Caribbean nations to demand Royal reparations
Sept. 21, 2023
A group of Caribbean nations are preparing formal letters demanding that the British royal family apologise and make reparations for slavery. National reparations commissions in the region will also directly approach British institutions that profited from the slave trade, such as Lloyd’s of London and the Church of England, with demands of financial payments and reparative justice for their historic role in the slave trade, reports the Guardian.
An editorial by Caribbean Plus Magazine argues against entrusting the money for reparations to governments, suggesting that civil society organizations should play a role in the distribution of resources to benefit the region.
More Reparations
Caribbean nations will demand £26.5 trillion and a formal apology from European countries over their role in the transatlantic slave trade. CARICOM has established a ten-point plan to negotiate a financial settlement with Britain, France, Spain and Denmark as part of a process of “international reconciliation”.
The plan will include a full formal apology, education and health funding, transfers of technology and debt cancellation. (Evening Standard)
“Reparations have been debated in Barbados for generations, but in the past decade the conversation has moved from the political fringes into the mainstream. Today, Barbados is one of the Caribbean’s loudest voices calling for compensation for the horrors of slavery.” (ABC News)
U.S. pushes Kenya-led force for Haiti
Kenya reiterated its commitment to send a multilateral security force to aid Haitian police combat criminal gangs. The two countries established diplomatic ties yesterday, in a ceremony in New York.
The U.S. administration plans to seek UN Security Council approval as early as next week to deploy a Kenya-led multinational force to Haiti, reports Bloomberg. President Joe Biden urged the U.N. to advance on the issue in his General Assembly speech, on Tuesday. (See yesterday’s briefs.)
The move comes even as critics in Haiti, Kenya and the international community voice skepticism about the Kenyan police force’s human rights record: it has long been accused by watchdogs of deadly force, torture and other abuses, reports the Associated Press.
Many in Haiti fear the mistakes of past interventions could be repeated, and that this effort will in effect prop up the government of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, in the mist of a long-term political crisis in a country with no remaining elected officials. (Washington Post)
Earlier this week, Jimmy "Barbecue" Cherizier, a former police officer who now heads a powerful coalition of gangs that controls large parts of Port-au-Prince, led a group of armed men on a march through Port-au-Prince, reports Reuters. "We are launching the fight to overturn Ariel Henry's government in any way," he said. "Our fight will be with weapons."
More Haiti
The CARICOM Eminent Persons Group, led by former Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony of St. Lucia, expressed disappointment following their five-day visit to Haiti. They had hoped to make progress in finding a sustainable solution to Haiti's longstanding political crisis, but said they instead encountered hardened positions among stakeholders and calls for the resignation of Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry during their discussions. (Radio Jamaica News)
“Haiti’s situation is desperate. But real support would mean more than a conscience-salving mission, compared by one human rights activist to “a Band-Aid on a cancer,” argues the Guardian editorial board. “If those outside really want to help, they must listen to civil society, not just (Prime Minister Ariel) Henry, before dispatching a security force, and must prioritise political transition too.”
The Dominican Republic’s closure of the border with Haiti — in retaliation for construction of a canal that allegedly violates an international agreement — has provoked a united front in the country, reports Haïti Magazine.
“In the past week thousands of Haitians, who share the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic, have been making their way to the river to see what the fuss is about and to lend their support to the canal’s excavation. Some work while others provide supplies, and Haitian living abroad are raising and sending money,” reports the Miami Herald.
“As violence goes unchecked in Port-au-Prince, displacement within the country is on the rise,” reports the Christian Science Monitor.
Women and children in Haiti have been left behind by United Nations (UN) personnel, particularly peacekeepers, resulting in paternity claims and struggles to access child support. “Sometimes, I just have to confront the UN”, says Pauline Phille, a woman who had children with UN personnel and struggles to make ends meet and feels frustrated by the lack of support and justice from the UN. (CNN)
Jamaica returns group of Haitian refugees
The Jamaican government's swift return of a group of Haitian refugees has sparked controversy, with some arguing it violates international law and human rights principles. The government cited security concerns and a lack of asylum requests as reasons for the action, while human rights groups and advocates expressed disappointment and called for more empathy and adherence to international obligations. (Global Voices, Americas Migration Brief)
Emma Lewis contrasts the rapid deportation to the asylum process granted to another group that arrived in July. “The social media response from Jamaicans to the Haitians’ arrival was very mixed,” she writes in Global Voices.
The Caribbean and The World
Cuba's historical role and contributions to the Group of 77 (G-77) highlight its active involvement in promoting South-South cooperation, implementing literacy programs, providing healthcare assistance, and advocating for developing countries. As the current Pro Tempore President of the G-77, Cuba is working to strengthen international solidarity and cooperation for post-pandemic recovery in the developing world. (Wired JA)
Climate Change
The new podcast of Stronger Caribbean Together “Just Futures for Haiti's Peasants with Tèt Kole” is now available on the following link.
According to Kaietur News ExxonMobil did not conduct a financial assessment of the potential economic impacts of an oil spill from the Stabroek Block in Guyana. The company's consultant, Environmental Resources Management (ERM), confirmed during a public consultation that no such assessment had been conducted.
