Coalition of civil society groups says Paris should return harsh reparations imposed on Caribbean state two hundred years ago

The Caribbean island state became the first in the region to win its independence in 1804 after a revolt by enslaved people. But in a move that many Haitians blame for two centuries of turmoil, France later imposed harsh reparations for lost income and that debt was only fully repaid in 1947.

The group of about 20 non-governmental organisations currently in Geneva for a UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent (PFPAD) are seeking a new independent commission to oversee the restitution of the debt, which they refer to as a ransom.

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The amount paid to France is disputed by historians although the New York Times estimated Haiti’s loss at $21bn. The proposal’s backers say the amount is much higher.

“It’s $21bn plus 200 years of interest that France has enjoyed, so we’re talking more like $150bn, $200bn or more,” said Jemima Pierre, professor of global race at the University of British Columbia.

Clesca said she hoped the recommendation and others would be part of the UN forum’s conclusions due on Friday. Last year, the PFPAD suggested that a tribunal should be formed to address reparations for slavery.

  • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldMEnglish
    514·
    2 months ago

    I am certain that Europe and America will never give any legitimate slavery reparations in my lifetime.

    That said, Haiti is way too unstable right now to give them reparations. They need a stable government first. Otherwise you’re basically just giving it to gangs.

    • VonCesaw@lemmy.worldEnglish
      162·
      2 months ago

      um,sweaty,the us DID pay reparations

      how were those slaveowners gonna recoup the losses of their property without reparations

      • NateNate60@lemmy.worldEnglish
        7·
        2 months ago

        It was the UK that did that. In the US, slavery was abolished through straight up “property confiscation” (from the perspective of slaveholders)

        • VonCesaw@lemmy.worldEnglish
          21·
          2 months ago

          The UK did that too

          They were more comprehensive and generous, but the US did pay reparations to slave owners

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      61·
      2 months ago

      That said, Haiti is way too unstable right now to give them reparations

      There’s a question of who to give it to. But it is undeniable that the country with one of the lowest standards of living on earth, squarely in the path of major hurricanes, and prone to massive earthquakes, needs resources to rebuild with the kind of stable and resilient infrastructure that can endure these shocks.

          • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldMEnglish
            93·
            2 months ago

            Who is going to build all of those things? Who is going to organize them? Who is going to get the supplies? Who is going to ensure nothing gets stolen and no one gets hurt? Who is going to take care of any medical issues that turn up due to things like accidents?

            How do you do all of that without a government?

  • Twoafros@lemmy.worldEnglish
    18·
    2 months ago

    Makes sense! I think France, and all countries that had slave colonies, should pay back the equivalent of the profits they made from slavery with interest. It won’t take away the atrocities that were committed but it is part of justice.

    • OwlPaste@lemmy.worldEnglish
      43·
      2 months ago

      Given what’s happening over there right now, people who are due reparations will see exactly 0 and all the money would be stolen.

    • NateNate60@lemmy.worldEnglish
      51·
      2 months ago

      France doesn’t have “trillions”. There is nothing that can be done to force France to pay, so demanding too large of a sum, even if justified, is a good way to get them to say “fuck that” and you get nothing.

        • NateNate60@lemmy.worldEnglish
          11·
          2 months ago

          To be franc (or to be billion francs), France has enough money, guns, and United Nations Security Council seats to give Haiti the middle finger