Muhammed Ali UCARThe world is experiencing a time of profound upheaval. Wars, migration, ecological crises, technological disruptions, and growing social inequalities shape everyday global life.
At the same time, trust in international institutions is declining, while political and social polarisation is increasing.
In such a phase, it is hardly sufficient to interpret current crises merely as the result of short-term political missteps. Much suggests that numerous conflict lines of our present have deeper historical roots.
One of these causes lies in colonial structures that extend far beyond the formal end of colonialism.
While many countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America gained their political independence in the 20th century, economic dependencies, cultural hierarchies, and asymmetrical power relations often persist.
It is precisely at this point that the debate surrounding decolonisation gains renewed relevance.
For decolonisation today means far more than historical memory politics. It describes the attempt to rethink global power relations, systems of knowledge, and institutional structures.
Foundation of global inequalities
Modern colonialism emerged in the 15th century and peaked in the 19th century.
European empires expanded across continents, often legitimising their expansion with narratives of progress, civilisation, and modernisation.
In reality, however, this system was based on asymmetrical power relations, economic exploitation, and systematic violence.
Historical examples of colonial violence are numerous and horrific.
In the Congo, the monarchy of Belgian King Leopold II led to widespread violence, forced labour, and millions of deaths. Addressing these crimes remains a subject of social and political debate in Belgium to this day; full state recognition or apology is still pending.
The situation is different in the case of Germany: The crimes committed by German colonial troops against the Herero and Nama people in what was then German South West Africa, present-day Namibia, are considered by many historians to be the first genocide of the 20th century.
The German government officially recognised these acts as genocide in 2021, although questions of responsibility and reparations remain controversial.
Similarly, the famine in Bengal during British colonial rule underscores the close connection between colonial economic structures and human tragedy.
But the real challenge lies in not viewing colonialism as a closed chapter of history. Many of today's global economic and power structures were created during this period and continue to shape international relations.
The widespread notion that colonialism was primarily limited to territorial occupation or economic exploitation is too simplistic. Colonial rule also aimed at controlling knowledge, language, and self-understanding.
Local forms of knowledge were marginalised, indigenous languages were suppressed, and European educational models were established as the universal norm.
A hierarchy of knowledge emerged, in which certain perspectives were considered rational and modern, while others were deemed backward or irrational.
The Palestinian-American intellectual Edward Said vividly described these mechanisms with his concept of Orientalism. Frantz Fanon also demonstrated how colonial violence leaves long-term psychological and societal consequences.
In this context, noted Turkish sociologist Esra Albayrak argues that even universal human rights discourses of recent decades have often failed to fully break free from colonial patterns of thought.
The claim to universal validity has frequently reproduced existing power relations instead of fundamentally questioning them.
The crucial question is therefore not only who possesses power, but also who determines which knowledge is legitimate and which experiences are heard globally.
Decolonisation in everyday life: education, health and technology
Decolonisation often appears as an abstract academic term. In reality, however, it touches upon key areas of everyday life.
In the field of education, there is increasing criticism that the curricula of many universities remain heavily influenced by Western perspectives.
Philosophical, historical, and social perspectives from Africa, South Asia, or Latin America often remain marginalised. Initiatives for the "decolonisation of the curriculum" therefore seek to make diverse knowledge systems more visible.
Colonial continuities are also evident in the health sector. The Covid pandemic highlighted the unequal distribution of medical resources worldwide.
Wealthy nations secured vaccines early on, while many countries in the Global South had to wait a long time. The question of who has access to vital technologies remains closely linked to global power relations.
These dynamics are becoming particularly evident in the field of artificial intelligence. Algorithms are often considered neutral, but they depend on the data with which they are trained.
Which languages, narratives, or cultural experiences are represented in digital systems determines who becomes visible and who remains invisible. A technological future without reflection on power asymmetries could further exacerbate existing inequalities.
Even art and sport are not untouched by these debates. Questions about the restitution of cultural artefacts looted during the colonial era or about the structural dependencies of African talent in the global sports market show that colonial patterns often persist in altered forms.
Decolonisation does not mean erecting new front lines between ‘West’ and ‘non-West’. A mere reversal of existing hierarchies would simply reproduce old logics. Rather, it is about the search for fairer relationships and more pluralistic forms of knowledge.
Against this backdrop, platforms that bring together diverse perspectives are gaining in importance.
The two-day World Decolonization Forum at Istanbul seeks to create precisely this space for exchange.
Its aim is not only to discuss colonial pasts, but also to foster dialogue between different traditions of knowledge and experience.
The fact that such a forum is taking place in Istanbul is symbolic. As a historical crossroads of diverse cultures and trade routes, the city has stood for centuries as a site of encounters and exchange beyond rigid dichotomies.
Without decolonisation, there can be no sustainable peace order
The world is increasingly moving towards a multipolar order. But new power centres alone guarantee neither greater justice nor stability.
As long as old hierarchies persist, existing conflicts merely risk taking on new forms.
Decolonisation is therefore far more than a moral debate about historical responsibility. It is an attempt to rethink the conditions of global cooperation. It is about epistemic justice, institutional reforms, and the recognition of diverse experiences and forms of knowledge.
A sustainable peace order will be difficult to achieve as long as global relations are based on implicit hierarchies.
Those who misunderstand decolonisation solely as an identity-political project underestimate its true significance.
At its core, it is about a fundamental question: How can a world emerge in which dignity, knowledge, and participation are no longer determined by historical power asymmetries?
Perhaps this is precisely the central challenge of the 21st century.
