COLONIALISM Reparation encourages the members of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to have more momentum in the request for reparations for the genocide of the native people and the slavery despite refusals and boycotts by the colonizers.
In recent years pressure has increased on the Member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to drop the request for reparations for the genocide of the native people and the slavery with refusals and boycotts by the colonizers (France, United Kingdom, United States, etc.), but despite this there have been many initiatives.
On February 21, 2018 in Kingston, Jamaica, the President of the CARICOM Reparations Commission Hilary Beckles denounced the scandalous news that the British Government has finished repaying only in 2015 a loan of 20 million of pounds at the time (about 76 billion of pounds today) to compensate the slavers (and not the slaves!) following the abolition of slavery in 1834.
On May 10, 2018 in Caracas, Venezuela, the President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro presided over the World Day for the Rights of Peoples of African Descent entitled, ‘Reparations: From Resistance to Action’ by initiating a systematic reflection on the theme of reparations.
On September 27, 2018 in New York during the General Debate of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly the Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Ralph Gonsalves said that […] our shared history of struggle against colonial oppression and exploitation informs […] our continuing pursuit of reparatory justice for the victims of native genocide and slavery […].
On June 10, 2019 in Kingston, Jamaica, the Vice-President of the CARICOM Reparations Commission Verene Shepherd announced the expansion of the list of countries to be targeted for reparations to include Sweden, Switzerland, Russia, Norway, Hanse Towns (Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, etc.), Brandenburg (Germany) and the Duchy of Courland (Latvia).
On September 27, 2019 in New York during the General Debate of the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda Gaston Browne said that […] underdevelopment and financial vulnerability were created by centuries of exploitation in slavery and bound-labour for which no compensation was made. Relevant European nations should provide reparations to compensate for their development on the backs of our people […].
On October 10, 2019 in Bolans, Antigua and Barbuda, during the symposium on Western Banking, Colonialism and Reparations organized by CARICOM the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda Gaston Browne proposed a 1% global annual tax against the 1% richest people to cope with the pockets of poverty in the former colonizers’ countries and with reparations in the former colonized countries.
On October 23, 2019 in Dakar, Senegal, during the African Regional Meeting on the International Decade for People of African Descent organized by the United Nations, the Ambassador of Barbados to CARICOM David Comissiong, contextualized and summarized the request for reparations for the genocide of the native people and the slavery launched in 2013.
Colonialism Reparation encourages the members of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to have more momentum in the request for reparations for the genocide of the native people and the slavery despite refusals and boycotts by the colonizers (France, United Kingdom, United States, etc.).