Third panel discussion: “(De)colonialism: Lessons of the past and challenges of the present”

The discussion on colonialism and decolonialism took place during one of the panels of the international conference “Crimea Global. Understanding Ukraine through the South” yesterday. The panel focused on the colonial past and present of countries around the world, decolonization efforts and intentions through the prism of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. 

During the discussion, Martin-Olexander Kyslyy, a researcher of the history of Crimea and the Crimean Tatars and a lecturer at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, reminded the audience that Russia’s occupation and genocide in Ukraine were not new, as the first occupation of the Crimean peninsula took place in 1783. Mridula Ghosh, Chair of the Board of the Eastern European Development Institute, added that historians believe that the war for liberation from Russian colonialism has been going on for 300-400 years. Alim Aliyev, a Crimean Tatar activist and Deputy Director of the Ukrainian Institute at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, spoke about the history of Russian colonization of the Crimean Tatars. In particular, Alim Aliyev pointed out that 95% of the population in Crimea were Crimean Tatars before the elimination of the Crimean Khanate and before the annexation of Crimea to the Russian Empire. However, now they make up only 13% of the population. In the nineteenth century, Crimean Tatars lived more outside Crimea than within its borders, and in the twentieth century, they endured the Soviet deportation from Crimea.

Mr. Aliyev emphasized that Ukraine and the Crimean peninsula are currently experiencing two processes simultaneously – decolonization in the fight against Russian cultural and military expansion, and recolonization of Ukrainian territories through Russian occupation. Crimea, in his opinion, has become a model of colonization for other processes that Russia is implementing, which involve displacing and assimilating the peninsula’s inhabitants. Also, over the 9.5 years of the Russian-Ukrainian war in Crimea, more than 5,000 cases of human rights violations have been recorded, which is only the “tip of the iceberg”in terms of the real numbers of violations. Russia has banned the Mejlis, the representative body of the Crimean Tatars, infringing upon their religious identity and destroying both the material cultural heritage of the people and eroding their language. UNESCO recognizes the Crimean Tatar language as endangered. The Crimean peninsula has turned into a platform for launching Russian missiles at the continental part of Ukraine. According to Alim Aliyev, the Russian forced mobilization of Crimean Tatars into the war against Ukraine may lead to a repeated genocide of the Crimean Tatar people.

“This is our common war,” Mr. Aliyev said of the resistance to Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine. He emphasizes that Ukrainians, Crimean Tatars and representatives of other nationalities of Ukraine are now fighting on the front lines for their identity, dignity and future. 

Mridula Ghosch emphasized that ignoring the history of the peoples colonized by Russia is short-sightedness and a historical crime. “I understand Ukraine’s desire for freedom,” said Mordecai Thiombiano Lompo, CEO of Agape Humanitarian Outreach, who is also convenor of a Democratic Pressure group “Arise Ghana” and lead convenor of a political activist group “Justice for Ghana”. He noted that his country was the first one in Africa to gain independence. And his nation’s previous battle to decolonize Ghana was a “tough but necessary task” that allowed it to preserve its culture and traditions, as well as move Ghana in the right, independent direction. Botakoz Kasymbekova, a researcher at the Department of Modern History at the University of Basel, highlighted a similar situation with Kazakhstan, where she grew up. Due to Soviet colonization policies, she knew about Moscow and Russian literature better than she knew about her own city and the literature of her nation, and overall, she didn’t know much about Kazakhstan. 

In addition, people in Kazakhstan were repressed for talking about the Holodomor (artificially-made Famine), accused of “nationalism”. Dr. Marat Iliasov from George Washington University recalled the history of Ichkeria, which Russians refer to as Chechnya. The Nokhchi, whom the Russians nicknamed Chechens, have been fighting against Russian imperialism for over 200 years and have also experienced wars, genocide and deportations carried out by Russia. In the 1990s, they were among the leaders of decolonization, but the civilized world did not assist them then,so as for now Chechnya is a colony, with the Nokhchi considered”second-class citizens” in Russia, which denies them the right to national history, imposes false memories and misinterprets their history. “Chechnya” and “Chechens” are colonial, Russian terms. And even the leaders of the Russian liberal opposition deny their right to independence from Russia. Mr. Iliasov also noted that Russia’s impunity during the bloody recolonization of Chechnya later encouraged the imperialist state to attack Georgia and Ukraine.

