History was made on October 10 when the Centre for Reparation Research (CRR), the first of its kind in the academy, was official launched in UWI Mona Visitors’ Lodge & Conference Centre, Jamaica.
Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth, Hon. Stephen Lashley, attended and represented Barbados at the historic event. During his remarks, he apologised for the absence of Rt. Hon. Freundel Stuart, who is the Chairman of the CARICOM Prime Minister’s Committee on Reparations. The minister noted that the region is witnessing a very important development in the history of the Caribbean.
“It comes as part of the agenda of CARICOM heads. In fact, the establishment of this Centre for Research on reparations here at Mona fulfils the fourth point of the reparatory agenda, which has been agreed at the highest level of CARICOM. And indeed I believe that my presence here, representing the Chairman of Prime Ministerial Committee, is evidence of the importance that CARICOM heads have placed in relations to the whole issues of reparations and where we should go as a people,” said Lashley.
‘We doubt ourselves’
In comments, Minister Lashley spoke about the self-doubt among Caribbean people. He said our region is dealing with profound social and economic issues. He cited the issues of islands which are now recovering from one of the most devastating hurricanes, adding that the Caribbean people have not fulfilled their destiny as descendants.
However, Lashley is of the belief that with the establishment of the research centre, the University can educate the people about the importance of reparations and what it means.
“I hope the research which is done at the University brings home the importance and places reparations within the context of all of our social and developmental issues,” said Lashley.
He ended by noting that the University, by establishing the Centre, has made a statement which the region should be proud of. He said that the role of the University is not only to churn out students who will be joining various professions.
“I am proud to know that the University of the West Indies has signalled that it has a social role to deal frontally with very sensitive issues. And one of the sensitive issues is reparations. The Caribbean cannot remain in a state of flux when it comes to reparations. Indeed, I believe the reparation agenda is calling on the region to be more united than it has ever been in its history. There is no place for self-doubters,” he stressed.