The Grenada National Reparations Committee (GNRC) believes direct Caribbean-to-Africa airlift should be a focus of ongoing attempts at strengthening ties between Caribbean Community (Caricom) countries and African Union (AU) nations.
An article by Lincoln Depradine shows the viewpoint was raised yesterday on the occasion of Africa-CARICOM Day.
REPORT:
Chairman of the Reparations Committee here, Arley Gill, says “There is perhaps no better way for Africans on the continent and those in the Caribbean Diaspora to reconnect than to be able to fly direct to one another’s countries on a regular basis.’’
It’s Gill’s feelings that the two regions, Africa and the Caribean, have unique similarities.
Gill identified cultural exchanges and economic collaboration as specific areas offering potential.
The Caribbean, he says, with a large percentage of its population descended from Africa, and Africa itself, are both renowned for their exciting artistic and musical talents, and there’s a natural synergy to build on.
The GNRC believes that in the quest to diversify economies and find new markets for products, Grenada and the rest of Caricom ought to look for opportunities in Africa and other countries of the south.
It must be noted that the annual observance of Africa-CARICOM day was a decision taken September 7, 2021, when Kenya hosted leaders of the first Caricom-AU Summit.
The participating leaders decided to establish September 7 for an annual acknowledgement and celebration to signal an ongoing commitment to strengthening relationships.
Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, Chairman of Caricom, in yesterday’s commemoration, urged people of the region to maintain momentum at fostering an increasingly important and fast-developing relationship with Africa and the African Union.
