Protesters from various parts of society have been demonstrating across the country for over a week, demanding that the government revoke the contract with a local subsidiary of Canada’s First Quantum Minerals. Critics of the concession argue that it puts Panama’s environment and water supply at risk, writes the AP.

President Laurentino Cortizo’s administration proposed a bill on Monday to send to the country’s congress, outlining the scheduling of a referendum in December. However, Panama’s top electoral authority indicated that it would not be possible to hold such a vote before the presidential election scheduled for May.

Interior Minister Roger Tejado, who submitted the proposed legislation, urged electoral authorities to fulfill their “historic role.”

The mining contract has significant economic implications for Panama. The local subsidiary, Panama Mining, employs over 9,000 people, and the company claims that its operations contributed to 4.8% of Panama’s GDP in 2021.

The government argues that the new contract secures a minimum annual payment of $375 million to Panama, which is ten times more than what was provided under the previous contract.

The new agreement extends Panama Mining’s concession over 32,000 acres (12,955 hectares) for 20 years, with an option for the company to extend it for another 20 years.

The scale and scope of the deal have generated both nationalist and environmentalist concerns. Critics argue that granting the company control over water usage at a time when drought has led to reductions in Panama Canal traffic is a mistake. The company contends that it uses rainwater it collects.

Protesters, such as Omayra Avendaño, a real estate broker, expressed worries about the water supply: “We’re almost out of water. All the money in the world will not be able to make up for the lack of water, which is already critical.”

First Quantum Minerals has not issued substantial comments since the protests began, aside from releasing a brief statement condemning protesters who arrived by boat at a port the company uses.

The post Panama protests over mining concession pressure leaders for referendum first appeared on The Postcolonial.

With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, several countries within the EU are receiving devastating economic punches.

Although located in the Arctic circle closer to north America than Europe, but linked through their position within the Danish Kingdom, 15% of Greenland’s total export is affected due to sanctions on Russia, the country’s Múte B. Egede, Greenland Prime Minister told Arctic Today back in June.

And that motivatesGreenland to be active in finding new markets to reduce the economic loss.

‘We’re trying to find new markets, so the negative effects can be as small as it can be,’ said Egede.

The country’s will to enhance new business relations and economic prosper appeals to the European Union, which will open a representative office in the capital of Nuuk this fall, Greenlandic broadcaster NRK reported on Monday.

‘Greenland is already an important partner for the EU today, but there is a potential to do more. We are excited to approach a closer and more practical corporation with Greenland,’ said Per Haugaard, the EU commission’s representative chief in Denmark.

Minerals on sight

A definite date for when the new office will open in Nuuk is unknown as the EU commission continues to search for available space in the capital.

A total of four people will operate the office once it is open. This includes an office chief and three policy staff members. One or two will be local Greenland-speaking people.

With a physical EU presence in Nuuk, new projects involving Greenland’s infrastructure and business sector will run more smoothly with funding from the EU, Haugaard said.

‘There will be daily contact. Our office can share information with residents of Nuuk and the rest of Greenland about what the EU is doing, and what possibilities they have if they want to receive supports for different activities. Greenland’s business sector can apply funding for projects,’ he said.

Of natural recourses, Greenland hosts many minerals and metals that the international market needs to produce technology. Mining opportunities are therefore of big interest.

‘This is where the EU has its expertise and can collaborate in specific projects to see, how we can extract minerals in the future in the most sustainable way,’ said Haugaard.

Greenland did not follow Denmark and parted ways with the old EU in 1985, but today, the country still has economic collaborations with the Union – mainly in the education- and fishing sectors.

In 2023, Greenland receives 218 million DKK from the EU. That will amount increase by 251 million DKK from 2024. The funding represents a large amount of Greenland’s total economy.

Independence with economic growth

For Greenland, targeting economic growth means more than a prosperous society. As a result of being part of the Danish Kingdom, Denmark pays Greenland a yearly financial grant that covers governmental administrative costs.

Once Greenland can cover the grant themselves, the road to independence will be much smoother. With greater international attention in recent years, Greenland is positioning itself as an emerging business partner for superpowers around the world.

Due to geographic proximity, the USA is among the top contenders for landing deals with Greenland, which could make the world’s largest island fully independent from Denmark which administrates foreign affairs and safety politics on behalf of Greenland today.

