A Caribbean group will visit London and Brussels to talk about the reparations for slavery
Next month, a Caribbean delegation will visit Brussels and London to discuss the contentious topic of compensation for colonialism and slavery, organizers told Reuters.
Between the fifteenth and nineteenth centuries, at least 12.5 million Africans were abducted, violently transported by European ships, and sold into slavery.
Reparations calls are not new, but they have been gaining traction, especially within the African Union (AU) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
It has also been the target of increasing opposition, with many European governments refusing to even discuss compensation.
The journey, which is being organized by the Repair Campaign, a Caribbean reparations advocacy group, will begin on July 1 in Brussels, where the delegation will hold a briefing with EU parliamentarians.
Millions of people suffered “untold suffering” throughout Europe, according to the EU in 2023, but no nation has pledged to make amends, despite some member states admitting wrongs.
The group will next go to London, where on July 2 they will give a briefing in parliament.
The organizers say the trip wants to “open a dialogue” with leaders from Britain and Europe regarding their nations’ contributions to reparations.
Academics and policy specialists from the Caribbean are among the delegation’s members, as are representatives of national reparations committees that were formed by CARICOM member states and supported by their respective governments.
The reparations plan of CARICOM includes, among other things, investments and technological transfers to address illiteracy and health concerns. The AU is working on its own strategy.
Reparations opponents contend that modern organizations and governments shouldn’t be held accountable for their historical faults. To address the legacies, including racism, campaigners say action is necessary.
Britain has also denied calls for reparations, despite being the most active European nation after Portugal and transporting an estimated 3.2 million individuals.
