Mahogany CoConut Blog

One Caribbean Nation. UN slavery resolution hailed as reparations campaign watershed By Ricardo Roberts Ambassador to CARICOM David Comissiong has hailed a United Nations resolution describing the transatlantic slave trade as a "grievous crime against humanity" as a landmark victory for the global quest for reparatory justice, saying it cements the Caribbean's case for reparations on firm legal and historical ground. The resolution, passed by 123 member nations on Wednesday, calls for the return of stolen cultural artefacts, the establishment of a global reparations fund, and increased public education through agencies such as UNESCO. The United States joined with Israel and Argentina to vote against the resolution while 52 other countries, including all of Europe's former colonial powers that captured and enslaved millions of Africans, abstained. In an exclusive interview with Barbados TODAY, Amb Comissiong emphasised that while the journey began in earnest at the ...

One Caribbean Nation. Guest Editorial Godfrey Martin We owe a debt of gratitude to the government and people of Cuba who have been consistent in their unflinching support for our Caribbean region and all oppressed peoples throughout the globe. Cuba has opened its doors to many, even though it is a developing country savaged by the inhumane economic blockade implemented by the United States of America for 65 years. Added to this is the increased oil embargo recently imposed on Cuba over the past weeks. This has deprived Cuba of receiving much-needed oil necessary for energy and everyday living. These actions have been condemned by international lawyers as a crime against humanity. Cuba’s crime was to throw off the yoke of Yankee imperialism and seek a socialist path for the development of its people and resources. Cuba’s crime was also to reject the path of becoming a vassal and neocolonial state of the USA and Western imperialism. It chose the path of defending its sovereignty. ...

One Caribbean Nation. by  Sir Ronald Sanders The war in Iran is already at Caribbean doors. The attacks in Iran and the Gulf are being justified by some on the grounds that Iran's record on terrorism, nuclear ambition, and regional meddling leaves the "free world" with no choice but to act militarily. The Caribbean has every reason to take that record seriously. But for small, import‐dependent states in this hemisphere, an additional set of questions demands urgent attention: who is paying the economic and social price for this war, and what is it doing to the rules that are meant to protect small states? A war fought there, a bill paid here The conflict has already pushed up oil prices, freight rates, and insurance premiums for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical corridors for oil and liquefied natural gas. For Caribbean countries that import most of what they consume, every additional dollar on a barrel of oil, and every extra c...

One Caribbean Nation. By William Skinner The Caribbean is facing both regional and Global challenges that threaten all the gains made as the perpetual struggle to totally free itself from an almost inhumane past , engineered by the debilitating slave trade and colonial domination. Having struggled successfully to forge the unique Caribbean civilization by becoming independent nations and abandoning the British empire , the region now stands almost flat footed because of the erratic machinations of the   United States of America as it seeks to influence the region and place demands as to what friends and allegiances it should have. The message from Washington is blunt and clear : support us or you would face vicious and serious challenges. The quick capitulation of some regional leaders in matters relation to Venezuela and the capture of President Maduro and its desire to use Caribbean islands as surveillance tools for the American military expeditions are causing frustratin...