‘The United States is Greenland’s most important strategic partner,’ said Egede in June and added, ‘We should work hard to be mutually preferred partners in the Arctic.’

‘Trade between Greenland and North America is one of our central priorities,’ he said.

The US opened its first consulate in Nuuk back in 2020. Last year, Greenland agreed on a deal that secures them 61 million DKK with the US, to ensure “greater opportunities for a better economic partnership” between the two countries.

The post EU to establish in Nuuk as Greenland eyes new markets first appeared on The Postcolonial.

Denmark and Greenland have decided to investigate their historical bonds since WWII. The investigation will focus on political decisions, events, and other cases that impacted Greenland and its citizens’ development. Relationships between Denmark and Greenland will also be investigated, a press release from the Danish Prime Minister’s office states.

“The Danish-Greenlandic relationship is strong and is built on mutual respect. But we have recently got knowledge on cases marking that our common history still has chapters, that we have not covered,” Mette Frederiksen Prime Minister of Denmark says.

In March, Denmark issued a formal apology to Greenlandic children, who went through a social experiment by being relocated to Denmark resulting in the children losing relations with their cultural background and connections to their families in an attempt to create a Danish ‘elite’ in Greenland in the 1950s.

And in May, Danish broadcaster DR published an investigation revealing that Denmark strategically lowered Greenland’s population growth by placing IUD birth control on thousands of girls in women between 1966 and 1970.

“For the past couple of years, we have witnessed one sad story after another. Stories with big personal consequences for the involved. The entire Greenlandic population is behind the demand to initiate this investigation,” says Múte B. Egede, Chairman of Greenland’s government locally known as Naalakkersuisut, KNR writes.

Colonial status under focus

Results concluded by the commission will not only map the relationship between Denmark and Greenland. It will also reveal whether Denmark has lived up to its responsibilities concerning UN requirements for decolonization. Greenland officially ended its status as a Danish colony in 1953.

The investigation is relevant according to Astrid Nonbo Andersen who researches memorial- and historical politics at the Danish Institute for International Studies.

“There has been a number of cases: Enforcing relocation of people in Thule, the judicial fatherless, the children experiment, atomic weapons in Greenland,” she tells KNR and continues, “all of it happens in a period where Greenland transitions from a colony to a Danish County and modernization.”

Denmark’s Ministry of Education and Research will together with Greenland’s Department of Education, Culture, Sport and Church establish a commission to investigate the history between the two countries and will be managed by independent researchers. The commission will conclude its research by October 2022.

The post Denmark and Greenland to investigate shared historical relations first appeared on The Postcolonial.

After nearly four centuries of British rule, Barbados has now officially cut its ties to the monarchy. On Tuesday, November 30^th 2021, Barbados announced their republic status with a ceremony that swore in the country’s first President, Dame Sandra Mason replacing Queen Elizabeth II as de facto head of state.

‘Vessel Republic Barbados has set sail on her maiden voyage. May she weather all storms and land our country and citizens safe on the horizons and shores which are ahead of us,’ President Mason told the audience after being sworn in.

Barbados has been an independent kingdom for 55 years but by transforming into a republic, the island nation is leaving its colonial past behind. It was one of England’s first slave colonies as English settlers occupied the island in 1627, becoming a sugar plantation economy under British rule. The island nations slavery ‘forever stains our history’ Prince Charles said in his speech at the ceremony.

Remembering the British legacy

Despite leaving the monarchy, Barbados will remain within the Commonwealth. And this is not the only legacy from British rule that will remain in contemporary Barbados, which has been titled “Little England”. With the great atrocities that were committed under British rule, keeping memories alive from these times will be a significant priority for Barbados.

Less than a week after the ceremony the new republic announced its initiative to build a transatlantic slavery museum, the Independent reported last month.

Barbados has the second largest collection of slave records after the UK, which will come into the display at the new museum. The facility will also include a research institute that will focus on telling the story of slavery and what global impact the practice had.

The museum will engage in anticipated research partnerships between the Caribbean’s University of the West Indies and US academic institutions Harvard University and the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art.

The Prime minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, announced the plans and said: ‘The most important gift we can give of our people and our children at this time is that sense of confidence and understanding of who we are.’

The Barbados Archives department hold slavery records dating back to 1635.

