The Decolonization Alliance is an advocacy group recently organized to actively pursue reform of the United Nations’ decolonization process and to help eliminate the remnants of colonialism from all aspects of society.
The initial organizers of the Decolonization Alliance are original peoples and nations that are actively engaged in pursuing independence. They include representatives of original nations from Oceania, North and South America, Australia and Asia. These aspiring nations are partnered with the international faith community, including the United Methodist Women and the World Council of Churches, and civil society organizations to reach past the political realm into homes and neighborhoods.
The Decolonization Alliance, is currently forming a coordinating structure and has opened an office on the 8th Floor at 777 United Nations Plaza, New York City across the street from the United Nations headquarters.
The Purpose
Although the United Nations was very successful in its first 40 years of stewarding nations to be independent and self-governing, in the past 25 years the process has slowed to a painful crawl.
This has left not only 16 nations languishing on the UN’s “decolonization list”, but many others who are not on the list, stranded and struggling to gain access to any international mechanism that could help them exercise their right to self-determination.
The Decolonization Alliance was formed to help revive the United Nations’ decolonization process, and raise public awareness about the unfinished task to free peoples and nations from continued colonization and occupation. The alliance also seeks to change old habits tied to colonialism.
Why this Alliance?
The chance for freedom and independence from colonizers and occupiers offered hope for a world emerging from the devastation of World War II and hundreds of years of colonization. But in the effort to reconfigure the countries of the world, many nations and peoples were arbitrarily forced into contrived states without regard for historical nationhood, cultural identity, or free, prior and informed consent. Having been left out of the UN’s decolonization process, many had to scramble, claw and use arms to fight for their freedom.
The Decolonization Alliance was formed by and for those seeking a peaceful remedy to their aspirations for freedom.
A series of events at the United Nations this past year indicate renewed interest for decolonization. That spurred unrepresented, indigenous and original peoples and nations from around the world to commit to work together through this alliance, to turn that renewed interest into getting the UN decolonization process fully operational again. Doing so would provide all peoples and nations access to a platform to pursue their right to self-determination.
At the same time, the Decolonization Alliance is embarking on raising awareness in the media, the public, the international bodies, the faith community and at the grassroots level, about the urgency of pursuing decolonization, not only for liberation of nations, but for the sake of peace and justice, to liberate the institutions and individuals from the colonial mindset that still pervades at many levels of society, so that healing reconciliation and unity can occur.
The alliance will engage in the following activities:
- Advocate for reforming the decolonization process at the UN to provide access for all to pursue their right to self-determination
- Create a network of peoples, nations and supporters engaged in initiatives for decolonization and de-occupation.
- Track and share information and updates on decolonization activities (meetings, initiatives, consultations, actions and so forth)
- Provide an ongoing, consistent advocacy presence at the UN and other international and regional bodies
- Participate in international and regional decolonization conferences and meetings
- Hold periodic alliance meetings
- Organize alliance conferences, workshops, seminars and so forth
- Develop and manage press and media access
- Educate the public of the urgency to push for decolonization
- Initiate educational programs to “decolonize the mind” to reset from harmful colonial thinking and habits.
Recent Events
Prompting the Formation of The Decolonization Alliance
• May 2013 – The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution to reinscribe French Polynesia to the UN list of Non-Self-Governing Territories. The reinscription renewed hopes of others seeking decolonization and triggered a number of States to call for the UN to revive the decolonization process.
• May 2013 – The release of the Study on Decolonization in the Pacific Region at the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues recommends decolonization of West Papua and the Hawaiian Islands, along with that of New Caledonia and French Polynesia already in progress.
• September 2013 – At the 68th Session of the General Assembly, several states addressed the necessity to step up the decolonization process, coinciding with efforts in Geneva to restore self-determination as a high priority item on the UN Human Rights agenda.
• October 2013 – Prof. Alfred M. deZayas, the UN Independent Expert on the Promotion of a Democratic and Equitable International Order, recommended the General Assembly enable the Decolonization Committee to receive communications from indigenous and unrepresented peoples and nations.
• October 2013, original peoples and nations actively engaged in pursuing independence, met in New York City to discuss organizing The Decolonization Alliance.
• March 2014, the Alliance opened an office through the generosity of the United Methodist Women at their Church Center building in across the street from the United Nations headquarters in New York City.
• May 2014, the Alliance held two events titled “The Decolonization Dialogs” at The Church Center to introduce the Decolonization Alliance to the international community.
The Decolonization Alliance, is currently developing membership, partnerships, funding and operations structures.
Want to learn more? Want to help? Go to: www.decol-all.org
Contact: email: decolonizeall@gmail.com
