Reparations From Britian, France and the Netherlands

The slave trade has had a devastating effect on all people of color around the world. This devastation didn't end after slavery was was outlawed, many countries today are still enduring the debilatating effects of slavery.

Several leaders of Caribbean nations have decided that it is appropriate to sue the countries that have benefited and encouraged the atrocious behavior.

"A British human rights law firm hired by the Caribbean Community grouping of nations announced that prime ministers had authorized a 10-point plan that would seek a formal apology and debt cancellation from former colonizers such as Britain, France and the Netherlands," states AP.

These Caribbean nations do not plan to stop there. They also plan to sue for reparation payments to try and repair not only the damage that has been done, but to repair the ongoing psychological trauma that effects black people today.

Not only have European nations damaged Africans psychologically, but they have succeeded in doing their best in excluding the Caribbean in the nations in Europe's industrialization and confined to producing and exporting raw materials such as sugar.

The plan also demands that Europe help with aid in strengthening the regions public health, educations and cultural institutions.

The plan goes on to demand diplomatic assistance from Europe to resettle Jamaica's Rastafarian population back to Africa, which has always been very important.

This deal is not new, for years Caribbean countries have asked for reparations from European countries with no success. But, recently it has gained momentum.  

"Caricom, as the political grouping of 15 countries and dependencies is known, announced in July that it intended to seek reparations for slavery and the genocide of native peoples and created the Caribbean Reparations Commission to push the issue and present their recommendations to political leaders.

They then hired Leigh Day, which waged a successful fight for an award compensation of about $21.5 million for surviving Kenyans who were tortured by the British colonial government during the so-called Mau Mau rebellion of the 1950s and 1960s.

The commission's chairman, Hilary Beckles, a scholar who has written several books on the history of Caribbean slavery, said he was "very pleased" that the political leaders adopted the plan.

In 2007, then British Prime Minister Tony Blair expressed regret for the "unbearable suffering" caused by his country's role in slavery but made no formal apology. In 2010, then French President Nicolas Sarkozy acknowledged the "wounds of colonization" and pointed out France had canceled a 56 million euro debt owed by Haiti and approved an aid package.

The Caribbean Reparations Commission said Monday that far more needed to be done for the descendants of slaves on struggling islands, saying it sees the "persistent racial victimization of the descendants of slavery and genocide as the root cause of their suffering today.""