On December 15 , the Valdai Club hosted an expert discussion “Decolonisation: 65 Years On.”
Sixty-five years ago, UN General Assembly Resolution 1514, “On the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples,” was adopted. It became a key global document in the fight against colonialism and symbolically concluded the 1960 “Year of Africa” by granting independence to a significant number of African states.
The resolution retains its political significance today. The legacy of colonialism – inequality, poverty in developing countries, and dependence on the collective West – has not yet been overcome and demands ever-greater solidarity from the World Majority states. It is no coincidence that the fight against neo-colonialism is a constant focus of BRICS.
Russia continues to support developing countries in this struggle. During his recent official visit to India, Russian President Vladimir Putin described attempts to impose expensive green energy technologies on majority-countries under the threat of restrictive measures as neo-colonialism.
What challenges are developing countries facing today? How are new neo-colonial practices emerging? What place does countering neo-colonialism occupy on the BRICS agenda?
Speakers:
Tatiana Dovgalenko, Director, Department of Partnership with Africa, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Rasigan Maharajh, Director General, Tshwane University of Technology; Research Fellow, Tellus Institute; Member of the Canon Collins Trust; Member of the South African Academy of Sciences
Hendra Manurung, Lecturer, Department of Military Diplomacy, Faculty of Defense Strategy, Indonesian Defense University (RIDU) (Indonesia)
Denis Degterev, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the Institute for African Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences; Professor, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Chief Researcher, Institute for African Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences
Elena Kharitonova, Senior Researcher, Institute for African Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences
Marco Fernandes, Brazil's representative to the BRICS Civil Council, geopolitical analyst at the online publication Brasil de Fato (Brazil)
Moderator:
Oleg Barabanov, Programme Director, Valdai Discussion Club
Working languages: Russian, English.
Information for the media:
In order to get accredited for the event, please fill out the form on our web site. Accreditation closes on December 8 at 12:00 Moscow Time (GMT+3). If you have any questions about the event, please call +79269307763.
Links to the live broadcast of the discussion will be posted on all online platforms of the Valdai Club: on the website, X (formerly Twitter), VK, Telegram and Dzen.