Tag: reparations

CARICOM to step up reparations talks with King Charles

Posted on by Aliyah Persaud

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is set to intensify reparations talks with King Charles III at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua this November, following up on the 2024/2025 Samoa consensus to initiate discussions on reparatory justice regarding the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans and chattel enslavement.
The Samoa conference delivered a final agreement officially recognising that “the time has come” for a “meaningful, truthful and respectful conversation towards forging a common future based on equity”.
The UK rejected talks on financial compensation, with discussions now focusing on reparatory justice, including apologies, cultural restitution and economic support.
Dorbrene O’Mare, head of the Antigua and Barbuda Reparations Committee, said it is expected that the November conference will see these conversations deepening.
“The resolution taken in the Samoa Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting… that called for focus on these issues of reparations, so we certainly expect a continuation of those conversations within the Commonwealth Heads of Government conference,” he stated.
Guyana’s Reparations Committee Chairman Eric Phillips said that while Britain abstained from the United Nations’ recent recognition of slavery as the greatest crime against humanity, it holds under its Commonwealth banner more than 50 nations, the majority bearing British colonial imprint.
He added that while King Charles the First played a formative role in the expansion of the English slave trade through royal assent for trading in Africa in 1660, King Charles the Third has the unique opportunity to earnestly address the nation’s role.
“King Charles the Third commands a unique opportunity to bring moral clarity to Britain’s role in the transatlantic slave trade and its aftermath. His Majesty could choose to be a transformational leader in the quest for healing reparations and historical truth,” Phillips posited.
Apart from the Commonwealth conference, the CARICOM Reparations Commission has planned several events to globalise the region’s agenda, including a major international conference set for later this year.

ERC calls on all to support fight for reparations

Posted on by Kayleigh Carter

Chairman of the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC), Shaikh Moeenul Hack, has issued a call for everyone to be involved in advancing the cause of people of African descent.

He made the appeal while delivering remarks at the United Nations Permanent Forum of People of African Descent, which is being held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 14 to 17 April.

“With a population comprising more than 30 per cent of people of African descent, Guyana continues to call for justice through reparations — justice as accountability for centuries of slavery, exploitation, and the negative legacy of colonialism. Reparations are also about recognition of the pain, the displacement, and the generational trauma inflicted by slavery. It is also about healing and reconciliation, which form the foundation for lasting peace. Our Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Ten Point Plan for Reparatory Justice outlines tangible steps forward. Among others, it calls for investment in public systems to address the long-term effects of structural underdevelopment and urges education reform and cultural renewal,” the ERC Chairman said.

In a statement issued earlier today, the ERC noted that it has consistently addressed complaints from all races and ethnicities in a fair and transparent manner, including those from African Guyanese.

The commission stated its strong belief that, to holistically address injustices such as reparations, the African community needs the support of all, regardless of ethnicity, to advocate for justice for the crimes of slavery imposed on the ancestors of African descent.

The commission also highlighted its ongoing efforts to prioritise African culture and issues, citing its participation in Emancipation observances, provision of training on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and the development of a Glossary of Terms to eliminate the use of derogatory language towards African Guyanese and all other ethnic groups, among other initiatives.

Additionally, the commission reiterated that the call for reparations is not about charity, but about justice.

The forum is being hosted under the theme: “Africa and People of African Descent: United for Reparatory Justice in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.”