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.
Addressing the event participants, President of the Global Movement for Reparations and Secretary of the International Front for Decolonization (Guadeloupe) José Martin pointed out that the contribution of the Baku Initiative Group to the fight against colonialism is exemplary.
He noted that the Baku Initiative Group plays an important role in international efforts to decolonize and protect the rights of peoples who suffered from the colonial past.
"We realized that unity gives strength, and the diversity of our histories and realities is an advantage. Each struggle is a brick that strengthens the building of our collective liberation," Jean-Pierre noted.
Secretary General of Tavini Huiraatira Party of French Polynesia Victor Maamaatuaiahutapu added that France's colonial policy led to the loss of national and religious identity of the peoples of French Polynesia and other colonized territories. "We Polynesians live in a situation where our culture and traditions are marginalized. European standards have been imposed on us, ignoring our customs and beliefs, which has led to cultural impoverishment and the loss of our identity," he said.
President of the Progressive Multicultural New Caledonia Association Maria Isabella Saliga noted that France's colonial policy led to the complete destruction of the cultures and traditions of the peoples subjected to colonial oppression and left deep historical scars that are still felt in these countries.
She stressed that colonization destroyed not only the cultural traditions but also the spiritual orientations of the peoples who were oppressed. "We became part of France through violence, and we still bear the heavy burden of these humiliations, the theft of wealth, the destruction of knowledge about medicinal plants, and manipulation through pollution and economic development that serve the interests of the colonial power," she explained.
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 event, the Baku Initiative Group and the People's Union for the Liberation of Guadeloupe Party have signed an MoU (memorandum of understanding). The memorandum was signed by the Executive Director of the Baku Initiative Group Abbas Abbasov and the Secretary General of the People's Union for the Liberation of Guadeloupe Jean-Jacob Bicep.