‘As we engage with these records and unearth the many stories in the current format and future state, it is believed that on the heels of republicanism a new national consciousness will emerge among our people which can only be done to the benefit of all,’ chief archivist at the Barbados Archives Department Ingrid Thompson told the Independent.

It is hoped that addressing the colonial past will lead to economic development creating jobs for the Barbadians in the cultural tourism sector. Tapping into the heritage economy also create opportunities for technological innovations, as museums around the world are already finding new ways to display history, giving Barbados a potential for knowledge export.

Marching the frontline

Heritage economy isn’t the only prospect of how Barbados potentially can become a heavy lifter globally. There’s a solid democratic foundation supporting the young republic, which could make them a beacon among the island nations of the Caribbean Sea.

With low levels of corruption, Barbados ranks well on Transparency International’s corruption index, currently placing 29^th out of 179 countries – a score better than the likes of Spain, Portugal and South Korea. Barbados score is the best in the Caribbean, although closely followed by the Bahamas.

In an opinion piece published at the Guardian, senior adviser at Intelligent Sanctuary Kenneth Mohammed states that ‘Barbados can learn a lot from the mistakes of Trinidad and Tobago,’ which has experienced several corruption allegations surrounding the presidential role since turning into a republic in 1976.

‘Barbados can be a beacon in making the president’s role more meaningful and relevant, ensuring strong institutions, and overseeing the fight against corruption. With presidential oversight, an independent, forthright, anti-corruption agency, supported by effective legislation, and a diligent and expert financial intelligence unit, can remove incentives for bribery and kickbacks within public services, police, parliamentarians and the office of the prime minister,’ he writes.

Surely, less corruption means efficient spending of public funds.

And with harsher conditions followed by climate change, Barbados will need to secure coastal zones for the sake of its people. Integrating political reforms prioritising structures that can counter, or provide shorter recovery times after extreme weather events will undoubtedly benefit the nation’s economic growth.

That is if Barbados’s government can follow through with prime minister Mottley’s words and prioritise climate change on the political agenda.

The post New republic Barbados cuts ties to monarchy but remembers history first appeared on The Postcolonial.

Greenland’s parliamentary elections ended on last Tuesday with a historical result. The present leading government party Siumut was left without decisive influence to form a new government, as the left-wing environmentalist party Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA) claimed victory and formed a joint majority of seats in parliament with centre party Naleraq.

Over half of those eligible to vote (27,079 Greenlanders out of 41,126 eligible votes) took a stance on election day where harsh weather conditions made it hard to reach voting booths. Greenlanders’ relationship to nature was essentially the decisive, hot topic influencing the election’s outcome.

Since Greenland gained autonomy from Denmark and formed its parliamentary system in 1979, Siumut has dominated the island politics apart from one exception. Now, IAs 34-year-old leader Múte Bourup Egede will be in charge of forming a new government, which he will lead for the next four years.

At a time when Greenland has received great attention from the international superpowers, the election result is likely going to have a far wider impact globally than usually. Many may remember how former US president Donald Trump tried to purchase Greenland from Denmark, that controls the islands foreign affairs and defence policies.

Mining for profit cancelled

Mining was one of the pressing issues in the elections, as IA and Naleraq were against mining for profit, whereas Siumut was more supportive of it. Anticipating this, Siumut replaced their chairman and head of Greenland’s government Kim Kielsen by Erik Jensen already last year, ensuring that the power shift would not have any effect on government. In essence, an extraordinary call to a new election was called because of a conflict regarding a mining project in Kuannersuit, in Greenland’s southern edge. Siumut’s pro stance to the project created disagreements on mining certificates within the government and ultimately, this made the Demokraatit party step out of their coalition in government leaving behind Siumut and Nunnata Qitornai, who only represent 11 mandates out of 31 in Greenland’s parliament.

Mining in Kuannersuit originally sparked concern among environmentalists as the mining could harm the area, which is already heavily impacted by global warming. The potential of large economic revenue, that could contribute to independence from Denmark, the mining project quickly became one of the primary topics during the elections. In the days following the elections, vice chairman of Siumut Vivian Motzfeldt told Danish broadcaster DR, that the mining project most likely cost her party the elections.

The outcome had an instant impact on international investors. The Australian-Chinese mining company Greenland Minerals A/S stocks fell about 44 percent in value just a day after the election.

