Bridgetown, Barbados – The Barbados government has established a 12-member Reparations Task Force that would be responsible for sustaining the local, regional and international momentum for reparations.
It will also conceptualize and articulate strategies, frameworks and projects to accept and manage financial and other resources.
“They will also further the research and publication of works that make the case for reparations and self-reparations at individual, community, national, regional and international levels, among other things,” said Culture Minister Stephen Lashley.
The Task Force is chaired by Professor Pedro Welch and Lashley said it would provide advice and support to government, through the Commission for Pan-African Affairs, on sourcing financial, in-kind and technical assistance resources to implement a package of reparative initiatives.
These projects will include government collaborating with the University of the West Indies to mount a regional reparations conference, which would lead to the formation of a Caribbean commission; and the establishment of a Multi-ethnic Research Centre, a National Museum on Slavery and a Centre for Reparations Research.
Lashley said Barbados supports the argument that reparations should be made to the people of African descent in the Caribbean and has been expressed repeatedly its position over the years at various high-level international meetings.
“It is now acknowledged internationally that Barbados’ historic and pivotal leadership role during the preparatory meetings and at the 2001 World Conference Against Racism ensured that reparations remained on the global agenda in the face of fierce resistance from some countries.
“Against this resistance, forceful Caribbean, African and African-Diasporic negotiations got the World…
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