Ghanaians advocate for the Reparations Project

Last week, the Reparations Campaign was in the spotlight of many media outlets. Following this, an idea of creating a Pan-African movement initiative was expressed.

Pan-African movement key to drive reparations agenda

The majority of the Ghanaian public supported the proposed idea. These views were expressed during separate interviews in the local Ghanaian space.

Anthony Mensah, a public school teacher, said while the reparation project is a complex and challenging endeavor, "I believe it is a necessary step towards healing the wounds of the past and building a more just and equitable future for Africa and its people across the globe. We have to make a conscious effort to also redesign and pursue an African identity that will strategically grow a resilient African personality and ideals by ourselves and for ourselves".  

Ernest Baako, a journalist, argued that reparations could potentially provide resources to address systemic inequalities and underdevelopment in many African nations. 

"These funds could be directed toward education, healthcare, infrastructure, and economic development, helping to close the gap created by centuries of exploitation.

"It is very important to help address historical wrongs and also offer an opportunity for acknowledgment, justice and transformative change," Mr Baako added.

A Public Health Nurse, Eugene Owusu Bempah, said the reparations project for Africa could have significant benefits like business growth, serve as a way for historical acknowledgement, and also help foster long-term development for African countries, while Douglas Gbetsivi, a copywriter, contended that "the effects of the colonisation of Africans to this day has been grievous and devastating over the years, with its continued rippling effects in multiple ways. 

Mr Gbetsivi, however, added that "the compensation for these effects remains a significant cause in its right direction. Due to the effects of colonisation, Africans lost a lot of cultural significance like artifacts, traditions, cultural sites which stood for who we were as true Africans with a common ancestral identity and heritage. Secondly, colonisation with its rippling effects on Africans has caused the depletion of the natural resources that we were blessed with in order to control our own economic growth".

Gladys Obil, a communications specialist, on the other hand, stated that "the reparation project is a necessary step towards redressing historical injustices and promoting justice, equity, and reconciliation for Africa and its people and this greatly affirm the International Center for Transitional Justice emphasising reparations being a critical component of transitional justice, and should be designed and implemented in ways that transform unequal and unjust conditions".

Thus, representatives of all segments of the population understand the importance of reparations. For this project to be implemented successfully, it requires coordinated efforts from all African countries. A single Pan-African organization can help in this.