A vote for the Danish realm

Despite the rare outcome, the Greenland elections recorded the ever lowest voting count to date, with 27,079 voters. These voters were named as ‘the worlds most important voters’ by Danish newspaper Weekendavisen’s editor-in-chief Martin Krasnik. According to him, Greenland has chosen a continued development of the Danish realm by the cost of delaying independence. This is a pragmatic decision that will cement Greenland and Denmark’s position when negotiating initiatives between USA, Russia and China in the arctic region the coming years.

According to some of the latest news, Russia is attempting to claim 70 percent of the Arctic Ocean seabed. This represents an area of around 800,000 square kilometres, touching the likes of Greenland/Denmark, Canada, Norway, Russia and the United States. The claim has been formally sent to relevant international institutions, and will be examined by the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf by 2022.

Sovereignty of the seabed gives the winner exclusive access to potential natural resources such as oil and gas. However, Russia’s claim does not include the seabed in areas north of Alaska where the US has shown interest for years.

In terms of defence policies, the arctic region is receiving a lot of attention from global superpowers. In October last year a Chinese icebreaker sailed unannounced into Greenland’s territorial waters, according to Reuters.

Because Denmark oversees all defence policies in Greenland, the growing international attention to the area led Denmark to invest 1,5 billion Danish Kroner in February to strengthen defence and add more high-tech based surveillance in the Arctic and North Atlantic region. The investment included a Greenlandic military education the island has never seen before.

Greenland is now finding itself in the centre of global geopolitical games, surrounded by the world’s superpowers competing for emerging sea routes through the arctic due to global warming, and accessibility to rare minerals and defence politics.

The post The Global Impact of Greenland’s Elections Result first appeared on The Postcolonial.

With numerous female characters in a great variety of movies spanning in a period of almost 90 years, Disney has finally put a Southeast Asian heroine in the lead of the company’s latest hit movie attempt.

Raya and the Last Dragon will portray a fictional world with great inspiration from Southeast Asia, a region of 11 countries and a total population estimated to 673 million people.

But not everyone seems pleased with this proposition. Roughly dividing the region into mainland and archipelago Southeast Asia and including influence from different European countries during colonialization into the equation, portraying a common Southeast Asia identity can seem impossible.

An Indonesian Twitter user told the BBC, that she felt the movie should have ‘focused on a certain culture’ rather than attempting the ‘impossible’ task of representing all of Southeast Asia.

From reality to fiction

Southeast Asia is a cultural melting pot, with each 11 nations hailing their own history, customs and identity in spite of been historical intertwined in certain developing phenomenon’s spanning from kingdoms to religion.

Raya and the Last Dragon is set in Kumandra that homes five tribes. Each tribe have their own distinctive culture inspired by places in Southeast Asia. Kumandra as a fantasyland imagines what the region might have looked like thousands of years ago.

‘[For example] the scene where Raya’s father is making her soup – you know, as Southeast Asians, so much of our love is shown to us through food..[so that was] something that really touched me’

Adele Lim

co-scriptwriter

The team behind the film visited selected countries in the region for research before production, namely Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Members from the team stated that they did not focus on obvious cultural appearances for instead creating ‘depth’ to the movie.

‘When you talk about cultural inspiration, it wasn’t just like “Oh, we like how this looks, [so we] put it in”. It was much deeper than that,’ Adele Lim co-scriptwriter for the movie told the BBC.

‘[For example] the scene where Raya’s father is making her soup – you know, as Southeast Asians, so much of our love is shown to us through food..[so that was] something that really touched me,’ she said.

The colonial legacy

Using food or sociological structures to define a clear picture of what Southeast Asia is, does not seem likely to satisfy much of the region’s residents.

‘The question of what constitutes Southeast Asian identity is still being deliberated by Southeast Asians themselves,’ David Lim, an associate professor at the Open University Malaysia said to the BBC.

‘I think the history of colonialism has to a certain extent shaped the way we look at ourselves and what cultures we aspire to be more like, and who we identify as.’

David Lim

Associate professor at the Open University Malaysia

Western colonization in the region also ads to the way Southeast Asian countries are shaped by. Vietnam was colonized by the French and Indonesia by the Dutch Mr. Lim points out as examples.

‘I think the history of colonialism has to a certain extent shaped the way we look at ourselves and what cultures we aspire to be more like, and who we identify as.’

