While OCW 670 recognizes the need to maintain security measures throughout the Pacific, we do not advocate for increasing militarization at the expense of people and environments. We seek to maintain the integrity of our Covenant negotiations in which the United States “will continue to recognize and respect the scarcity and special importance of land in the Northern Mariana Islands” (Article 8: Property, Section 806 in the CNMI Covenant).

We believe that increased militarization has unjustifiably resulted in the irreparable damage to our environments and our people’s health and well-being through destructive training and testing, including the use of violent weapons technologies like sonar. Left unchecked, militarization has the potential to cause further destruction throughout the Mariana Islands, eroding our ability to engage in proper self-governance. We also recognize that military policies are often enacted in our community in ways that are not in line with the health and sustainability of our people, such as when the U.S. military does not adequately comply with environmental regulations, promotes military goals at the expense of community health, ignores public input, and causes irreparable damage to the natural environment.

As the descendants and rightful owners of this land, our active participation in the protection of our homelands is often in direct conflict with destructive military plans to use the Mariana Islands, including Pagan, for destructive training and testing. Therefore, your voice, input and knowledge as a protector of the Marianas is integral to the overall goals of OCW 670 and the broader Marianas community. With the support of our diverse community, OCW 670 can bolster its capacity to serve the needs of our islands’ people.

Any person with a vested interest in the protection of the Marianas is encouraged to join OCW 670. We welcome individuals from all walks of life, from community members residing in the CNMI, to those living abroad; teachers, parents, children, man’amko, manhoben, artists, advocates and all others. OCW 670 does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations.

We encourage members to attend our re-occurring membership meetings to discuss recent events, community organizing and other important aspects related to OCW 670 goals. Our group depends on the knowledge, expertise and involvement of community members like yourself that allow us to maintain active and engaged conversations about important issues in our community. However, you are welcome to choose the level of involvement in the group that best suits your lifestyle.

Members are welcome to choose the level of involvement that works best for them. We encourage everyone to join our email list to receive monthly newsletter updates about the most urgent issues facing the Marianas, as well as notifications of upcoming OCW 670 events and educational opportunities. Those who want to play a more active role can join OCW 670’s Policy, Public Information, Logistics, Public Safety, and Environmental Health committees to get more involved in advocating for positive changes in our community.

Please see our Code of Ethics regarding OCW 670’s expectations for group members. As always, we encourage respectful dialogue with one another and with others in the community, and actively seek to express our concerns as “one voice” to promote cohesiveness and professionalism when representing OCW 670.