The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis affirmed the government’s commitment to getting reparations from the United Kingdom yesterday.

During a Sustainable Development Goals conference at the University of The Bahamas yesterday, Mr Davis, Education Minister Glenys Hanna-Martin and Economic Affairs Minister Michael Halkitis were on a panel.

An audience member asked the prime minister how committed the country is to pursuing reparations.

Mr Davis said the word “reparations” has been the “boogeyman” during discussions about climate justice.

“I can tell you that we are committed to reparations, not just for the transatlantic slave issue,” he said. “In fact, we recommitted ourselves at our last Heads meeting last week in Trinidad.”

“There was a question of reparations. We had last year written to the UK government, to the Netherlands government, to the Portugal government stating our case in respect to reparations, insofar as the slave trade is concerned.”

“We have now the apologies of the Anglican church, the Anglican Communion in England — they did their study that’s been published, recognised their role in it. Some families, wealthy families in England have now taken up the cause to assist in promoting reparations.”

Mr Davis said he conversed with King Charles III about the matter.

He said: “They were sympathetic to the thought.”

He said he discussed scholarships in the context of reparations.

“The king has kindly considered to facilitating scholarships for our region and, in particular, The Bahamas for studying at any of the major universities, Cambridge, Oxford –– we’re talking about that,” he said. “Also, he has commissioned a study to determine the role they would’ve played as a monarch in this whole issue.”

On the sidelines of the event, Mr Davis said the scholarship talk was just a “preliminary chat”.

“I don’t want to discuss everything we had, but it was his thought that as part of the discussion on reparations, consideration should be given to us seeking scholarships, which he has agreed that he would facilitate,” he said.

Mr Davis said he is advancing the initiative with the British High Commission in the country.