The People's Platform

**Note: The People's Platform website is here. It is also up at the A Le Ko Kau Forum. For the idea behind the People's Platform see here.

The People's Platform - Palau 2008 and Beyond

Social development through the political process by letting the people take the lead in articulating forth the issues important to them – The People’s Platform

Background

In 1979, the Constitution of the Republic of Palau was written and later approved by 92% of the Palauan voters and a nation was “born”. This was a memorable achievement after almost a century of various colonial governments. The Will of the Palauan people was crafted clearly by the framers of the Constitution and declared through the archives of history that when these aspirations are achieved, the Palauan people would declare themselves true stewards of their heritage. Thus

The Preamble

“In exercising our inherent sovereignty,

We, the people of Palau proclaim and reaffirm

our immemorial right to be supreme on these islands of Palau,

our homeland. We renew our dedication to preserve and enhance

our traditional heritage, our national identity and our respect for peace,

freedom and justice for all mankind. In establishing this Constitution

of the sovereign Republic of Palau, We venture into the future with full

reliance our own efforts and the divine guidance of Almighty God.”

Article V of the Constitution- Traditional Rights documents the spirit of the Palauan through the framers that we must preserve our identity as people. Such identity is expressed in Klechibelau (Palauism) and Klebelau (Palauness).

In addition Article VI of the Constitution spells out the Responsibilities of the National Government and there are 4 main areas which are all expressions of a broad definition of ENVIRONMENT- natural, economic, security/safety and social. “And the national government shall take positive action to attain these national objectives and implement these national policies.”

• a. Conservation and protection of the natural environment.
• b. Promotion of national economy.
• c. Protection of the safety and security of persons and property.
• d. Promotion of the health and social welfare of the citizens: 1) provision of free or subsidized health care. 2) provision of public education for citizens which shall be free and compulsory.

Issues of Aspirations

The Preamble, Article V and Article VI of the Republic of Palau Constitution present issues that harnesses the foundation of Palau as a society and Palauans as people who have decidedto take the course of their history intotheir own hands. When these issues are addressed adequately, Palau will move forward toward a more transparent government and ultimately toward self reliance. These are the principles on which the People's Platform 2008 is being negotiated among the grassroots to mobilize them in returning the collective leadership toward what was planned some 27 years ago. A leadership that is responsive to the needs of the people and brings them, ALL of them, along the journey of nation building toward self-sufficiency. This can only be done by ahving the people articulate forth what is important to them...Thus the People's Platform.

1. Unity and Palau for Palauans.The Preamble clearly states that is “WE, the Palauans…” Unity is achieved through common objectives. We all can fish differently but the goal is fish for Palau.

2. Palau must be for Palauans. “We, the Palauans…”

3. We must preserve our Identity as Palauan people.Article V: IDENTITY of Palauans. We must protect our identity through the protection of what makes us Palauans… Palauness (Klebelau). While Palauism (Klechibelau) might change from time to time… Klebelau should be rediscovered and protected.

4. a. Palau must sustainably preserve its pristine and unique biodiversity as well as, conserve its natural resources.

Article VI: Protection and conservation of the NATURAL ENVIRONMENT.

b. Palau must pursue economic development consistent to the spirit of the preamble, in the context of Article V and in balanced context with Article VI of the Constitution.

Article VI: Promotion of the national ECONOMIC ENVIROMENT. 

c. Palau must assure safety and security of Palauans and their quests.

Article VI: The ENVIRONMENT that promotes SAFETY and SECURITY of persons and property 

d. Palau must pursue health not only as a social development strategy but also as an economic strategy.

Article VI: SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT that provides of free or subsidized HEALTH CARE 

e. Palau must be in persuit of knowledge as a catalyst for nation building.

Article VI: SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT that provides free and compulsory EDUCATION

• a. Support Bul, PAN, WSA, MC, and the effor of the environmental NGO's.
• b. Support production based economies such as agri-aqua culture, banking, communication and tourism.
• c. Support Palau National Guard - two years service post-high school.
• d. Support universal health insurance but also viable social insurance that invest early life. That would ensure vested retirement.
• e. Support 16-20 percent of our revenue for education that fully support early years and academic-vocational model.

The following is a TOOL that can be used to evaluate any promise or agenda that politicians put forth to the people. This example is using the above tool to look at tourism.Implementation of PEOPLE’S PLATFORM 2008 on Tourism

1. We must be united in pursuit of tourism as an economic strategy.
2. Tourism must ensure Palau for Palauans.
3. We must adopt tourism as an economic strategy without sacrificing our identity as Palauans.
4. We must protect and conserve our natural environment in the midst of adopting tourism as an economic strategy.
5. Palau must ensure that tourism is good for economic development in Palau. The process must be transparent so that Palau is not exploited.
6. We must assure that Palauans are safe because that is the basis of providing safety and security to the tourist.
7. Palau must not only look at health as providing medical services to the tourist but also can develop health tourism as economic strategy.
8. Palau must also posses the knowledge to achieve the highest return on tourism investment as well as, provide mechanism for educational tourism.