‘I suspect some in Southeast Asia will know less about their regional counterparts [than their colonisers]. Those in Vietnam for example, might know more about France than Thailand,’ he said.

Extracting the Southeast from Asia

Adding more into complexity, the time seems mature to do justice on how ‘Asian’ is defined. Being the largest continent on the planet, the area houses countries bordering Europe and Australia. Yet, it has often been East Asia representing this vast definition in the likes of China, Japan and South Korea.

The Guardians film critic Steve Rose asks if it is ‘time to retire “Asian” as a category’ in the movie industry.

‘As an adjective that applies to 60% of the world’s population, from Turkmenistan to India to China, it’s not exactly fit for purpose. Was it ever?’ he writes.

While the movie focuses on elements from Southeast Asia, most of the voice cast are of Chinese and Korean descent. A Californian university argued that Raya did not serve ‘real representation’ of the Southeast Asian community in an open letter send to Disney.

There is no doubt that Disney is, yet again, entering new territory with Raya and the Last Dragon. While being partially under fire for not fully embrace representation of Southeast Asia, we can see this movie as a vital first step towards a better understanding of what it means to be part of that specific region.

‘As an adjective that applies to 60% of the world’s population, from Turkmenistan to India to China, it’s not exactly fit for purpose. Was it ever?’

Steve Rose

Film critic at The Guardian

‘The burden of [representing] the whole of Southeast Asia… who can carry that burden? I think if you start to impregnate the film with too many ideas that you project onto it, then it’s rather unfair,’ Mr. Lim said to the BBC.

‘[But instead] look at the film as a way in to talk about Southeast Asia, to trigger conversation about the region.’

The post Disney’s Southeast Asia first appeared on The Postcolonial.

It is official. Greenland’s parliament voted in favour for a new election, Tuesday night this week. The date of the election is set for 6^th of April, reports Ritzau.

The last election was held in 2018 providing the present government a place in power until 2022. But turmoil within the leading party Siumut and disagreements on mining certificates has weakened the government.

Last week, the party Demokraatit stepped out of coalition in government leaving Siumut and Nunnata Qitornai, who only represents 11 mandates out of 31 in Greenland’s parliament, reports public broadcaster KNR.

This led the opposition consisting of parties Inuit Ataqatigiit, Demokraatit, Partii Naleraq and Atassut to advocate for a new election through a press release send on Monday this week.

The biggest party in Greenland and leader of the coalition Siumut had its own internal struggle back in early December 2020, as the head of Greenland’s government Kim Kielsen lost his chairmanship in the party to Erik Jensen, who called for political change.

This year’s election can prove crucial for Greenland’s future, as the massive island disrupts a clear sea route from Russia to Canada that gets exposed for natural resources due to climate change.

Greenland’s new diplomatic role can potentially fulfill a growing wish from the population on getting independence from Denmark, who still controls Greenland’s international affairs.

Mining for independence

Relying on large economic subsidies from Denmark, Greenland spots their mineral reserves as a huge force to sustain the country’s finances. Greenland gained its self-rule in 2009 from Denmark, which ultimately left the high valued minerals to the country.

But mining some of these resources might put the environment at risk. A proposed mine in Kuannersuit in Greenland’s southern edge sparked concern among environmentalists as the mining could harm the area, which is already impacted by global warming, writes AFP.

Rising temperatures has retreated sea ice, making it difficult for hunters and their dogsleds to maintain traditional ways.

‘Economic development requires a broader base, and mining and tourism are the potential pillars in such a process’

Torben Andersen

Greenland’s Economic Council

With retreating sea ice new possibilities emerge due to better access for mining rare earth minerals. This has attracted international attention, with foreign countries wanting to buy Greenland’s natural resources including 17 metals used for high-tech devices.

Siumut was in favor of the mining project until new chairman Mr. Jensen adopted a more reserved line when put into power back in November.

Frustrated by Siumuts lacking standing on the mining project the right-wing Demokraatit party left the coalition, illustrating the new political landscape in the country.

‘We are at a pivotal moment with a new generation at the head of Siumut and the Kvanefjeld [Kuannersuit] project is creating tension,’ Mikaa Mered, professor of geopolitics at the Paris Institute of Political Studies, says to AFP.

Mining alone would probably not be enough for Greenland to be fully self-sufficient. But it will add a huge chunk of the overall finances, Torben Andersen economics professor at the University of Aarhus told AFP.

