St Vincent PM urges Nigerians to join reparations struggle

ABUJA, Nigeria, CMC – St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves says Africa and the Caribbean must join efforts in addressing “technological emancipation” as well as reparation for native genocide and slavery during colonisation.

He told Bells University of Technology of Nigeria's 15th Convocation ceremony, that despite strong growth globally in cross-cutting technologies, artificial intelligence, robotics, energy, biotechnology, nanoscience and nanotechnology and more widespread shift in the publishing landscape on science and technology, Africa and the Caribbean lag significantly behind.

“So, all of these challenges have to be addressed, but they cannot be addressed by countries themselves individually, they have to be addressed by African countries together with the Caribbean, Latin America, Asia. This is the only way we are going to be able to do it,” Gonsalves said.

“If you have any thought that you're going to do it by yourself, it's not going to happen. So that's an important lesson,” Gonsalves said, speaking on the topic “Technological Emancipation of Africa and the Caribbean in Digital Space and Global Drive for Reparation”

“Now, the same thing happens in respect of the struggle for reparations,” he said as he urged the students to join the struggle for reparations. "I know some of you may be saying, 'Do you seriously expect, Ralph, for European countries to pay us reparations?'

“Well, you know, in the 20th century, and immediately after the war, when there was an independence movement in Africa and the Caribbean, it was being said, 'Do you seriously think that these European countries will give us independence?'”

Gonsalves noted that by 1957, Ghana became independent, adding, “and what was a trickle became a flood all over Africa and the Caribbean”.

He noted that in 2013, he took to heads of government of CARICOM a proposal for reparations as a permanent item on the agenda of the 15-member grouping.

Gonsalves said this led to the establishment of the Prime Ministerial Subcommittee on Reparations, the CARICOM Reparations Commission, and national commissions in each CARICOM country.

Gonsalves said the Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies, Sir Hillary Beckles, is chair of the CARICOM Reparations Commission.

“So, we take this very seriously,” he said, noting that the commission is pushing for reparations for native genocide and the enslavement of African bodies.

“The wealth in Europe was built substantially on slave labour and the lands which were stolen from the indigenous peoples, and they were largely exterminated,” Prime Minister Gonsalves said, adding that this was the case in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

He said CARICOM has made progress on reparations over the last 10 years.

“And we are doing a lot of diplomatic work, a lot of political work and we are giving consideration now to go to the International Court of Justice for an advisory opinion on this matter.

“We have economists and other social scientists working on the quantification,” Gonsalves said, and told the students that at the time of Emancipation, the planters in the Caribbean were compensated 20 million pounds (One GBP =US$1.23 cents).

“Multiply that 20 million pounds by 140 and you will get what is the value today. Now, if you also factor in the very human cost itself at the hands of the slave owners, you will see the kind of quantum you're talking about.”

He said that CARICOM has drawn up a 10-point plan on reparations that it wants to be lodged within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals.

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