Reparations for Settlement in Africa Project (RSAP)

What is it?

Mutare Area (Zimbabwe)

Overview

Reparations to the descendants of African individuals who were captured on the continent of Africa, enslaved and transported to the Americas during the transatlantic slavery period of the 17th through 19th centuries to serve as the labour necessary to build businesses and create wealth in the Americas and for European nations, must provide sustainable benefits to these descendants, their future generations, as well as to the continent of Africa.

The Reparations for Settlement in Africa Project (RSAP) proposes the use of reparations to allow the beneficiaries, settlement on the African continent through facilitating transportation to Africa, access to land, housing, business pursuit and personal development in Africa. The process is open to all of the beneficiaries of reparations for transatlantic slavery and all member nations of the African Union (AU).

Objectives

These are broad ranged and encompass several functions i.e. administration, research, diplomatic, liaison, information technology, e-communication, networking, data processing, forum for dialogue, capital management.

  • To have a definitive position on who are the beneficiaries of reparations of transatlantic slavery and the process for verification of this status.
  • To quantify an amount to be paid/allocated under reparations to facilitate “welcome return”/ settlement by Africans in the Diaspora to the African continent.
  • To register Africans in the Diaspora who are desirous of settlement within specific nations on the African continent.
  • To create a data base of job skills/experiences, proposed business investments or work programmes of Africans throughout the Diaspora who intend settlement on the African continent.
  • To identify investment opportunities for African Diaspora entrepreneurs of micro, small and medium sized enterprises within individual African nations, and list potential areas of economic cooperation between African individuals/businesses on the continent and the African Diaspora.
  • To determine the costs of goods and services that are necessary to be provided by African nations to facilitate planned settlement/“welcome return” within their territories by returning Africans of the Diaspora.
  • To determine the costs associated with migration of Africans in the Diaspora to African countries.
  • To receive the commitment via the AU of specific African nations to the process of planned settlement/”welcome return” of Africans throughout the Diaspora within their territories.
  • To be a catalyst for the forum for discussion between Caricom and AU to help to facilitate the process of settlement of Africans in the Diaspora to the African continent, as well as to examine at a Governmental level, trade and investment opportunities, travel and tourism exchanges, agricultural cooperation, among other areas, to promote business development between the Caribbean and Africa.
  • To lead to the creation of a financial institution to manage capital advances for entrepreneurial business pursuit by individuals facilitated by planned settlement/”welcome return” on the African continent.

Methodology

The plan of action is focused on achieving objectives via discussion, research and cooperation.

  • Build multi-language website for the sharing of information, promotion of project, registration of individuals and creation of data base of job skills, collation of data, etc.
  • Conduct research with entities/groups engaged in settlement and other programmes in Africa so as to draw on their African relationship experiences, e.g. Ethio-Africa Diaspora Union Millennium Council, Caribbean Rastafari Organization, Afrika Hall Inc., Twelve Tribes of Israel (worldwide), the Ethiopian World Federation Incorporated, UK Rastafari and other UK African community alliances, through use of cyber communication and personal visits. We anticipate that discussions will help to build registration to the website, create linkages and identify areas of cooperation between diverse groups, as well as lead to group coalitions that can strengthen the lobbying process in the reparations debate. The research information gathered will be further assessed to mentally prepare potential settlers for life in Africa.
  • Commence discussions with the Barbados Task Force on Reparations, Caricom Reparations Commission, other National Reparations Commissions as necessary, and with private individuals to identify areas of cooperation for conducting project research, travelling, and document preparation. Also, to establish communication channels, timelines for achieving project objectives, etc.

RSAP needs the cooperation of Governments, Caricom and the AU towards achieving its stated objectives.

We believe that we can achieve global publicity for RSAP and attract business oriented individuals and groups of individuals that will use proceeds of reparations for settlement in Africa. We see RSAP as the tool that can be used to connect the existing and future groups, globally, that desire and are working towards achieving settlement in Africa. We are continuing our leadership role as a Rastafari community in proposing RSAP to coordinate and mobilize the efforts needed to determine and allocate an amount of reparations capital to return displaced Africans to the continent of Africa.

Summary

Overall goals:

  • To settle African Diaspora individuals within specific nations on the African continent through the use of capital provided by way of Reparations
  • To lead to the creation of a financial institution to manage access to capital to be used by settlers toward business financing

Key aspects:

  • Construction of multi-language website
  • Individuals to register on website for settlement programme
  • Individuals to lists their skills, work experience and business plans
  • Conduct research with Rastafari Mansions, Government agencies, Caricom, Africa Union, African communities and African Religious / Spiritual bodies.
  • Determine costs of settlement programmes
  • Negotiate for reparations capital and creation of financial institution

Initiation:

  • Commence discussion with appropriate bodies
  • Obtain funding for website construction [Achieved]
  • Construction of website to convey information and begin registration of individuals [Achieved]