On 3rd August 2023, four outstanding current and former Heads of Government—namely:
Hon. Olusegun Obasanjo (Nigeria),
Hon. Percival Patterson (Jamaica),
Hon. Ralph Gonsalves (St. Vincent & the Grenadines), and
Hon. Mia Amor Mottley (Barbados)—
engaged in a profound conversation in Bridgetown, Barbados.
Main Outcomes of the Conversation:
Reparations
Promote the following definition of Reparations:
“Reparations is about repairing the historical legacies of underdevelopment that are directly linked to Native Genocide and African Enslavement.”
Encourage all African and African-descended nations and population groups to commit to the pursuit of Reparations for Native Genocide and African Enslavement.
Building Consciousness
Make Reparations an intrinsic part of the annual Emancipation commemoration/celebration.
Encourage all Black or African nations and communities to celebrate Emancipation Day/Reparations every year.
Create, publish, and place in all of our secondary and tertiary Black or African educational institutions a standard textbook that concisely outlines the story of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, slavery, the struggle against enslavement, the abolition of slavery, and Reparations.
Inculcate a mentality that equips us to reject and resist anyone or anything that seeks to force us to adopt policies that are inimical to us.
In the face of powerful imperialistic and hegemonic forces, let us be determined to resist creatively—always engaging in creative resistance.
Engage in an ongoing discussion between the current adult Black or African population, our Ancestors, and our Children.
Establishing Pan-African Links
Implement immediately the decision made at the First Africa/CARICOM Summit to establish an AU/CARICOM Commission.
Make immediate arrangements for CARICOM leadership to attend AU Summits, and for AU leadership to attend CARICOM Heads of Government Conferences.
Establish a structure or mechanism that African and CARICOM Heads of Government can use to collectively discuss the many critical issues facing both regions.
Develop the AU/CARICOM Commission into an “Africa/Brazil/Caribbean/Diaspora Commission”—an ABCD Commission—that will unify the 1.4 billion people of the African continent and the 500 million of the African Diaspora.
Africa/CARICOM Collaborations
The AU and CARICOM should prioritize collaboration on:
– Public health, including the production of vaccines and other therapeutics.
– Agriculture and food security.
– Science and technology.
– The use of digital technologies to connect the two regions.
CARICOM and the AU must operate as a seamless, powerful bloc at the United Nations and the G77 plus China.
Fully support the extension of the operations of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) to the Caribbean.
Prioritize the pursuit of Reparations for the people and nation of Haiti, and insist that, at a minimum, there must be a 30-year internationally funded Development Plan for Haiti.
Develop an Africa/CARICOM initiative to take control of the “value-added production” of all natural resources and basic agricultural products.
Recognize that many Caribbean nations are suffering from the syndrome of aging populations, and make use of Africa’s demographic bounty by welcoming young, economically active Africans to our Caribbean nations and facilitating their integration as economic actors within our societies.
Collaborate on Restructuring the International Economic and Political Order
Launch a campaign to secure a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for Africa and include Africa in the G20 and G7 groups of nations.
Advocate for strong collective Caribbean, African, and African Diaspora activism in support of the full implementation of the “Bridgetown Initiative”—the CARICOM plan to restructure international financial institutions, provide massively increased financial and policy support for developing countries, and effectively address the climate crisis.
Pursue Reparations for Native Genocide and African Enslavement as a special category within the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals agenda.
