Lourens highlights role of media in decolonization at international conference in Azerbaijan

BAKU, Azerbaijan--Former government advisor and civil society advocate Alston Lourens represented St. Maarten at an international conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, where he emphasized that decolonization must extend beyond constitutional reform to include control over communication and public narratives.

Lourens delivered remarks during the conference, titled “Media and Decolonization: Rising Voices, Amplifying Narratives,” which examined the role of journalism, broadcasting and communications in shaping public understanding of self-determination and constitutional development.

“Decolonization is not only a constitutional process, but it is also a process of communication,” Lourens said.

He argued that colonial systems were sustained partly through narratives that influenced how territories and their people were viewed, both locally and internationally. Decolonization, he said, must therefore include the ability of communities to define their own experiences, priorities and aspirations.

“If colonialism was sustained through certain narratives, then decolonization must also reclaim the right to shape its own narrative,” Lourens said.

He drew attention to changes in the Caribbean media landscape, including the decline of national broadcasting systems and the growing dependence on privately operated media companies functioning within competitive commercial markets.

“In many Caribbean countries, national broadcasting, the existence of a state-run television station, has gradually become a thing of the past,” he said.

Lourens noted that small island territories frequently depend on content created outside their jurisdictions, while other regions use public funding or government subsidies to support journalism.

“Each of these models has its advantages, but each also influences which topics receive sustained attention,” Lourens said.

He explained that issues such as constitutional reform, self-determination and decolonization are not always commercially attractive subjects for media organizations that depend heavily on advertising, audience size and immediate public interest.

According to Lourens, organizations advocating constitutional change are sometimes portrayed as disruptive, unrealistic or extreme, rather than being recognized as legitimate participants in democratic debate.

“Far more often, movements that advocate these ideas are portrayed as destructive, unrealistic, problematic, and sometimes even extremist, rather than being viewed as legitimate participants in democratic discourse,” he said.

The international conference was organized by the Baku Initiative Group, commonly referred to as BIG. Organizers described it as the first platform of its kind held in Azerbaijan involving media representatives from former and current colonial territories.

The event brought together leaders and representatives of media organizations, journalists, political commentators, communications specialists, researchers, civil society representatives, diaspora organizations, diplomats and government officials. Discussions focused on media ownership, access to communication platforms, representation of territories in international reporting and the ability of communities to tell their own stories.

The Baku Initiative Group was established in July 2023 by participants in an international conference held alongside a ministerial meeting of the Coordination Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement. The organization states that it supports international cooperation and dialogue on colonialism, neocolonialism and the right to self-determination.

Lourens’ participation placed St. Maarten within a wider international discussion involving Caribbean, Pacific and other territories examining the relationship between political development, media representation and control over national narratives.

He maintained that meaningful decolonization requires communities to have the institutional capacity, media infrastructure and professional resources needed to explain constitutional issues from their own perspective.

His contribution also highlighted the importance of ensuring that discussions about St. Maarten’s constitutional future are not shaped solely by institutions, commentators or media organizations based outside the country.

Trend News Agency Photo.