A delegation from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Reparations Commission is set to hold discussions this week with senior UK government officials and political figures regarding historical injustices of slavery and colonialism, as well as their generational impacts. Historical records show that between the 15th and 19th centuries, approximately 12.5 million Africans were captured and forcibly transported on British ships to be sold into slavery. Advocates argue that adequate measures must be taken to address negative consequences still experienced today, such as racial discrimination, resulting from this dark history.
Calls for acknowledgment of this past and demands for reparations have grown louder across the world, particularly from the 15-member CARICOM (which includes Barbados and Jamaica) and the African Union (AU). CARICOM has developed a plan that includes formal apologies, awareness programs, debt forgiveness, and financial compensation. While criticism against reparations has increased, many European leaders refuse to even discuss the matter, arguing that today’s states and institutions should not be held responsible for past wrongs.
Before last year’s Commonwealth Summit in Samoa, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that focusing on the future was more important than engaging in “long, endless discussions about reparations” related to the past. However, by the end of the summit, leaders of the 56-nation group, led by King Charles, agreed to include in their joint paper that the time had come to discuss this issue. According to a press release from the Commission, the CARICOM delegation’s visit, scheduled for November 17-20, aims to strengthen relationships and advance a collaborative awareness program on the reparations agenda for slavery and colonialism.
A study conducted earlier this year revealed that 85 percent of British people are unaware of the United Kingdom’s leading role in the enslavement of three million Africans.
