Dear Editor,
Global South African Icon Nelson Mandela in a February 3, 2005 Trafalgar Square, England address averred “every generation has a responsibility to do something great for that generation.” The United Nations (UN) International Court of Justice (ICJ) recent African Slave Trade Reparation Qualification Report represents monumental greatness for Jamaican Generation Seven. That is, the seventh generation since the phony emancipation of 1838. Thankfulness is said to be the parent of all virtues. It is also the fertile soil that allows a plant to grow upwards and deepen its roots downwards. Accordingly therefore, Jamaican Generation Seven at the earliest appropriate time must present a garland of thanks to the UN and the ICJ for providing this eureka and Ode to Joy moment.
At the risk of not being invidious, many other individuals who have contributed selflessly will not be named at this time. Suffice it to say, however, that the name Elena Roosevelt, the wife of fourth term United States president, Delano Roosevelt must be mentioned. Her strident and fervent advocacy of 1944 to allow the UN accepting into use the words ‘reparation’ and ‘genocide’ was a universally accepted gigantic and historic moment for Jamaica. For those who are alarmed and being frantic about the UN and ICJ Reparation Quantification of USD 131 trillion and Jamaica’s in excess of USD 6 trillion, they must keep in mind that distinguished Trinidadian historian, Sir Eric Williams, in his text, ‘From Columbus to Castro’ quoted the 16th century American jurist “that no amount of the world’s treasures is sufficient to pay for the loss of liberty”.
It is advisable therefore that Jamaica’s Generation Seven expeditiously submit to the UN ICJ its demand credit note. A suggested draft of this Demand Note to England, Spain, Scotland, Wales, Germany, Netherlands and France, using the common ground of the Jamaican Sugar Industry proven and reliable data that 1062 sugar mills had produced 5 million tonnes of sugar, was operated by the abovementioned countries. Importantly also, the Scotland and England court ruling of the 1780’s was disregarded leading to the wrongful deaths of National Hero Sam Sharpe and another 1200 Jamaicans. Jamaica’s Daily Gleaner of August 2009 poignantly sets out Professor Verene Shepherd’s details of the incident. With all that said, an abbreviated explanatory note to the credit demand note may be summarised from the Institute of Jamaica’s March 1971 issue of the Jamaica Journal.
According to the publication, England’s six year war for Jamaica from 1655-1660, came to an end with the application of ratio 1.1.4. According to the British stores issue note, ten pounds of Brimstone and fourteen pounds of salt peter was used to checkmate the Spanish troupes. Jamaican place names such as Lucky Valley and British in Clarendon and Old Woman Savannah emerged. Runaway Bay began to join Discovery Bay. That seismic amount of force not only fraught the reinforced Spanish troupes brought in from Puerto Rico and Mexico at the final battle at Rio Nuevo, it also signaled the start of one hundred and eighty years of British chattel slavery.
Therefore, Jamaica Generation Seven Credit Demand Note should be for thirty yearly instalments of USD 0.33 trillion each be made over the period 2025-2055. This amount on a per capita basis would be minuscule to the per capita amount Jamaica sacrificed by way of the War Damage Repair Act of 1918. By way of the Jamaica House of Assembly 1918 War Damage Repair Act, Jamaica paid England 60,000 pounds per year form 1919-1959, a period of forty years.
Sincerely,
David Crossbourne
