Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), on Saturday the 6th of July agreed to pursue reparations for native genocide and slavery.
According to the Anguillanews.com, “Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on the final day of their Thirty-Fourth Regular Meeting agreed on follow-up action on the matter of reparations for native genocide and slavery.”
Long-time Jamaican reparation activist and parliamentarian Mike Henry has applauded the move of the Heads of Government of CARICOM to pursue reparations.
“If indeed all the CARICOM countries are coming together at last on reparation, it strengthens our case on the issue because the CARICOM countries are taking a collective stand, which is a very good move. We are moving along slowly, step by step,” Henry, the member of parliament for Central Clarendon, a parish in Jamaica, told The Gleaner a day later.
“What I am concerned about is that it doesn’t get bogged down in the continuity of talks, because it needs a political decision.”
He added:
“The problem is, CARICOM has no political strength and there needs to be a political decision on the matter from each country. CARICOM is a union of trading countries rather than a political combination of the countries. And, therefore, this issue of reparation needs a Caribbean government to make a political parliamentary decision. It needs individual decisions by each country’s Parliament.” – jamaica-gleaner.com
To move the issue forward, “CARICOM agreed to the establishment of a National Reparations Committee in each member state, with the chair of each committee sitting on a CARICOM Reparations Commission. Barbados will act as chair, while St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Haiti, Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago will provide political oversight. The decision was taken following presentations by member states, led by St. Vincent and the Grenadines.” –winnfm.com
