SHUSHA, Azerbaijan, July 6. The disregard for
the rights of indigenous peoples leaves a deep historical mark,
co-founder and chair of the World Circassian Agency in Lithuania,
Fatimat Kardanova said, Trend's correspondent reports from the event.
She made the statement during a panel discussion on "Modern
forms of colonialism: actions bringing tragedy, slavery and
suffering to peoples" held as part of the international conference
"Cultural and ethnic diversity: lessons from history, contemporary
challenges" in Shusha.
“Ignoring the rights of indigenous peoples and attempts at
forced unification leave a deep historical mark, traumatizing all
peoples. A striking example of this aspect of the problem is the
Circassian issue. Today, more than 90% of Circassians live abroad.
According to some statistics, only 10% live at home,” she said.
Kardanova thanked representatives of Azerbaijan’s civil society
for creating this important international platform. According to
her, the conference can be considered the beginning of a major
process.
“Azerbaijan can become a venue for international forums
dedicated to the history and national memory of the indigenous
peoples of the Caucasus. The Circassians expect Azerbaijan to
support the preservation of the Circassian language and culture,
which are under pressure from Russia,” she stated.
An international conference on the topic "Cultural and ethnic
diversity: lessons from history, contemporary challenges" is taking
place in Shusha.
The event is organized by the “Center for Cultural and Ethnic
Diversity” Public Association in partnership with the “Silk Road”
Public Association for Cultural and Historical Research.
Representatives from Azerbaijan, the U.S., France, Lithuania,
Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, Israel, Türkiye, and Georgia
are participating in the conference.
