Baku to host conference on decolonization of Guadeloupe

An international thematic conference titled “Towards the decolonization of Guadeloupe! Challenges and perspectives” dedicated to the island of Guadeloupe, which is under the colonial rule of France, will be held in Baku.

The Baku Initiative Group (BIG) told Report that the conference will be held on June 25 under the joint organization of BIG, the People's Union for the Liberation of Guadeloupe (UPLG), the Guadeloupe International Reparations Movement (MIR Guadeloupe), the International Committee of Black Peoples (CIPN) and the Movement of Power for the Creation of the Guadeloupe Nation (FKNG).

The event will be attended by leaders of political parties, leaders of movements, NGOs, representatives of scientific circles, etc., fighting for the independence of Guadeloupe. The conference will be attended by the secretary of the International Decolonization Front, which was founded in Baku in July 2024 with the support of the Baku Initiative Group.

The conference will address issues such as the retention of Guadeloupe as an overseas department of France and the restrictions on the people's right to freely determine their political future, as well as colonial crimes, historical injustices, the extermination of the indigenous Kalinago people, the exploitation of workers, the existence of administrative and economic structures that perpetuate inequality and dependency. The event will also focus on the perpetuation of colonialism and its devastating effects on Guadeloupe, including unemployment, mass youth migration, social inequality, economic dependency, violence and environmental pollution, as well as the toxic chemical pesticide chlordecone.

The event will discuss the inclusion of the right of the Guadeloupe people to self-determination on the agenda of international organizations, the UN legal mechanisms for decolonization, as well as France's failure to comply with relevant UN resolutions and the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples.

For the first time in Azerbaijan, a concert titled “Rhythms & Dances of Guadeloupe and Azerbaijan” will be held at the Green Theater on June 25 at 7:00 PM with the participation of Azerbaijani and Guadeloupe cultural and artistic figures.

The cultural program will present the harmony of Guadeloupe music and Azerbaijani music to the audience. The famous Lakou Veranda Group of Guadeloupe will perform at the event and captivate the participants with its unique music and rhythms.

France, which continues its policy of systematically suppressing the cultures of the peoples it holds in colonial captivity, is trying to weaken the national identities of local peoples by “Frenchifying” the colonies.

In this context, the implementation of a unique initiative in Baku that will combine the harmony of the cultural heritage of Guadeloupe with the culture of Azerbaijan and the strengthening of cultural solidarity is of great importance in terms of continuing the fight against colonialism on a cultural platform.