Posted on 02/05/2005 12:37:40 AM PST by HAL9000
Western nations should make reparations for enslaving and colonising Africans and finance a Marshall Plan-type fund for Africa, says US actor Danny Glover."I believe in reparations for slavery and colonisation as well, in the shape of a Marshall Plan," Glover told the Associated Press on the sidelines of month-long celebrations in Ethiopia of the 60th anniversary of reggae legend Bob Marley who died in 1981.
"Our basic attitude towards Africa is still one of the coloniser," said Glover, a UNICEF goodwill ambassador for the UN children's agency that has co-organised the celebrations with the Bob Marley Foundation.
"The mentality is one where these subjects (Africans) do not deserve anything different. They still represent a place where they represent cheap labour - the first labour being slavery," he said.
On January 21, JPMorgan Chase & Co., America's second largest bank, apologised for contributing to slavery and set up a five-year $US5 million ($6.43 million) scholarship fund for African-American students.
The Organisation of African Unity, the predecessor of the African Union, in 1993 formed an Eminent Persons Group to study the issue of reparations for slavery. It never submitted a report and nothing has been heard of it since the AU replaced the Organisation of African Unity in 2002.
According to the African Union, which is backing the Africa Unite celebrations, between 30 million and 100 million Africans were forced overseas during four centuries of colonisation.
The Ethiopia celebrations, dubbed "Africa Unite" in tribute to one of Marley's many famous songs, represent the first time the event is being held outside the singer's native Jamaica.
Meanwhile, Nelson Mandela on Thursday compared widespread poverty in developing countries to human evils such as slavery and apartheid, and urged wealthy nations to do more to fight it.
At a rally in central London's Trafalgar Square, the former South African president and Nobel Peace Prize winner said developed nations must provide more aid to poor countries and lift their crippling debts.
"In this new century, millions of people in the world's poorest countries remain imprisoned, enslaved and in chains. They are trapped in the prison of poverty. It is time to set them free," Mandela said before a crowd of several thousand people.
"Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings."
Mandela was speaking on the eve of a London meeting by the finance ministers of the Group of Seven industrialised nations. He is expected to make a separate speech to the ministers with a similar message.
On Wednesday, the 86-year-old statesman met British Treasury chief Gordon Brown, and he planned to meet Prime Minister Tony Blair later on Thursday.
Blair has made doubling development aid to Africa a priority for his chairmanship of the Group of Eight industrialised nations this year.
Brown is expected to use the meeting of G-7 finance ministers to get backing for the International Finance Facility plan, which seeks to raise $US50 billion a year for development aid by selling bonds on the world's capital markets.
In his speech at Trafalgar Square, Mandela endorsed a campaign by Make Poverty History, the British arm of Global Call to Action Against Poverty, a coalition of charities, trade unions, lobby groups, faith communities and high-profile individuals leading efforts to tackle global poverty.
He said developed nations knew what needed to be done to fight the crisis, but they were falling far behind in their promises.
"The first (step) is ensuring trade justice," Mandela said.
"I have said before that trade justice is a truly meaningful way for the developed countries to show commitment to bringing about an end to global poverty. The second is an end to the debt crisis for the poorest countries. The third is to deliver much more aid and make sure it is of the highest quality."
That will be done right after ancestors to ancient pay off all the slaves (like Jews) they had during Egyptian times.
This is more BS for a free pay day. They should be ashamed of themselves, I know I am ashamed of them.
Cool, but I don't believe the Aftrican slave traders will pay it.
I know there were British, French, Dutch and others but I don't remember any USA colonies. Liberia comes the closest but the US military did not occupy it.
All slave holders will pay the slaves.... what do you mean they're dead?
That's what we're proposing. Dump the dictators, free the resources, bring the free enterprise system… oila! No more poor country.
Or does Nelson think they're poor because of some other reason?
Danny....take a deep breath...and sit down.
ping!
Wait a minute. Americans (including descendants of slaves?) should pay Africans (including descendants of those who sold slaves to Americans?) reimbursement? Did I miss something?
heh
I suggest we arrange an audience for Mr. Glover.
Regards, Ivan
If one follows the logic and fairly redistributes the wealth the following should also take place:
The tribes from West Africa that sold slaves to the West should are at least 50% responsible and should therefore contribute to the pot. Since Annan is from Nigeria, he could help organize this effort
Any non-British immigrant to America also has the right to compensation. In my city, New Orleans, the Irish immigrants (hence Irish Channel) were "used" to drain the swamps, as the mortality rate was so high that it wasn't cost effective for the slaves to do it. Therefore, they should also be compensated. New Orleans was also home to the women who worked in the Brothels in Europe (the environment was so harsh that women didn't want to live there) so they should be compensated as well.
Maybe a study should be performed to determine all people who deserves compensation.
I suggest he focus his intention on getting an education that shows him how to think for himself.
I own a sump pump that's smarter than him
For more, read King Leopold's Ghost
Regards, Ivan
Just peeked at your profile page. Where on earth did you find such an adorable viking kitty? He's utterly menacing!
If Danny had kept his mouth shut he could have used his earnings to pay for reparations. But since he decided to open his mouth his movies will be getting no admission from me. Handle it yourself Danny.
Right and besides they should be punished for being... Belgium...
I had him from birth... he was the last of the litter we were able to keep. He got his name even before his eyes opened, he would try to crawl all over the place.
*sigh*... when I moved a couple of months ago, we lost him. We went back and he cannot be found... very sad.
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