Topic: Freedom of the Press
Country: Guatemala
Delegate Name: Jennifer Larson
School: Royal Oak High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Guatemala position papers GLIMUN 2009 committees
The issue of Freedom of Press is not a significant problem for the Republic of Guatemala. Guatemala is a neighboring country of Mexico and has a Roman Catholic religion base. We do not see Freedom of Press as a black and white issue. There should not be unlimited freedom, but not the absence of it either. There is a defining thin line in-between the two extremes which needs to be addressed.
Guatemala believes that there should be a limit on Freedom of Press. Everyone is entitled to their freedoms, but not to an extreme extent. If everyone took their freedoms literally, and never second-guessed that there were no limitations, people would be running naked on the streets waving guns around because it's their right. Wrong. No one should be able to broadcast harmful and extreme ideas as if they are facts. This can cause violence and misinformation.
As a dominantly Catholic country, our people have a hard time adjusting to the rising acceptance of individual differences, especially those which seem to go against the values of the church. Hate crimes are already a significant problem in Guatemala. Freedom of the Press enables information to be shared openly, thus identifying differences that become sources of conflict.
We believe everyone should be able to speak freely yet wish to prevent additional struggles that might lead to increased violence over expressed differences. The problem we wish to address is where to find a solution balancing between the two extremes.
Guatemala is open to consider the ideas of other countries on the issue of Freedom of the Press. An acceptable resolution Guatemala would support would clearly define the issue and provide a well thought out solution.
