The Atlantic that We Are: Heritage, Diversity, and Future
We, the participants in the 1st International Meeting on Atlantic Creoleness,
gathered in the City of Praia, Cabo Verde, from 28 to 30 May 2026:
CONSIDERING that creole societies have emerged, over the centuries, from
intense processes of human, cultural, and historical circulation in the Atlantic
area, giving rise to new linguistic, social, spiritual, artistic, and civilizational
syntheses;
that contributed to the creation of new cultural identities.
RECOGNIZING the unique positioning of Cabo Verde, and in particular of Cidade
Velha, the Historic Centre of Ribeira Grande, inscribed on the UNESCO World
Heritage List, as an emblematic space of the Atlantic memory and the historical
emergence of Creole societies;
RECALLING that, despite the historical adversities that marked the formation of
the Atlantic world, Creole peoples and communities were able to transform
diversity into a creative force, building open, resilient, and culturally fertile
societies;
RECOGNIZING that the appreciation of the historical and cultural experiences of
Creole societies constitutes not only an act of historical justice and restitution of
a truth often marginalized in the great narratives of modernity, but also an
essential contribution to the construction of a more plural, inclusive, and fraternal
vision of Humanity; thus strengthening international cooperation by emphasizing
the principles of respect for human dignity and universal humanism, as enshrined
in the Charter of the United Nations;
AFFIRMING that Creoleness is a living heritage of humanity, resulting from
historical processes of circulation, adaptation, and cultural creation in the Atlantic
space;
EMPHASIZING that Creole cultures, due to their historical genesis marked by
encounter, cultural plasticity, and the capacity for reinvention, have an important
potential to contribute to the renewal of the cultural, artistic, social, and human
languages of the contemporary world;
RECOGNIZING that the historical experiences of creolization and cultural
coexistence constitute important ethical and human references of resistance to
ideologies of racial purity, exclusion, xenophobia, and intolerance, contributing to the affirmation of the unity and diversity of the human condition, and cultural
expressions to the promotion of peace among peoples;
CONVINCED that, in an international context marked by the resurgence of
intolerance, exclusion, and fragmentation, that insist on challenging already
established human rights, the historical experience of Creole societies and the
interculturality offer important lessons for building a more peaceful, plural, and
solidaristic future;
REAFFIRMING the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter, the 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Development, the African Union’s Agenda 2063, and the
international instruments for the promotion of cultural diversity, such as the 2005
Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural
Expressions, dialogue among peoples, and human dignity.
WE UNDERSIGN AND DECLARE:
I.
OF CREOLENESS AS A LIVING HERITAGE AND EXPRESSION OF
CULTURAL DIVERSITY
– WE AFFIRM Atlantic Creoleness as a living heritage of humanity and
a singular expression of the human capacity for encounter, reinvention,
and coexistence between peoples, cultures, and civilizations;
– WE EMPHASIZE that Creole cultures, far from representing marginal
or peripheral realities, are fundamental components of Atlantic history
and heritage of Humanity;
– WE RECOGNIZE Creole societies as historical spaces of encounter,
adaptation, and human creation, whose experience puts into evidence
the capacity of people in transforming situations of forced
displacement, adversity, and diversity into original forms of
coexistence, culture, and collective belonging;
– WE RECOGNIZE the contribution of Creole societies to the formation
of Atlantic modernity, as well as to the cultural, linguistic, and human
enrichment of the universal heritage;
– WE DEFEND a vision of cultural diversity based on mutual respect,
human dignity, peaceful coexistence, and intercultural dialogue, as
essential foundations of more open, inclusive, and supportive
societies.
– WE AFFIRM that the historical experience of Creole societies testifies
to the incompatibility between the ideas of racial purity and the dynamic reality of human cultures, reaffirming the value of diversity, human
dignity, and coexistence between differences as indispensable
foundations of peace and fraternity among peoples and sustainable
development.
II.
OF MEMORY, KNOWLEDGE, AND THE CULTURAL AND ARTISTIC
EDUCATION
– WE REAFFIRM the importance of scientific research, critical thinking,
artistic freedom and interculturality, and crosscut dialogue for a better
understanding of the historical, cultural, and human dynamics that
have shaped Creole societies and the Atlantic space;
– WE DEFEND the need to promote a more plural and inclusive reading
of world history, capable of recognizing the role of Creole societies,
African diasporas, and Atlantic circulations in the formation of
modernity and the common heritage of Humanity;
– WE STRESS the need to preserve and enhance sites of memory,
historical archives, the diversity of the cultural expressions and tangible
and intangible heritage linked to Atlantic and Creole experiences;
– WE ADVOCATE for educational and cultural approaches that
contribute to a plural, inclusive, and humanistic understanding of
history, recognizing the contribution of Creole societies in all its
diversity to the heritage and common experience of humanity;
– WE RECOGNIZE that Creole societies are historical expressions of the
human capacity to recreate ties, cultures, and forms of coexistence in
contexts marked by mobility, encounter, and social transformation.
III.
OF CULTURE, YOUTH, AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
– WE AFFIRM the cultural, artistic creation, and heritage of Creole
societies as forces for dialogue, innovation, and sustainable
development, contributing to the human, economic, and cultural
enhancement of the Atlantic communities;
– WE RECOGNIZE the role of youth in the preservation, reinvention, and
contemporary projection of Creoleness, as well as in the transmission
of its cultural, linguistic, and human values to future generations;
– WE REAFFIRM the importance of Creole languages, Atlantic memory,
the diversity of cultural expressions and the tangible and intangible heritage of Creole societies, as living repositories of identity, knowledge
and creation, encouraging artistic, academic and cultural exchange
between the peoples and communities of the Atlantic space.
IV.
OF ATLANTIC CULTURAL COOPERATION AND DIPLOMACY
– WE REAFFIRM the importance of cooperation between States, cities,
universities, civil society organizations, cultural institutions,
international and regional organizations, and diaspora communities
linked to the Atlantic and Creole experiences, encouraging the
strengthening of cultural, academic, and institutional exchange
networks between the peoples and societies of the Atlantic space;
– WE DEFEND cultural diplomacy as an instrument for bringing people
closer together, promoting coexistence, strengthening peace, and
deepening international solidarity;
– We propose the creation of permanent mechanisms for dialogue,
reflection, and cooperation around Atlantic Creoleness, through the
establishment of a Permanent Forum dedicated to the creole societies and
cultures of the Atlantic space. In this context, Cabo Verde commits to
hosting the 2nd Edition of the International Meeting on Atlantic Creoleness
in the last week of May 2028
WE PROCLAIM this Praia Declaration as an expression of collective commitment
to promote a culture of dialogue, respect for the diversity of cultural expressions,
cooperation among people, and the construction of a future based on human
dignity, knowledge, creativity, and peace.
Adopted in Praia, Republic of Cabo Verde, on the 30th day of May 2026