EDITOR’S NOTE: The Jamaica Gleaner originally published a story (which was also run on DNO and various media) reporting on an agreement of a £200 reparation payment to UWI attributing the announcement to the UWI Vice Chancellor. The Gleaner has since published another article stating that original story was inaccurate. Below is a statement issued by the vice chancellor of the UWI Hilary Beckles.
The headline of the story originally published in the Jamaica Gleaner newspaper dated November 25, 2018, and subsequently carried by other regional media outlets addressing the vice-chancellor of the University of Glasgow’s admission that £200 million in fees, endowments and grants were received from Caribbean slave owners, and attributing reference to an “agreement” with the vice-chancellor of The UWI to repay the said sum, was inaccurate.
The universities are working through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) built upon the principle of “reparatory justice”, but there is no “agreement” about the repayment of £200 million to The UWI.
In good faith, the two universities, ever since the vice-chancellor of the University of Glasgow, Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli, indicated that his university seeks to be excellent and ethical, have had excellent conversations about how the University of Glasgow can contribute to cleaning up the colonial legacies of slavery that are holding back the region. A working team has been established, which has made many reparatory justice submissions, but is yet to complete its deliberations.
The British have to enact at some point something similar to the Marshal plan that was done for Japan after parts of it were leveled by the atom. It has worked and a comprehensive Plan will work.
yah when you first posted the story i told you that it was fake news and u add some nonsense to my comment now i see you posting a story saying that you basically played follow the leader and posted a story that was so fake. i even posted a link proving that your first story was fake and u did not hid proper research and still posted ur story guess now you will learn to research a story before you run and post it
yah delete this comment as well i waiting
ADMIN: We acknowledge your point in this comment and we will take steps to improve. Your previous comments were not published as they were purely critical attacks with seemingly no point other then to mock and criticize the site for something already acknowledged.
Additionally, it has not escaped our attention that you tend use real Dominican’s names (so far only females) that we can verify are not your true identity. Desist from using other real people’s names or your future posts may not be published. Feel free to use other non-personal pseudonyms and even critical comments (with a point) will be published.
Ok DNO you’re not perfect but you keep us informed. I’m glad this person researched further as we all should but I know you not malicious so jus keep the news coming best you can, some of us will verify to put the pieces together, doe dig.
Good to know that the Jamaican Gleaner and other ‘regional’ newspapers did their due diligence by contacting the persons or universities named in the article before publishing said article and misleading the populace.
What is that……?
They didn’t?
Well it’s good to know that the Jamaican Gleaner and other ‘regional’ newspapers in their rush to publish and be first to publish failed at their only duty which is to publish accurate and vetted information.
Contd.
And to demonstrate the Sisyphean Dilemma in Dominica’s socio-economic development over the years – just picture this:
Dominica in 1900 – flat on its face at the turn of the century but we climbed
By 1918-1920 – Dominica flat again – OK Mother country at War WWI but we climbed again
By 1940 – we flat again – Vanilla in trouble. OK again blame Mother country at War WWII
By 1960 – after a little climb we flat again giving rise to consolidation of trade unions, new political parties (Labour & DUPP) and the Credit Union League in an effort to climb
By 1980 – we flat again, socio-political unrest, economic dislocation, Hurricane David, skewed governance but we again climbed reaching a peak by Reunion 1988 then we declined again
By 2000 – we flat again with austerity, divisions, loss of direction;
What do you see? A 20 YEAR CYCLE OF THE SISYPHEAN DILEMMA!!
By 2020 ??? I WARN that such a decline is imminent unless we refocus. Be ye transformed by the renewing of your…
Mr. Cadette you are speaking a language way above the average individual far less the poor and vulnerable who on a daily basis are only concerned in putting food on their tables. Its a process a learning process and as the great Bob Marley wrote, “Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery”. We surely have to emancipate ourselves from mental slavery by reading reading and reading. We have to get out of the norm of thinking the box which limits our potential to grow and see things on a different level. Knowledge and Wisdom is crucial in unlocking our minds. But we have to understand some people are comfortable in their bubble. Nothing is going to take them out from their comfort zone. Many people fear change the unknown. Mr. Cadette you are needed in the enlightening the minds or else will always be in the Sisphean Dilema.
I venture to post on DNO to often start a conversation in a particular direction devoid of crassness and political conniving. Dominica has a very literate population (in the classical sense of the word). I venture to post on DNO to often start a conversation in a particular direction devoid of crassness and political conniving.
Literacy does not always translate to aptitude to learn. we must WANT to learn for aptitude, cognition, intellect and wisdom to manifest fruit.
Probably WE ALL as Dominicans have refused to want to learn – that is, see trends and adapt to our benefits – indeed that is the essence of the word RESILIENCE.
I pray that we finally comprehend and craft the kind of socio-economic pathway that will lead to sustainability and prosperity – but above all, HAPPINESS, CONTENTMENT and TOGETHERNESS.
We really need to as a nation, resolve to educating & working our hearts and mind being unshackle from enduring the fangs and pangs of physical/mental slavery.
Dominica and the Caribbean seem trapped in a SISYPHEAN Dilemma, epitomizes by the destructive characteristics of social discord, division, polarization by THREE Political Tribes and by plain downright stupidity. What I see reminds me of the Jamaican epic writer, Orlando Patterson’s book “Children of Sisyphus” of Life in the “Dungle” that characterizes the ghetto of Jamaica – a characterization based on the Greek mythic figure of Sisyphus who was cursed by the gods to roll a stone up a hill and to every time he reaches close to the summit the stone rolls back down, only for him to start all over again – a life of worthless, meaningless toil. At least he finds consolation in that he is doing something but sadly, never getting to the summit. Remember the French Philosopher Jean-Paul Satre’s essay on “Being and Nothingness”
Ok. Hurry up so I can get my share please
My view on Reparation is not very complex at all
!!
If we are trying to negotiate reparations from the colonial Governments as a monetary package then I am afraid we may be waiting for eternity.
My view has always been and will forever remain, unless proven otherwise, that we must seek reparations along the lines of educational development, research, innovation and entrepreneurship, science and technology and negotiate partnerships with these Governments to fund it. That approach will be more palatable and achievable. And once funded while we are at the educational development, the research, the innovation and entrepreneurship, the science and technology then we must excel, excel, excel to the fullest!!
This is the message I have sounded to my children: “Set your anchors down, craft your vision, work towards it assiduously, stay the course, forge partnerships – my mantra being “THE BEST REVENGE IS MASSIVE SUCCESS”.
That is the more likely formula for Reparations!!
Ebeh mi daybah.