‘Economic development requires a broader base, and mining and tourism are the potential pillars in such a process,’ says Mr. Andersen, who also chairs Greenland’s Economic Council.

More Danish military action

Denmark’s prime minister Mette Frederiksen and the government has not made any comment or statement on Greenland’s new election. They do not interfere with Greenland’s national affairs, for the most part.

But Denmark does control military activities and foreign affairs on behalf of Greenland.

And more international attention to the arctic has made Denmark act, as Russian and Chinese vessels are exploring the region.

‘We have seen growing foreign activities in the Arctic and North Atlantic. Therefore, we need better surveillance and presence in the area’

Trine Bramsen

Danish minister of defense

A Chinese icebreaker sailed unannounced into Greenland’s territorial waters in October last year, according to Reuters.

The growing importance of the arctic has led Denmark to invest 1,5 billion Danish Kroner on Thursday last week to strengthen defense and add more high-tech based surveillance in the Arctic and North Atlantic region.

‘We have seen growing foreign activities in the Arctic and North Atlantic. Therefore, we need better surveillance and presence in the area. Not to escalate conflict, but because we must take these threats seriously. This initiative will happen in close partnership between Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland,’ said Danish minister of defense Trine Bramsen about the investment.

No comment from any Greenlandic party of Faroe Islands officials were featured in the press release published by the Danish ministry of defense.

‘I am looking forward to see Naalakkersuisut [Greenland’s government] continue the dialogue with the danish government on the implementation of the Arctic capacity package. We already agreed that our companies and capacities, like Air Greenland and Asiaq, will be used for the task, said Mr. Kielsen shortly before the new election was called this week.

The post The Arctic battle first appeared on The Postcolonial.

“With my sincere thoughts and with the deepest respect for everything you have been fighting with, I will give you my unreservedly apology.”

That is the ending remarks from Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen in a letter addressed to 22 Greenlanders who were taken from Greenland to Denmark in a failed social experiment from the 1950s.

The apology was delivered directly to six Greenlanders in a personal letter from Ms. Frederiksen who acknowledged Denmark’s past mistake, Altinget reports.

The six Greenlanders are the remaining living members of in total 22 children who were taken from their families in Greenland and send to Denmark in an attempt to create what was called a ‘Greenlandic social elite’.

Abducted to ‘civilize’ Greenland

The previous government in Denmark kickstarted a thorough research on the 22 children’s experiences during the social experiment and investigate what human consequences it had for them.

The Greenlandic children aged between five to ten years old were sent to Denmark in 1951 in an attempt to convert them into Danish thought and culture. The long-term plan was to create a ‘Greenlandic elite’ that could develop Greenland further.

But the experiment failed. The forced relocation created major suffering among the children. Many of them never got to see their families again when they returned to Greenland. Some of them were placed in a children’s home in Nuuk.

‘They send us to Denmark for 1,5 years without telling our parents about our whereabouts. Only 16 of us returned home’

Helene Thiesen

Former relocated child

Helene Thiesen was seven years old when she went through the forced relocation to Denmark. Her widowed mother, alone with three children, told her that Denmark was “just like paradise. You don’t have to be sad,” Ms. Thiesen said to the BBC.

‘They send us to Denmark for 1,5 years without telling our parents about our whereabouts. Only 16 of us returned home. Six got adopted without following the proper laws,’ Ms. Thiesen told Danish broadcaster TV2 Øst.

According to TV2 Øst, many Danes were unaware of the experiment. But in 1998 the book ‘I den bedste meaning [With the best intentions]’ written by Danish author Trine Bryld was published mapping out the social experiment and its’ consequences.

‘From here, everything exploded’ Ms. Thiesen said to TV2 Øst. ‘The truth came out. That 22 children have been through an experiment.’

Apology sparked heated debate in parliament

Even though the experiment gained more attention in the social sphere because of the book, it still took numerous shifting danish governments time to work on an apology.

The historical investigation published by Denmark and Greenland shortly before the official apology highlighting the experiment and its’ consequences sped up the process for Denmark to show remorse.

Early in the change to a centre-left government in Denmark, there were already talks on crafting an apology to the 22 victims. The emergence of covid-19 delayed the initiative.

