The provisional working title of the conference was: "Independent at last?" Decolonization in the Caribbean and the search for independence - the example of Jamaica.

When the British colonies in the Caribbean took the step towards independence in the 1960s, the Commonwealth, as the successor to the English colonial empire, was the given framework for the orientation of the young nations. But the form of government of the constitutional monarchy is increasingly being questioned in many member states of the Commonwealth today. For this reason, committees in Jamaica have long been discussing a new constitution that would either include a complete separation from the former colonial power or only a symbolic ‚bond‘ to it.

Europe's foreign policy is increasingly being challenged by the new critical discussions in the ‚Global South‘ about it’s colonial legacy. The criticism of the policy of the ‚North‘ is particularly pointed out in the Caribbean with the example of Haiti. Proposals for a separation from international organizations and the ‚Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM)‘ have not had any effect yet.

The German-Jamaican Society (GJS) would like to present the socio-political discussions in Jamaica as an example to discuss a possible separation from the Commonwealth and the adoption of a new constitution. This is not an easy task, as this undertaking will have an impact not only on politics but also on all areas of public life and regional cooperation.

Click here to download the program of the conference.