(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana – Thursday, 27 October 2022): Chairman of Digicel Denis O’Brien offered his support to the regional reparations movement during an engagement last week with the CARICOM Reparations Commission (CRC).
Mr. O’Brien presented a proposal entitled “Repair” that he said could assist in advancing CARICOM’s call for Reparations for Native Genocide and Slavery. The Plan seeks to persuade the British and European governments and institutions to establish a new long-term fund for reparations. He said the fund would have clear five-year targets with financing flowing to the Region annually.
The Digicel Chairman had already publicly declared his solidarity with the work of the CRC and had spoken on the matter to several CARICOM Heads of Government, the Commission’s Chairman, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, and national reparations committees.
O’Brien said the proposal supports the CRC Ten Point Plan for Reparatory Justice in which reparation is defined as an economic and social development strategy for the region. He agreed with the CRC’s position that Europe owes the region a ‘Marshall style Plan’ after 400 years of wealth extraction by which it was enriched.
The Chairman of Digicel said his repair plan will facilitate multisectoral investments in agriculture, health, and education, among other areas. He suggested that such a multi-sectoral investment and trading plan was critical to the successful recovery of the region from current international economic crises.
In applauding O’Brien and his team for their affirmation and support of the work of CRC, Professor Beckles said the Repair plan has the potential to engage in high-level government relations with the UK, Europe, and the European Union.
“This level of engagement will help build momentum in support of CARICOM’s call for reparations,” he added.
The Repair plan seeks to energise the movement for reparations through public relations campaigns in the United Kingdom, and European and Caribbean communities. To achieve this objective, a robust communications strategy utilising both traditional and social media platforms will be implemented.
Mr. O’Brien commended the Commission for its outstanding work in bringing reparations to the top of the global agenda. Everywhere in Britain, he noted, exposure and apologies for enrichment from slavery are the order of the day.
The next critical step is to influence public opinion so that European leaders will offer reparations instead of cautious statements of regret.
He also called for the establishment of a team of regional economists from UWI and other partners to prepare a report on what the ‘Marshall Plan style Reparations’ development program would entail. The time he said has come to put a firm but reasonable reparations for development proposal before Europe.
The Commission and Mr. O’Brien’s team agreed to collaborate and to work together to further develop the proposal in the coming months.
The CARICOM Reparations Commission invites other private sector corporations in the Caribbean and in Europe to similarly partner with the CRC to seek reparatory justice for the peoples of the Caribbean.
Ok DNO, I know it’s the holidays and you have a lot to moderate but to me it seems the commenters that are negative towards the plight of the Black People spreading white supremacists propaganda that permeate the media get easily moderated, whereas defenders of Black people have to prove their harmless contribution beyond a shadow of doubt or show references to prove their points, but not the anti- black views; so moderation can take several days till you verify even harmless pro-black views. It seems so, am I wrong?
ADMIN: Yes, it would be premature to come to that conclusion as comments are still coming in.
We have just moderated over a 100 comments several disagreeing with the comment(s) you referenced.
If we have a bias here it is this: we want to encourage such discussions and, as always, hope people weigh-in from multiple informative perspectives rather than just a binary “for” or “against”.
Thanks I got you. For a few days I thought I was being single out. Some of us must to stand up because, although the commenter might not be aware, they’ve become part of WS propaganda machine loaded with cash; distorting Black History and plight all over the internet as a strategy, it’s real. They even own some ‘fact check’ sites. Thanks for posting those views so we can break them down for unsuspecting readers.
ADMIN: Thank you for your understanding and contribution to this forum.
We hope to see you continue to be a part of the ongoing discussions.
Go after the African sellers first .. as British got rid of slavery and didn’t finish paying off until 2014 but Africans haven’t paid a cent
Ya, blame the victim. Every rapist have blamed their victims for provoking the rape, wearing poom poom shorts etc etc. Why not you and the British propaganda machines?
It was all done under heavy military power. You can’t be selective to pay reparations to the Jews and not Africans for the worse holocaust the world has ever witnessed.