However, the initial discussion on sending the apology was heatedly discussed during the 2019 opening debate in the Danish parliament, which traditionally touch on topics deemed worthy of political focus for the coming year.

‘Times of colonialization has ended, I was often told’

Aki-Matilda Høegh-Dam

Member of the Danish parliament

Representing one of the total two Greenlandic seats in the Danish parliament, Greenland politician Aki-Matilda Høegh-Dam used her turn to present her experiences on the speaker’s podium in front of the Danish politicians.

‘Times of colonialization has ended, I was often told,’ she said recorded by Danish newspaper Berlingske.

‘300 years ago, Greenland became part of Denmark. But let us talk about reality. As a young Greenlander, I still experience the colonial legacy. Even though I did not join a segregated school like my family has, I still experience the colonial legacy,’ she said.

According to Berlingske, Ms. Høegh-Dam requested an apology from Denmark for years of suppression in Greenland and a formal apology directed to the 22 children forced in the social experiment to build new trust in the relationship between the two countries.

The suggestion was not well received by the nationalistic right wing party Dansk Folkeparti.

‘And now we have to listen to such a hateful speech. I think this is crossing the line. I think that you should show gratitude towards Denmark who took Greenland under her wings,’ Søren Espersen vice chairman of Dansk Folkeparti responded.

Ms. Høegh-Dam were seen hugging prime minister Mette Frederiksen by the end of the debate, displaying a form of acknowledgement between the two. And now the first step is taken. The first apology has been given.

At least, this is something one of the current living victims of the experiment can celebrate.

‘Finally, the apology came, and I think that is really big,’ said Ms. Thiesen.

The post An apology first appeared on The Postcolonial.

The head of Greenland’s government Kim Kielsen lost his chairmanship for the biggest political party in the country. The Greenlandic social democratic party known as Siumut favoured Erik Jensen with 39 votes against Kielsen’s 32 at a party election on Sunday last week, High North News reports.

Mr. Jensen then fulfills his pledge from last year vowing to dethrone Mr. Kielsen from the party’s highest position. Mr. Jensen resigned his position as minister of raw material and labour market in Mr. Kielsen’s cabinet in November 2019, Greenland’s government stated in a previous press release.

Winning the chairmanship at Siumut has significant impact on Greenland’s overall political direction. Greenland formed its parliamentary system in 1979 and since then, Siumut has led all but one government. And only once has a Siumut led government had a leader who was not the chairman of the same party.

Independence from Denmark continues

According to High North News, Mr. Jensen says that he will follow the independence from Denmark with more energy than his predecessor ever did as Siumut’s chairman for six years.

‘That was in my election program. We are on the path towards independence. That is what provides warmth in any heart in Greenland. We aim to take over more areas of responsibility from Denmark,’ Mr. Jensen says.

One of the initiatives to achieve greater independence is to open trade possibilities with other nations such as the US and China.

Denmark is currently paying Greenland with a yearly financial grant that covers the Greenlandic governments administrative costs. The grant was created when the Danish government handed the administrative responsibility to the new established Greenlandic home rule in 1979.

Greenland is free to replace this grant if they can create enough revenue to be self-sufficient. And even with a growing GDP, partly because of higher fish prices, Greenland is far from making enough money to cover the administrative costs.

With the increased interest from the US, Greenland has marked its importance on the world map. This may provide them with a stronger position when negotiating trade agreements with other nations. Negotiations that the new chairman and potential coming leader of Greenland does not seem to oppose.

‘Greenland wants to cooperate with nations all over the world, whether they are blue, yellow or red, as long as they observe the law, relevant conventions and human rights,’ Mr. Jensen says.

New leadership

The chairman is not the only shift of top personnel at Siumut. Majority of the new main board consists of Erik Jensen supporters.

The new main board will decide if the current leader of Greenland’s government can continue in this position without being Siumut’s chairman. Or if they should place Mr. Jensen as the new leader, Greenlandic Broadcasting Corporation writes.

But Mr. Jensen is confident that it will not be necessary to appeal for a new national election, risking a powershift from the current Siumut led government.

Both Mr. Kielsen and Mr. Jensen has ensured that they will listen to the new main board’s decision. It is yet to be confirmed when the main board will meet to decide this.

There has been turmoil within the party. Several figures from Siumut had questioned Mr. Kielsens leadership. Seven members openly demanded his departure last year, Ritzau writes published by TV2.