Members of the Global Risk and Resilience (GRR) team at ODI spent some time working on a Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA) that was meant to identify different barriers to addressing climate-related losses and damages during and after a climate event has occurred. (ODI)
Climate change is significantly affecting farmers in Tobago, particularly in the village of Les Coteaux, leading to challenges such as decreased crop yields, changes in growing conditions, and economic hardships. There is an urgent need for urgent mitigation measures, including tree planting and renewable energy adoption, to address these challenges and ensure the survival of agriculture in the region. (Global Voices)
Human Rights
UN Women's Caribbean argues for public investment in universal childcare in Barbados and explores the potential effects and benefits of investing in universal childcare.
Water scarcity, exacerbated by climate change, is contributing to period poverty in Jamaica, disproportionately affecting women and girls who lack access to menstrual hygiene products and adequate sanitation facilities. (Global Voices)
Drug Policy
Guyana is planning to begin trial cultivation of hemp in early 2024 as part of its efforts to diversify agriculture and boost the country's output, generate jobs, and income for citizens, reports Kaieteur News.
Economics and Finance
Tax breaks in Puerto Rico, such as Acts 20 and 22, have attracted thousands of investors, traders, and wealthy individuals to the island. These tax incentives offer significant benefits, including low or zero tax rates on capital gains, to those who relocate to Puerto Rico. these tax breaks have led to a "predatory tax evasion" environment, resulting in harm to local communities and substantial tax avoidance by wealthy individuals and businesses from the U.S. mainland. (NBC News)
Decolonisation
Political scientist Amílcar Antonio Barreto offers a perspective informed by personal ties on the Puerto Rico’s political status, highlighting its current crisis and the enduring influence of U.S. Congress on the island's future, while also addressing the role of identity in Puerto Rican politics and the challenges it poses. (NGN Magazine)
“Puerto Ricans must now decide what future they want for their islands and themselves and stop bowing their heads to the U.S. with the obligatory “Sí, Jefe“— especially if the jefe is as rotten as Trump”, expresses Susanne Ramirez de Arellano, former News Director for Univision Puerto Rico, in an opinion article for Latino Rebels.
Food Security
Visionary farmers and chefs in Puerto Rico are spearheading a movement to combat the island's heavy dependence on food imports, which exceed 80%. Despite challenges like the Jones Act and economic recession, these individuals are championing locally sourced ingredients, promoting sustainability, and reshaping the island's food landscape. (Huff Post)
Climate resilience and renewable energy, food production and agro-processing, the “blue economy”, “nearshoring” and “friendshoring”, facilitation of digital trade, and transportation and logistics are six sectors that have the potential to reinvigorate Caribbean and U.S. private sector engagement, according to a new Shridath Rampal Centre White Paper.
Racial Justice
Guyanese President Irfaan Ali met with the U.S. Congressional Black Caucus to discuss concerns about alleged racist policies, racial discrimination against African Guyanese, abuse of the Guyana Police Force, and unlawful land seizures affecting Black citizens. They discussed various critical issues, including regional and energy security, the climate crisis, electoral reform, democratic institutions, and financial services access in the Caribbean region. (Wired JA and Wired JA)
Migration
According to St. Lucia Times, CARICOM is working on developing a regional approach to migration that aims to address migration challenges and opportunities while ensuring unity among CARICOM Member States and utilizing the benefits of migration for regional development.
Education
The JFJ’s Let's Talk Justice radio episode discusses about safety and security in Jamaican schools.
Human Rights
About 20 protesting sugar workers were detained, stripped to their underwear and photographed in the police station without their shirts in Guyana, an episode that the Guyana Human Rights Association strongly condemned. (Stabroek News)
Opportunities
The UN Climate Technology Center & Network is seeking experts to participate in the upcoming solicitation to provide technical assistance for their project to enhance multi-scalar mapping and research of food security risk, due to the impacts of climate change on rural and urban environments in Jamaica. The deadline to apply is September 28th. Follow the link for further details.
The Global Centre for Climate Mobility Youth Forums, under the Africa Climate Mobility Initiative, the Rising Nations Initiative, and the Greater Caribbean Climate Mobility Initiative, are now opening a call for applications to the Climate Mobility Pavilion Youth Programme to participate in COP28 as a CMP Youth Delegate. The deadline to submit your application is 1 October 2023. Follow the link for further details.
The Wildlife Conservation Society is seeking individuals who are passionate about both conservation and human rights, particularly those who have experience or a strong interest in working with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities. If you are interested in this opportunity, applications will close on the 1st of October, 2023. Follow the link for more information.
A new online course organized by Ocean / UNI named Culturing the Deep Sea: Towards a Common Heritage for All Kinds will be held from October 11 to December 6, 2023. To register and for more details access the following link.
The Youth Climate Justice Fund supports with core flexible funding to emerging youth climate justice collectives. Groups can apply for a grant of up to USD 10,000, which can be used for a period of 12 months. For further information follow the link.
Caribbean Vulnerable Communities is seeking a graphic artist to design content for a social media campaign to address bullying of young KPs and PLHIV in 6 OECS countries. For more details of the application follow the link.