Former presidential candidate and president of the Fundación para la Libertad de Nicaragua  (Freedom Foundation of Nicaragua) Félix Alejandro Maradiaga Blandon revealed that he first learned about Russia’s war against Ukraine while he was imprisoned during the Sandinista regime. Moreover, he mentioned that stories about the Sandinista regime’s cooperation with Russia were used as a form of psychological torture. According to Mr. Maradiaga Blandon, this illustrates Russia’s influence on Latin America. He also noted that responding to the propaganda of Putin’s dictatorship has proved to be a challenge for countries in Africa and the Global South in general. Despite Russia’s public statements about allegedly fighting colonialism, Russia is an imperialist, colonial, expansionist state that relies on politically left and right-wing dictatorships around the world and skillfully manipulates democratic systems. Their propaganda machine has monopolized the “decolonization” discourse since the Soviet era, and by disregarding the imperialism of the USSR, it continues to mislead  the world. 

Mordecai Thiombiano Lompo added that despite Russian propaganda, he visited Ukraine and got an “entirely different impression.” “Ukraine has a future!” he exclaimed.

Ms. Mridula Ghosh emphasized that the tradition of Russocentric historiography and Russocentric stereotypes about Ukraine in Western and Global South universities marginalizes large groups of people. Botakoz Kasymbekova agreed that her fellow historians in Europe have studied the history of Ukraine according to Russian archives. She also called for the exchange of academic experience on modern colonialism, “talking not about people, but with people,” i.e., enslaved peoples. Ms. Kasymbekova noted that the world needs Ukrainian studies, and that lecturers on Ukrainian history are needed in other countries. Marat Iliasov, in turn, stressed the need to decolonize the academic communities of the world so that they would resist the narratives imposed by Russian scholars. He, similarly to Felix Alejandro Maradiaga Blandon, identifies such aspects of Russian science as politicized propaganda. Moreover, Mr. Maradiaga Blandon proposed to create a network of scientists and specialists to counter Russian propaganda. Alim Aliyev agreed that it is necessary to change the world’s perspectiveon matters of science and culture. He also emphasized the importance of being subjective and proactive by”sitting at the table” rather than being passive observers “on the table”.

During the discussion on the essence of Russian colonial policy, Ms. Mridula Ghosh noted that Ukraine is a post-colonial country that is still undergoing decolonization through its struggle  of liberation. Moreover, Ukraine is a non-traditional colony in the scientific sense – Ukrainians were colonized culturally, not racially, because Ukraine is multinational and multiracial. Ghosch underscored that Russia has claimed to have a “white man’s burden” on Ukraine, and for Vladimir Putin, Ukraine belongs entirely to the Russian Empire. Ukrainians, according to Russia, are like Friday from Daniel Defoe’s novel – they are only good as long as they serve Robinson Crusoe. Ms. Ghosh also believes that the de-occupation of Crimea will set the general tone for further decolonization, as the assault on the global legal order began with the Russian occupation of Crimea.

Ms. Botakoz Kasymbekova added that Ukraine is now a moral leader of decolonization, a “method of decolonization.” She also expressed the opinion that despite the war, Ukraine is a safe space for discussions and joint reflection on modern colonialism, and can become an open platform that can assist other nations in their decolonization efforts. In particular, Ukraine, as a democratic country, can contribute to highlighting the existence of the North Caucasian peoples. Ms. Botakoz Kasymbekova also supported the thesis that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is a fascist invasion and that Russia is now “punishing Ukraine for its decolonization”. She also emphasized that the Ukrainian vision of Russia is highly valuable for the whole world.

Mordecai Thiombiano Lompo said that he had fallen in love with Ukraine and would always support it. He expressed confidence that the Russian-Ukrainian war will end in Ukraine’s victory, and only through this will peace come. He also noted that if Ukraine does not fight, Russia will continue its military expansion to other countries. Therefore, Mr. Lompo wished Ukrainians to continue to be united against the enemy and to fight on.

“What can Ukraine do best? It can win the war. If it does, we will do the rest!” – Marat Iliasov said, adding that Ukraine, by winning, can help the nations currently under Russian occupation to give an impetus to decolonization.

It’s also worth noting that during the event, Felix Alejandro Maradiaga Blandon proposed the creation of democratic “global ecosystems” to counter contemporary forms of imperialism. And Mridula Ghosh expressed confidence that an alliance of states with similar problems to Ukraine’s is possible.