Mr. Jensen did not answer exactly how he differs from the dethroned Mr. Kielsen to Greenlandic Broadcasting Corporation, but he urges for new leadership in the country.

‘We need leadership in our country. Someone who can gather the people and listen to them. I will take this step and use my skills to gather everyone in Siumut and Greenland,’ Mr. Jensen says.

Denmark still control foreign affairs and defence policies on behalf of Greenland.

The post Path of independence first appeared on The Postcolonial.

The United Kingdom is busy in closing new trading agreements with countries outside the European Union to prevent total economic collapse. A no-deal between the UK and the EU seems conclusive as a slow but certain Brexit approaches.

Up until now, the entire Brexit process has, for many European citizens, felt like an endless saga of drama and betrayal with a mere conclusive point that may resemble something like Ragnarök for the United Kingdom.

A hard Brexit is under way. By the first of January 2021, Great Britain will ultimately leave the European single market. Without a free trade deal all goods sold and bought between the UK and EU will need tolls set individually by product, Danish broadcaster DR reports. 

But the UK will not leave the European single market completely unprepared. In the past couples of weeks, the previous empire has pulled in fishing trade agreements with Norway, the Faroe Islands and Greenland, according to Undercurrent News. Brexit forces the UK to seek agreements with nations outside of the EU – something that the past empire excelled at in late human history.

Rethinking the British empire

Many English politicians has used the British imperial past to highlight their separate agendas before and after the decision of leaving the European Union in 2016. Every talk of cooperating with countries outside of Europe will without a doubt bring back memories of being the biggest colonial empire in history.

Professor Christian Damm Pedersen historian from the University of Southern Denmark has researched on how pro-Brexit politicians has talked about the UKs empirical past, using it in relation to Brexit.

‘For the first time in 50 years, Great Britain must rethink their placement in the world. The UK has decided to deemphasized Europe, so whether or not they like it, their colonial past will automatically be drawn into the big picture again,’ he said earlier this year.

The pro-Brexit politicians are creating a narrative that glorifies the UK as nation that will help countries outside the EU by working towards global free trade and create development in other nations.

And the same politicians seem to tone down the country’s violent past Mr. Pedersen says. A past that created the biggest empire in human history through brute force and repression.

This will most likely not help the UK to move their international business strategy forward. Romanticizing the British empire will not help create new sustainable relationships with former colonies.

‘Pro-Brexit politicians says that they will create trading deals with India. But the UK cannot take this for granted because questions on colonialization will rise. The former colonies understand the colonial past differently from the perspective of the UK,’ Mr. Pedersen says.

Nordic countries to the rescue

While the UK stands in a difficult negotiation standpoint with all its’ former colonies, the country may have a better chance creating deals with other nations.

Up till this point, the UK have successfully made fishing agreements with countries operating over the Nordic waves. Something that will stop the British economy from completely bleeding out after leaving the European Union without a deal beginning next year.

The latest initiative is signed with Greenland. The UK Fisheries Minister Victoria Prentis and Greenland’s Minister of Fisheries, Hunting and Agriculture Jens Immanuelsen signed a Memorandum of Understanding to boost cooperation on fishing matters, the UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs stated in a press release.

‘As we regain our position as an independent coastal state, we are committed to working with our North-East Atlantic neighbours, like Greenland, for the benefit of our fishing industries and our marine environment,’ Ms. Prentis says.

The agreement with Greenland is not the only deal Ms. Prentis has attended this fall. In late October she witnessed the signing of a new fisheries agreement between the UK and the Faroe Islands through a video conference, reported SeafoodSource.

‘This agreement will ensure that annual fisheries negotiations can take place this year to the benefit of our fishing industry,” Ms. Prentis said.

The European Commission used to handle bilateral negotiations with the Faroe Islands on behalf of the UK. For the first time in more than 40 years the UK will be negotiating fishing opportunities as an independent coastal state, according to SeafoodSource.

Another fishing agreement were signed with Norway in late September. The UK’s first fisheries agreement in 40 years, Undercurrent News reported.

Greenland and the Faroe Islands is still part of the Danish realm were Denmark ultimately controls all foreign affairs. With both Greenland and the Faroe Islands formally acting as autonomous territories within the Danish kingdom, these agreements might create better leverage for them to negotiate better deals with Denmark.

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