NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The Bahamas National Reparations Committee (BNRC)has once again called on the British Royal Family to heed its call for reparations, stating that now is the time for reparations and time for reparatory justice.
The call came amid the visit of Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, and Forfar and his wife Countess Sophie of Wessex. During their two-day visit to Nassau, the Royal couple took part in a Gold Award ceremony for the Governor General’s Youth Award (GGYA), formerly known as the Bahamas Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.
Prince Edward is also the chair of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Awards Foundation, which has funded five projects in The Bahamas.
“We in The Bahamas National Reparations Committee (BNRC) recognize the rewarding opportunities that this program has afforded to a large number of Bahamian youth and we hope that Prince Edward and Countess Sophie are able to celebrate the parallels of them with the reparations movement,” the BNRC said in a statement.
It added: “The CARICOM Reparations Committee (CRC) also has ten goals that frame the reparations pursuit. These can be found in our 10-point reparations plan that includes a full and formal apology, amends for the damages done in the areas of education, healthcare, and a call for psychological rehabilitation. Similar to GGYA, the reparations movement is also resilient and determined in our pursuit to seek the social well-being of our people. As GGYA is an important element in the development of our youth, reparations are an important element in the development of our nation.”
The BNRC urged Prince Edward and Countess Sophie to fully embrace the principles of GGYA and heed its reparatory call.
“The time for reparations is now, it’s time for reparatory justice,” the committee said.
The reparations committee was formed in 2013 in accordance with the CARICOM reparations committee. The committee chair, Dr Niambi Hall Campbell-Dean, met Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell in February to update him on its work.
Mitchell said reparations are important for the country.
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