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8765: Re: 8753: Fwd: Reparations Urged for Slavery, Segregation , (Saint-Vil responds) (fwd)
From: Jean Saint-Vil <jafrikayiti@hotmail.com>
Onè,
Regarding the Reparations Movement and Haiti, I know that a number of people
have been raising awareness of the subject in many arenas but so far no
major debate or breakthroughs have occured - to my knowledge.
On January 1999, former president René Préval delivered a very truthful
speech detailing France's and others' contribution to Haiti's empoverishment
but he stopped short of making the stand that really needs to be made on the
issue. I.e. to hold the authors of the crimes(States of France,
England,U.S.,Spain, Portugal, germany, Danemark...) accountable and demand
that they repare the minimum that can be repared to empoverished African
peoples and they descendants.
Will President Aristide create himself enough room to take this issue to the
level it deserves to go. I hope he will. I know he has a good knowledge of
the subject matter and he is connected with key U.S. personalities such as
Randall Robinson and John Conyers who have done a lot to make this important
issue survive the assaults of white supremacy, thus far. But, does he have
to guts to raise this issue when and where it counts? Time only will tell.
Meanwhile, last Sunday, during the Haiti Vs France game (in Ottawa's Jeux de
la Francophonie) there was a group of brave souls within the Haitian crowd
holding a banner calling upon France to pay reparations for the crimes it
has, so far, committed against the people of Haiti.
«Esclavage...Reparations...La Honte» where among the key slogans they were
brandishing.
Also, a very informative pamphlet was distributed in the Stadium in which
several facts were highlighted, among them:
1) In May 2001 France officially recognized the Slave Trade and Slavery,
which it used to build its fortune, as Crimes against humanity.
2) The above-mentionned crimes were committed by The State of France. Thus,
it is the State itself that is to be held accountable (ref: Henry VIII -
Code Noir of 1685). (I suspect the authors wanted to help readers go beyond
the futile and paralysing barriers of guilt and fear that surrounds this
issue. They said they want to help peoples of all colors and creed see the
just value of this reparations movement and identify for themselves a
positive role in the search for solutions to this serious international and
multigenerational problem)
3) In addition to the above-mentioned crimes, starting in 1825, France
crippled Haiti with a 150 Million Franc ransom that is estimated to be the
equivalent of , at least, $6 Billion U.S. today.
4) While the French government accepted to recognize the African Slave Trade
and Slavery, as crimes against humanity, it removed the article calling for
reparations (Art 4) from the law proposal adopted by its lesgilators,
chosing instead the veil of hypocricy to shamefully maintain this ignominous
debt hanging over the head of future generations.
(The french pretend that the concept of «Crimes against Humanity» was
introduced only recently..so ? So, somehow, this should help them get away
with it. How about saying it a Crime Against «Black» People...Here is an
excellent link that exposes the utter stupidity of this
argument..http://www.wasadugu.org/rd.php3?id=600772).
Last week, I interviewed a reporter that came with the Haitian Soccer
delegation at the Francophonie games, here in Ottawa. I asked him whether
such issues are discussed in Haiti. He told me, if they are, he is not aware
of it.
I was not surprised. There is plenty of work to be done. In fact, at the
France Vs Haiti game, several people clearly expressed that they are more
willing to contest the soccer game stolen (in fact)from Haiti than to focus
on the reparations issue. Some of us pointed out to our happy brothers that
Africans were also invited to dance and play on the slave ships...there were
those who understood the pointer...but a stop to the utter hypocricy
caracterising the Franco-Phony 9the Commonwealth and other such non-sense)is
not for tomorrow.
No worries though. Before long, love, truth and justice shall surely
prevail. Wè pa wè, la lutta continua!
Ayibobo!
Jafrikayiti
«Depi nan Ginen bon nèg ap ede nèg!»
http://www.i-port.net/sd-in-j/