Norway, Sweden must also pay

— added to CARICOM’s reparation list

THE European nations of Norway and Sweden have been added to the Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM) list of nations from which reparation is being sought for native genocide and slavery.

CARICOM documents stated that the bloc has decided that the two nations are liable for the roles they played in past events and will soon be made aware of CARICOM’s bid to have them answer the charge.
“Letters would be sent by Prime Minister (Freundel) Stuart to Norway and Sweden as soon as possible, following on a recommendation of the CARICOM Reparations Committee (CRC) that these countries be included in the claim.”

The Caribbean body noted that the issue of Reparations for Native Genocide and Slavery received the attention of CARICOM Heads of Government since July 2013, when the matter was first introduced by St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves and supported by Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, then Principal of The University of the West Indies (The UWI), Cave Hill Campus.

At its 34th Meeting (July 2013, Trinidad and Tobago), Heads of Government had set up a Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee (PMSC) on reparations, headed by Prime Minister Stuart, Q.C., M.P. and comprising Guyana, Haiti, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Suriname.

So far, 12 CARICOM member states have established National Reparations Committees to coincide with each country’s individual claim. These states include Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, while national committees are still to be established in Grenada and Haiti.

In January and February of last year, CARICOM’s chairman of the PMSC on Reparations sent correspondence to heads of government of The United Kingdom, France, Spain, The Netherlands, Portugal and Denmark, on behalf of CARICOM Heads of Government.
It was noted that the letters, among other things, requested a meeting in the first half of 2016 to discuss reparations.

It was noted however that responses have been received, as at June 2017, from heads of government of all the countries to which letters were sent, except Portugal.
The approach to follow up on the responses received, as well as the diplomatic, legal and media strategies to advance the claim, are said to be among the main issues to be addressed by heads of government, with the support and advice of the CRC.

Outside of this, CARICOM’s reparation body is also addressing the inclusion of indentureship as part of the Caribbean claim in locations where this work method was employed.
The indentured labour experience in Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago also engaged the attention of the meeting, which felt that the CRC should propose ways of including this form of oppression in the wider claim.

CARICOM is nonetheless moving apace with its work, which includes the recently established Reparations Research Centre at the University of the West Indies’ (UWI) Mona Campus, Jamaica.
UWI’s Communication Office reported that the centre will be led by Professor Verene Shepherd, former Director of the Institute for Gender and Development Studies, co-Chair of the National Council on Reparation (Jamaica) and one of the three vice-chairs of the CARICOM Reparations Commission.

Among other things, the centre will help to promote research on the legacies of enslavement, colonialism and native genocide in the Caribbean and on how to bring justice and positive transformation to these legacies with a particular focus on CARICOM’s Reparatory Justice programme.
They will work to promote education at the UWI and across the Caribbean school systems on these legacies and the need for justice and repair.

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