Friends from Panama Equity:

I bring the statement released on 21 th of January, 2014 in La Prensa of Panama, by Movement for Strengthening Panamanian Identity (click here for our Facebook page), in which I belong. It refers to the removal of the chair of History of Relations with the United States Panama, in schools and universities in Panama.

Regards,

Katti Osorio Ugarte

The Press / 21 th of January, 2014

STATEMENT OF MOVEMENT FOR IDENTITY PANAMEÑA

Faced with the recent statements by President, in the sense that the removal of the chair of History of Panama's relations with the United States is justified, in our schools and universities, because it generates anti-American sentiment, citizens who participate in the Identity Movement Panamanian felt outraged. Thus, we join the clamor for citizens to be reinstated where this subject has been deleted and respected where it still survives, in the context of the school and university curriculum of the Republic of Panama.

Denounce:
The aforementioned public statements of the President of the Republic are regrettable because reveal a conditional identity and overly accommodating to the interests of the U.S.. by our president.

We believe that this subject should be so current and objective, without prejudice or animosity against other nations, but always in defense of decolonization and recovery of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of our country, as well as historical memory and identity of the Panamanian. Panamanians why we have become U.S. public relations, or any other country in the world, at the expense of our right to keep and update knowledge of the national past, to defend our economic interests, political and cultural, and strengthen our identity and national project.

The decrease in hours of teaching subjects and the history of Panama absorption Relations with the United States Panama, in an overall synthesis, in schools and universities, promotes the loss of historical memory and identity of Panamanian, between youth and adults, besides damaging generational change our historians the consequent contraction of their workplace.

The proposal to eliminate this subject responds to a foreign neoliberal utilitarian guideline to reduce hours of study of national histories in general, with the aim of strengthening technical training and learning natural sciences, detriment of the humanities, intended to meet the needs of the domestic market, global, removing material for the formation of the individual, leading us to significant gaps in the sense of valuing the shared roots, social responsibility, universal and national solidarity among Panamanians. This is aimed to train robots instead of forming citizens.

We argue:
National identities are constructed dynamically and relationally against other identities: Panamanian identity, from 1850, was constructed in relation to conflict and cooperation with U.S. neocolonialism in the Isthmus. For his part, American identity, and particularly Zonian, were the most powerful Republican counterpart Panamanian identity, becoming his "significant other", explained as symbolic anthropology, Spain and Colombia replacing in that role, in earlier periods of our history.

Historical memory is the basis on which builds and renovates national identity. And national identity, bad a state can design a project inclusive, where all Panamanians can recognize and feel represented.

The subject of History of Relations between Panama and the United States is the backbone of the republican history of Panama, including separation from Colombia, The Protectorate, the site of the Canal Zone, as the creation and consolidation of the Republic of Panama, to this day. And not exclude broader and global eyes of our international relations but, conversely, focuses on the context of the new colonialism.

This chair is in effect today, because E.U.A. remain the main customer of the Panama Canal; because Panama has signed a Trade Promotion Agreement with that country with serious consequences of weakening the national agricultural sector; because the issue of combating drug trafficking has generated an international agreement that allows the construction of naval bases and requires considerable investment budget of Panama, without apparent success results; because we are also the subject of espionage by the U.S.; and the clause De Conccini, in the Torrijos-Carter Treaty, compromising the sovereignty of the nation state. These are some of the most important bilateral issues with the leading world power in this.

Social needs, current trade policies and our country require consolidating the sovereignty of the Panamanian State, design a national long-term project, whose foreign policy more proactive and diversified so far, based on the experience of the bilateral relationship with the U.S.. to redefine it in terms decolonization among nations.

Propose:
Reinstating the chair of History of Relations between Panama and the United States, the legal mandate and the necessary budget to upgrade the course and their texts; training its teachers with more comprehensive and scientific approaches that have been taken so far and the implementation of educational technologies.

The subject's use of bilateral relations with the U.S.. to rethink Panama options inside and outside of this binomial, overcoming narrow approaches to geopolitics Panama through history. From domestic criticism of U.S. relations with Panama, we can contemplate the choices we face in the present to diversify and expand our international policy and what this means to develop our regional integration best alternatives.

Liberate the study merely curricular vision of history: pedagogy adopt a mobilizing to educate ethics; overcome the description of historical facts and making visible the lived route live, by the Panamanian nation, to achieve the sovereignty of the National Government, democratic and popular, so that youth recognize their right to democratic participation and responsibility in building this goal.

Last, reiterate our call on the urgent need for Panamanians recover our historical memory and strengthen national identity. We express our Movement rejects any chauvinistic discourse on ethnic supremacy and, conversely, adopt the discourse of decolonization and cultural diversity of Panama, in tune with our Latin American and Caribbean environment, that should prompt us to build a free society, sustainable, intercultural fair and walk together to the XXI century.

Coordinators of this Notice:
Ana Elena Porras, Ricardo Rios Torres, Eduardo Flores Castro

Given in Panama, Republic of Panama, on the 18 th of January, 2014