ABOUT US >

My name is Kaiya, and I am a 17-year old Okinawan-American high school student from Portland, Oregon. I recently went back to Henoko this spring because I was frustrated with the silence of the media around this crisis. 

 

I wanted to make a documentary to show the world what's happening. My documentary, "Our Island's Treasure," focuses on the current destruction of the beautiful Okinawan ocean in Henoko and the fight by native Uchinanchu people to protect it. Please help spread awareness.

 

In addition, as a youth member of the Global Uchinanchu Alliance, we organized our first National Week of Action for Henoko on 5/26 - 6/1 and will continue to call on collective action from within the U.S. The information on all of the action ideas are listed in detail on this website. Please join us and share with all of your networks. 

 

This is an emergency. Let's rise for Henoko!

© 2019 Created by Kaiya Yonamine.

ACTION IDEA #8:

CONTACT THE

UNITED NATIONS

Urge them to help protect the rights of the Uchinanchu people of Okinawa.

INTERNATIONAL ACTION ITEMS:

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ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS

Action #1: Tag the UN and UNESCO on social media posts on the dugong's threatened species status.

  • TIME NEEDED FOR ACTION: 5 minutes 

  • DO:

    • Click here to go to the "Red List of Threatened Species" by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). The organization lists the dugong as critically endangered species whose natural habitat is the Oura Bay.

    • Post and share the link. ​

    • OR post the screenshot images of the dugong on the threatened species list.

    • Add a message in support of protecting

    • Tag the UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) and UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) on your post.

    • Add "#riseforhenoko."

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Action #2: Tag the UN and UNESCO on social media posts on the current lawsuit by environmental groups against the Department of Defense. 

  • TIME NEEDED FOR ACTION: 5 minutes 

  • DO:

    • Click here to go to the letter by the Center for Biological Diversity and more than a dozen American conservation and animal protection groups to the House Armed Services Committee.

    • Post and share the link. ​

      • OR post the screenshot images of significant quotes from the link. The screenshot images are in pink/purpose at the bottom of this page. 

    • Tag the UNEP and UNESCO.

    • Add "#riseforhenoko." 

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Action #3: Write/Email to the UNEP and UNESCO and advocate for the protection of the dugong habitat.

  • TIME NEEDED FOR ACTION: 10 minutes 

  • DO:

    • Send an email or a letter to UNEP and UNESCO calling on international attention to Henoko. Include the entire letter by the Center for Biological Diversity and the American conversation and animal protection groups from above or parts of the letter. This is listed in the Action #2 of this page. Ask them to actively monitor and intervene in the environmental destruction of Oura Bay.  

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  • For UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme):​ 

    • Email: delc@unep.org

    • Mail: Division of Environmental Law and Conventions
      P.O Box 30552, 00100
      Nairobi, Kenya

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  • For UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)

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HUMAN RIGHTS

Action #4: Tag the UN Human Rights Council on social media posts on the need of UN protection.

  • TIME NEEDED FOR ACTION: 5 minutes 

  • DO:

    • Click here to go to the the article by Truthout.org about local activists in their fight for human rights and self determination after the February referendum.

      • Post and share the link. ​

      • OR post the screenshot images of significant quotes from the link. The screenshot images are in yellow/orange at the bottom of this page. 

    • Add a message in support of protecting Okinawan people's human rights in upholding the democratic process of the 2/24/2019 referendum opposing the new base in Henoko and ending the burden of U.S. military base occupation of Okinawan people's land.  

    • Tag the UN Human Rights Council.

    • Add "#riseforhenoko."

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Action #5: Write/Email the UN Human Rights Council and advocate for UN protection.

  • TIME NEEDED FOR ACTION: 15 minutes 

  • DO:​

    • Send a letter or email to the UN Human Rights Council supporting the demands for human rights protection. Ask them to actively monitor and intervene in the human rights violations against Okinawan people.

    • For UN Human Rights Council:​ 

      • ​Email: ccpr@ohchr.org

      • Mail: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) 
        Palais des Nations 
        CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland

 

 

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S RIGHTS

Action #6: Tag the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues on social media posts on the need of UN protection.

  • TIME NEEDED FOR ACTION: 5 minutes 

  • DO: 

    • Click here to go to the statement by Professor Masaki Tomochi of Okinawa International University on Okinawan people's indigenous status.

    • Post and share the link. ​

    • OR post the screenshot images of significant quotes from the link. The screenshot images  are in coral-color at the bottom of this page.  

    • Add a message in support of protecting Okinawan people's indigenous rights in self-determination, maintaining of land and culture as well as environmental protection of native land and sea. 

    • Tag the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

   

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Action #7: Write/Email the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and advocate for UN protection.

  • TIME NEEDED FOR ACTION: 15 minutes 

  • DO: ​

    • Send a letter or email to the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues supporting the demands for indigenous rights protection. Ask them to actively monitor and intervene in the indigenous rights violations against Okinawan/Uchinanchu people.

    • For UN - Indigenous People (at the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs):​   

      • Email: indigenous_un@un.org

      • Write to: Indigenous Peoples in Development Branch/Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (IPDB/SPFII)
        Division for Inclusive Social Development (DISD)
        Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA)
        United Nations Secretariat (29th Floor)
        405 E 42nd Street
        New York, NY 10017