8765: Re: 8753: Fwd: Reparations Urged for Slavery, Segregation , (Saint-Vil responds) (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

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/