The direction is set in the Constitution and what is need are leaders who are willing and able to negotiate implementation of such direction. While the example has used tourism… this can be applied to any economic strategy that the collected leadership agree on. People’s Platform 2008 seeks to mobilize the voters of Palau to pay a closer look on how such direction will be implemented.

Prepared by: People's Platform 2008

Comments

[Mosisecheklak]

I like this idea! It's a collection of united ideas fom you, me, and them to help establish a united goal that is realistic and beneficial to all.

Would recomend everyone to join and voice out their opinion.

Mesulang,

[Omtilou Rengulbai]

Great idea whose time is way past due. Its time to make our government a true representative institution by pinning down our leaders to be accountable to the voters' desires and wishes.

This OEK/administration has been blind and deaf to many of us voters !

Tourism is the most practical economic strategy now because Palau does not have much resources to offer except (maybe oil) and having one of the most beautiful spot on God's green earth.

One fact is clear. If we want to inrease tourism arrivals to Palau while maintaining our beautiful environment, we need to enact laws that create OTHER attractions for our tourists aside from diving. Presently, 75% of our visitors are divers and our dive spots are getting dangerously over crowded. The rock islands have 80,000 capacity per year according to JICA Report. I stand to be corrected on the figures. But the point is clear, the rock island can be destroyed with over crowding and mass tourism.

That leaves one concept that was introduced several years ago which now makes a lot of sense. Casino.

This industry will advance Palau tourism by making it a player among high end destinations in the world. Palau will reap the fruits of tourism without destroying our fragile environment.

I urge you all to push for a casino law if you are serious about making tourism an economic strategy.

If this platform does not have the will to tackle this tourism strategy, then it will be just another one of them failed organizations that we saw numerous times surface in the past. All talk and no production. I will do my part to help you. Best of luck !!!!

Ngak el Omti.

[Chad]

I guess that's the only sane approach to take....viewing tourism to boost our economy.

But like all skeptics, do we have the means to entice more travelers meeting this end? Can we compete against world first-class tourism destinations?

As skeptics, there are more questions than answers(bad trait). For the past seven and half years, our leaders has been singing this tune over and over..and still we are nowhere near the economic perception we so desire.

Are there alternatives..aside casinos to boost tourism industry? We know(I think) that we cant compete against those first-class destinations around the globe..safe to say its a fact. After all, our leaders has been singing this same tune over and over. Nothing concrete has been done and our sluggish economy's hurting us and prices of goods are killing us all.

These few tourists who frequent our fragile environment every year has made great impact in our environment. Changes in our marine system has greatly metamorph from best to good..and soon to bad. Ask any fisherman whose livelyhood depends solely on fishing. Ask boat operator if they make more money daytime or night time. They may have different tales to tell but one things for sure..if we want tourism to boost our economy, we have to sacrifice huge portion of our fragile environment.

And casinos? They may just help speed up the process. What I got in mind? Oil. Ask them palau petroleum organization or committee for a speedy approval and signing of papers so the drilling can start tomarrow. Simple as that. Huh..forgot one thing, with TR's right hand of course...with no strings attached.

Sorry O.R., not being sarcastic..ng di uldasu e kid a di diul soad lomes a betok.

[wow!]

I really hope that this will open the people's eyes and what is at stake for us as Palauans. Ng meral kemengeta omengiil era ungil lomeruul el mora beluad ma rechad er ngii.
I would predict if there are no improvements in our government, a strike would be at hand. I know Palauans are getting sick and tired of the excuses the government is giving us over and over again.

[Oketol]

This is perhaps the best way to ensure that our elected leaders will have to unite with themselves and the republic to move forward. As I've said in here before, it's time that we speak and be heard! We can't afford to have history repeat itself.

The recall process is always there for us to utilize if any of our elected leaders aren't truly representing the interest of our home and people.

I'm glad that we've come to this method for our previous leaders have failed most of us and only represented themselves and the few among us. It's about time!

Sulang!

[Nanci]

You need strong marketing efforts on behalf of Palau Bureau of Tourism and a good relationship with Las Vegas Bureau, New York Bureau etc all over the US of A as well as Europe tour bureaus but I would definitely go with the United States marketing companies who can put you on CNN etc and GET TOURISTS to go to Palau. Travel agencies, websites etc. GET TO WORK and bring the tourists in. Just make sure you make them welcome and DON"T charge a ridiculous FEE for foreigners to VISIT the country of Palau. Make it fair.

