been ruled over by other countries. Towards the end of the article, she discusses her involvement in connecting with other overseas Uchinanchu in the development of the Global Uchinanchu Alliance (GUA).

Hi all,

In order to have an opportunity to voice their opposition to the construction of a new U.S. military base in Okinawa, the Okinawan people have organized a prefectural referendum on February 24, 2019.  However, a number of local municipalities have refused to allow for the democratic will of their residents to be expressed.  In opposition to this threat to democracy, a local resident has begun a hunger strike to draw attention to this important issue, and to put pressure on the five municipalities that have refused to allow the referendum to proceed.  For more information on the hunger strike, please visit this page (in Japanese):

https://hungryforvote.net/index.html

And to voice your support of the hunger strike and for democracy, please add your name to the petition (in Japanese).

Welcome to the webpage of the Global Uchinānchu Alliance!  Please read here to find out how you can help to support the Okinawan people (Uchinānchu) in opposing the plans for the construction of two new U.S. military bases in Henoko and Takae.

One way to quickly help support the Okinawan people (Uchinānchu) is to sign the following online petitions:

Stop the landfill of Henoko / Oura Bay until a referendum can be held in Okinawa

A Statement by Diasporic Okinawans in Support of Governor Denny Tamaki

For residents of the USA: Send a letter: Tell Your Representative and Senators to Create a GAO Investigation Before Another Base Is Built in Okinawa

県系人も現場で連帯　辺野古新基地反対で市民と交流

https://ryukyushimpo.jp/news/entry-857567.html

In this article, GUA member Ryan Yokota noted that diasporic Uchinanchu who have US citizenship have a responsibility to support the Okinawan people in their struggle, while GUA member Eriko Uehara Hopkinson stressed the importance of opposing the new base, and how she will work to support this work in Ireland, where she resides.