Similarly forced under military power, there were Jewish “Camp Kapos” and “Ghetto police” Jews that collaborated with the Nazzis, even pushed/loaded their fellow men into trains knowing they were headed to the ovens to cook and burn alive. Yet you and I supported reparations for them, even a Marshall Plan, lots of $ to build/rebuild a brand new country, but not Africans. They have indoctrinated us to take their position that we did it to ourselves, but not the Jews. You see, we must develop an undying love for our People. Black people need to stop following mainstream media, racists and bigots to today become an instrument of our own self destruction.
See this link of info: https://qz.com/1680558/for-slavery-reparations-the-us-can-look-to-post-holocaust-germany/
I just heard exactly that on OAN conservative news propaganda, you could at least let the ink dry or let them go to commercial before repeating their 😈 sentiment.
When are these people also going to seek to persuade those African countries & tribes that took part in the slave trade to also pay reparations? They cannot be serious if it is only the British & Europeans they’re running behind for money. Be fair.
Slavery of the black man was started by his very own black people. The European countries that took part in the slave trade (aided by black Africans) merely exported the enslavement of black people out of Africa to the Caribbean & the Americas.
Oppression of black people by black people continues:
– black men killing each other like it is a sport eg in Chicago, Trinidad, Jamaica & unfortunately is increasing in Dominica etc (the Caribbean branches of the deluded Black Lives Matter movement are dead silent)
– black men & women degrade each other in rubbish gangster & lewd music videos (adored by reprobate black people)
– certain black Caribbean leaders who seem to believe in a ‘Foreigners First – Caribbean People Last’…
You are dead wrong. You can’t be selective to support reparations to the Jews and not Africans for the worse holocaust the world has ever witnessed.
Similarly forced under military power, there were Jewish “Camp Kapos” and “Ghetto police” Jews that collaborated with the Nazzis, even pushed/loaded their fellow men into trains knowing they were headed to the ovens to cook and burn alive. Yet you and I support reparations for them, even a Marshall Plan, lots of $ to build/rebuild a brand new country, but not Africans? They have indoctrinated us to take their position that ‘we’ did it to ourselves, but not the Jews. We must develop an undying love for our People. Black people(you are, negro) need to stop following mainstream media, racists and bigots to today become an instrument of our own self destruction.
See this link of info you’ve never known: https://qz.com/1680558/for-slavery-reparations-the-us-can-look-to-post-holocaust-germany/
All total lies. Lies spread by the same people that hang your leaders while they write your history. They are all over the web/media to distort your views of your own people (if you are Black or think you’re next in line to enjoy white privilege). Do you expect them to write the truth?
@Just Asking – Lies? Where are the lies in what I said above?
All military operations, superior weapons won. What you wrote is also condescending towards the Europeans whose historians wrote that stuff. That wasn’t lazy merchant stuff but what else would you teach if you were the perp. We all go home eagerly to watch mainstream tv and media every day and these are the messages we get unless we dig deeper.
You must give your Ancestors a chance to talk to you. From WEB Debois to John H Clarke, Dr Ben Jochannan, Eric Williams, A Browder, they put these life issues into perspective so others with ulterior motives don’t distort reality for you.
They say every *** boy must read a chapter or so by one ancestor be it Torah or so by age 9, so don’t expect an argument from them against reparations that have netted them an entire new country, numerous recovered wealth, $2 – $4 bill annually from the U.S + a Marshall Plan financed by others etc. That’s great isn’t it?
Meanwhile Digicel continue to exploit caribbean people and DESCENDANTS OF SLAVES with their unfair service rates and mobile plans. People constantly being cheated out of their money with mobile services that take advantage of the ignorance of the technologically illiterate.
Black people will support this garbage, but will never see the benefit of these policies if they ever even happen. All this is just a way for these rich black DESCENDANTS OF SLAVES who achieve these high posts like politicians, intellectual elites etc, to share some of the money of the so-called white oppressor while things continue to remain exactly the same or WORSE for the average black.
Not to mention if we are going to talk about reparations we have to start all the way back from AFRICA with our own black bretheren who SOLD us into slavery
You have this media platform to do something for your people, you need to turn around and find the information.
Europeans sold white people into slavery too, what’s so special about them than inventing guns and canons? European merchants in 1500s & 1600s brought over 1 million European slaves to North Africa from as far north as Iceland. Basic Euro history, and I’m not a researcher.