[ngemelis]

The People's Platform is a great idea. It's time to do things from a bottom-up perspective. However, I don't think tourism is the only means possible. If we focus solely on tourism we are reaching a dangerous end; meaning we will probably go all out just to accomodate our clients and exhaust our natural resources by changing their habitats. Tourism is great, but who will reap the benefits? Will it be the family of ten next door who are struggling to get by or the man sitting in OEK? I think it's more beneficial to the government rather than the people. As I have said time and time again, we need other ways such as agriculture. Our land is very cultivatable and if we can market our produce in the national and international level we could probably take on a new direction. We can take on new things like coffee, tea, sugar, onions, etc. and find ways to market those things to our neighboring countries. This way, the people will benefit directly as well as our government through lower unemployment rates and more disposable income from consumers.

For years and years we've been relying on tourism and the result of that is we are begging for help from larger countries because tourism doesn't allow us to be self suficient. My point is, there are other ways and we need to research and implement them.

We need better public and trade policies so that we can all benefit as well as our children and our children's children.

[Palau Insider]

Tourists do a lot less to harm the environment of Palau than the Japanese purse seiners who BMR trusts to report the annual catch correctly, to the Taiwanese longliners that are really shark-finning boats, to the Palauan scuba diving fishermen for the local market (Um) (Tony Borja was caught AGAIN!), to the Palauan fishermen who catch and keep every fish no matter the size or species. No concept of throwing anything back. So everyone once and a while a tourist diver kicks a piece of coral by accident. Nothing in comparison to Swenny's live fish operation that TR has not been able to stop. Nothing in comparision to the active hunt for mesekiu, nothing compared to the wanton killing of sea turtles, an animal endangered almost every where else in the world. Quit hiding behind the "culture" and blaming tourists. Tourists may clutter up the place, but Palauans are intentionally killing it off and selling it to the highest bidder.

[ngemelis]

Palau Insider, I'm wondering who your comment is directed to. Since I oppose the idea of relying on tourism alone for our economy, I had to reply. Shark finning, live reef fishing, scuba fishing, etc. Are a different aspect of a greater environmental injustice but are not part of the issue here which is constructed around tourism being the only means of economy. Yes those are very serious issues that should be addressed and fought; however the light is on tourism. Nobody is hiding behind culture and attacking the tourists. A simple kick to a coral may not seem harmless by itself but opening up more islands and spots for attraction purposes can displace the indigenous species that rely on that certain habitat. This is biology 101. I agree that violators of environmental crimes should be punished with no questions asked. Tourists are great, but do they help feed the majority of people in Palau? I didn't think so.

[ngemelis]

Palau Insider, I'm wondering who your comment is directed to. Since I oppose the idea of relying on tourism alone for our economy, I had to reply. Shark finning, live reef fishing, scuba fishing, etc. Are a different aspect of a greater environmental injustice but are not part of the issue here which is constructed around tourism being the only means of economy. Yes those are very serious issues that should be addressed and fought; however the light is on tourism. Nobody is hiding behind culture and attacking the tourists. A simple kick to a coral may not seem harmless by itself but opening up more islands and spots for attraction purposes can displace the indigenous species that rely on that certain habitat. This is biology 101. I agree that violators of environmental crimes should be punished with no questions asked. Tourists are great, but do they help feed the majority of people in Palau? I didn't think so.

[Steve Kuartei]

To All,
People's Platform is really a social development strategy to give some evaluation tool to assist the voters, the "ordinary" people, the grassroots on how to constructively evaluate any issue, any legislation or economic strategy that any of our leaders, candidates for the various offices might present. The tool basically post questions that are integral part of the our constitution. The tool was applied to tourism and as you all can see, Palau has failed misserably in applying such an assessment tool.

As the election draw nigh let us all hope that this time around we the grassroot people can say we had some effect on how the leaders were chosen in Palau.

The comments that you have posted shows some level of the frustration that people feel in Palau.

Let us all sign up and become advocate of the People's Platform with the full intention of advocating for a People Centered Politics in Palau.

Please link up to the People's Platform Website and sign up. For those of you outside of Palau.. you can electronically forward your name. Signing up only obligate you to fight for the right of the people to have a saying in their government affairs.

Details can be found on that Website.

Sulang for all the construcitve comments. If you are a candidate to the Office of the President, Vice President or OEK...I am sorry you cannot sign up and be a member of the People's Platform.

Steve Kuartei

[Mardingaol]

Dr. Kuartei,
I beleive this is an excellent idea and that this "tool" should be spread out to all people of Palau for us to become more aware of the integral issues that affect our QUALITY of life as well as these very pillars of our Republic that have been largely ignored by a majority of our elected leaders.

Thank you.

[Tukwila,WAT]

I am so all over this. Looks like we are ready to move forward one page at a time. I commend these indviduals for their tireless efforts and renewed confidence for the people of Palau. "Together we stand, divided we Fall"

~Tuk~