SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - Dr. Rhoda Arrindell returned here recently from representing the One St. Martin Association (One SXM) at the “Congress of French Colonies,” in Baku, capital city of Azerbaijan, July 17 – 18, 2024.
The One St. Martin president said that on behalf of the group she pledged support and signed the declaration for an international front for liberation and independence at the conference, organized by the Baku Initiative Group (BIG).
One SXM defines itself as an association for “fostering greater unity among the people of St. Martin … historically ONE nation.” Its members and the audience of its live weekly radio and Facebook simulcast are drawn from both parts of the island and the St. Martin diaspora.
The BIG executive director Abbas Abbasov told delegates from at least seven territories, that as someone born in his native Azerbaijan when it was a Russian colony, and now living in the independent Azerbaijan, he understands what it feels like.
After serving in various ambassadorial roles for Azerbaijan, Abbasov said he was now committed to the struggle to end colonialism worldwide.
The conference delegates and organizers recalled the declaration of the United Nations’ Special Decolonization Committee on June 21, 2024, that “the existence of colonialism in all its forms and all its manifestations is incompatible with the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”
Arrindell said that related declarations were also discussed before the delegates agreed to proceed with what the united front document termed the “creation of an imminent international liberation front for the liberation of the remaining French colonies.”
The conference delegations and participants included representatives of pro-liberation groups in Kanaky, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Guiana, Polynesia, and Corsica. Bonaire activists James Finies and Davika Bissessar were present and declared their support for the united front.
Organizers and conference participants expressed an urgency for an international structure to bring to fore the issues currently facing the French colonies, highlighting the recent developments in Kanaky (New Caledonia), said Arrindell.
The signatories of the “International Front for the Liberation of the Remaining French Colonies” called on other patriotic organizations of the remaining territories to support the struggle for liberation in their respective nations, said Arrindell.
In her presentation to the congress, the well-known St. Martin activist and educator said, “As a platform for independence, One St. Martin denounces any attempt to work toward a ‘shared future’ in the Dutch Kingdom or the French Republic, and we welcome all support to facilitate the transition to independence in a responsible way.”
Arrindell, who is the author of the “groundbreaking” book Language, Culture, and Identity in St. Martin, also told conference-goers that, “We do not wish to make the kingdom or the republic function better, but prefer to forge alliances within the Caribbean family, working together more closely in bodies like CARICOM, OECS, or … the OAS. This is not just because of our historical and cultural heritage or Caribbean identity, but because we are convinced that we share a common future with a collective destiny.”
Arrindell’s invitation to the congress in Azerbaijan was a follow-up to the meeting in New York last June, where she made the One St. Martin presentation as part of the BIG program of yearlong activities aimed at ending colonialism worldwide.
Dr. Rhoda Arrindell (2nd L) with Azerbaijan university students, including Aygun (L., front) who is pursuing her studies in linguistics. Azerbaijan, July 2024.
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