Racist web sites are replete with that stuff. Happens whenever they are about to hang one of your heroes. Given this fact it’s outright foolish to believe what they teach you is true.
we need to get reparations from Africa as well, cause many African kingdoms got very wealthy because of the slave trade. and then after the fall of the slave trade there economies tanked and they blaming the European countries for them wasting the wealth they made from selling us there fellow man into slavery
African countries are VERY VERY rich but there politicians are so corrupt ( like uncle ) that they only look after filling there pockets and let western companies mine the land, giving nothing to there people and leave in wealth while there countries go down the drain. and then turn around and blame western countries.
if we gonna get reparations we first and foremost gotta get it from the people who enslaved us as sold us then look for reparations from those who bought us and eventually set us free
hate me if you all want but its the sad truth
No! From Europe and European-Americans :
https://qz.com/1680558/for-slavery-reparations-the-us-can-look-to-post-holocaust-germany/
Today we know better.
Mr. O’Brien much respect to you for publicly throwing your support behind reparation for the descendants of enslaved Africans. Other races and ethnicities have gotten similar compensation, why not us?
Many European colonial powers built their economic wealth from the forced labour, blood, sweat and pain from our forebears. REPARATION should be a MUST despite the nonsense that some of our own people are ignorantly propagating.
Ibo I usually 100% agree with your comments but for once I actually agree with the other commenters lol. People act like Europeans just woke up one day & thought “Hmmm, let’s go to Africa & make them our slaves”. The fact is, slavery has always existed in Africa. African tribes would capture their own people & rival tribes and make them their slaves. Slavery existed in Africa way people Europeans landed in Africa. Those same African slave traders sold their own people for money, alcohol, clothes, weapons to kill their own people etc. And the Europeans didn’t even go INTO Africa to capture slaves themselves like people think, they landed their ships on the coast where AFRICANS themselves were trading other Africans for items in return from the Europeans. People say Europeans should pay reparations, but what about the African countries that started it to begin with?
(Continued from my other comment). Some black people to claim “We were kings & queens!” but guess what? Those kings & queens gained power & rich by selling US, people from the Americas. So why do people praise those so called kings & queens, when we’re only in this position because of THEM? Ghana apologised for the slave trade but an apology isn’t good enough. If Britain, France, Spain etc allegedly owe us money, then so do all the African nations. Black Africans & Arab slave traders started it to begin with, Europeans just aided them & saw another use for those slaves. They were already slaves to other Africans BEFORE Europeans took them, so why do only Europeans get blamed? Im not going to give my opinions on reparations but what I will say is – if Europeans owe us, then so does Africa. People act like Europeans evil & Africa is the victim, when the fact is Africa started this evilness
Also, I hate the word “black”. As in “black culture” for example etc because we’re not all the same. This is why some African-Americans now use the terms FBA or ADOS (foundational black Americans & American descendants of slavery). We may all have originated from Africa but they are NOT our people. But I’m slightly going off topic now so I’ll save this discussion for another time lol
We can tell you hate the word Black. You stepped into some Qanon, white supremacy isht on the internet, that’s why.
They are ubiquitous, all over to muddy your opinion against your own people.
My friend, you need to rearrange your thoughts and emancipated your mind. You have swallowed the oppressors’ narratives line, hook and sinker.
A simple advice. Read more extensively of the topic at hand to become much better informed. Don’t allow your mind to become saturated with propaganda and misinformation.
Dominican Bwoi always remind this : The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history.
@Dominican Bwoi
Who win the war get to write the history, that is, control the narrative. The European arch villains overpowered and forcefully captured the native Africans, put them in cells, then on ships to make the harrowing trip across the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean.
How any black, conscious person could lay blame on our African brothers for these unspeakable atrocities baffles me and defies common sense.
Enlighten yourself some more, Dominican Boi, don’t be swayed by the misguided views of people who are definitely misinformed. No hard feelings as differences of opinion is healthy for democracy. When everyone thinks alike all the time there is no thinking taking place.
Who told you so but European historians and Egyptologists who are the greatest liers the world has ever known. Europeans are now backtracking due to so much information now surfacing on the subject of enslaving African people and themselves, taking everything from them, the whole continent. Yet you listen to the racists.