Shorouk Express
BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 29. On March 29, Baku
is hosting the international conference themed “Colonialism:
erasing religious and national identity”, organized by the Baku
Initiative Group, Trend reports.
The event brings together leaders and representatives of
independence movements, as well as families of political prisoners
from territories under French and Dutch colonial rule, including
Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Kanaky (New Caledonia), Corsica,
Martinique, Réunion, Bonaire, French Polynesia, Mayotte, and Wallis
and Futuna.
The conference focuses on the erasure of religious and national
identity under colonial rule, assimilation policies targeting
indigenous peoples—such as restrictions on native languages,
pressure on religious beliefs, forced name changes—and the
rewriting of history and culture to align with imperial
interests.
Participants are discussing the impact of colonial policies,
global anti-colonial movements, the protection of national
heritage, the release of political prisoners, demands for
reparations, and the modern colonial policies of France and the
Netherlands.
As part of the conference, the Baku Initiative Group is expected
to sign a memorandum of understanding with one of the independence
movements.
