An international thematic conference dedicated to Guadeloupe, which remains under France's colonial rule, has kicked off in Baku, which has become a hub for decolonization dialogues.
The conference, titled "Towards the Decolonization of Guadeloupe! Challenges and Perspectives," is jointly organized by the Baku Initiative Group (BIG), the People's Union for the Liberation of Guadeloupe (UPLG), the Guadeloupe International Movement for Reparations (MIR-Guadeloupe), the International Committee of Black Peoples (CIPN), and the Movement for the Birth of the Guadeloupe Nation (FKNG), News.Az reports, citing local media.
The event brings together leaders of political parties and movements advocating for Guadeloupe's independence, heads of non-governmental organizations, representatives of academia, and others. The Secretary of the International Decolonization Front, established in Baku in July 2024 with the support of the Baku Initiative Group, will deliver a presentation at the conference.
The conference will focus on critical issues, including the status of Guadeloupe as an overseas department of France, which restricts the people's right to freely determine their political future; colonial crimes; historical injustices; the extermination of the indigenous Kalinago people; the exploitation of workers; and the existence of administrative and economic structures that perpetuate inequality and dependency.
Other key topics will include how the departmental status sustains colonial practices, contributing to unemployment, mass emigration of youth, social inequality, economic dependence, violence, environmental pollution, and the devastating impact of the toxic chemical pesticide chlordecone in Guadeloupe.
The conference will also feature in-depth discussions on bringing the Guadeloupean people's right to self-determination to the agenda of international organizations, utilizing the United Nations' legal mechanisms on decolonization, and addressing France’s non-compliance with relevant UN resolutions and the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples.
Notably, for the first time in Azerbaijan, a concert titled "Guadeloupe and Azerbaijan Rhythms & Dances" will be held on June 25, organized by the Baku Initiative Group with the participation of cultural and artistic figures from both Azerbaijan and Guadeloupe.
The cultural program will present the harmony of Guadeloupean and Azerbaijani music to the audience, with a performance by the renowned Lakou Veranda group from Guadeloupe, captivating participants with their unique music and rhythms.
France, which continues its systematic policy of suppressing the cultures of the peoples under its colonial rule, seeks to "Frenchify" its colonies and erode the national identities of indigenous peoples.
In this context, the unique initiative to unite Guadeloupe’s cultural heritage with Azerbaijani culture in Baku and to strengthen cultural solidarity holds great significance as a continuation of the anti-colonial struggle on the cultural front.
