The Grenada National Reparations Committee (GNRC) said 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.
“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,” said GNRC Chairman Arley Gill.
He made the remarks on Thursday on the commemoration of Africa-Caricom Day. The annual observance of the day was a decision of 7 September 2021, when Kenya hosted leaders of the first Caricom-AU Summit.
The participating leaders decided to establish 7 September for an annual acknowledgement and celebration to signal an ongoing commitment to strengthening relationships.
Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, who is Caricom’s Chairman, used Thursday’s commemoration to urge the people of the region to maintain momentum at fostering an increasingly important and fast-developing relationship with Africa and the AU. “As Caricom, we continue to prioritise efforts to build on our deep historic and cultural ties with our sister African nations. We are keen to identify new avenues for partnership and collaboration and advance existing initiatives to expand trade and commercial relations between our 2 regions,” Skerrit said.
Gill also identified cultural exchanges and economic collaboration as specific areas offering potential mutual benefits to the Caribbean and Africa. “The Caribbean, with a large percentage of its population descended from Africa, and Africa itself, are both renowned for their exciting artistic and musical talents. There’s a natural synergy that we can build on,” said Gill.
“The GNRC also believes that in the quest to diversify our economies and find new markets for our products, Grenada and the rest of Caricom ought to look for opportunities in Africa and other countries of the south.”
GNRC
Closer ties with Africa is going to be important because colonialism is rebranding itself and making a comeback. The focus has to be on regional development and integration and so far we have done terribly in that
regard. Trying to run these islands is far more crazier than opening access to travel with Africa.
These negative comments are very disappointing and are obviously from insecure Caribbean men. I, agree that we need to organise our regional airline service between the islands. But you are quick to have relations with China and Russia, which isn’t a terrible thing, because alliances with other huge world leaders has its benefits. But not wanting to have relations with Africa is astonishing. I love my Caribbean heritage, but love my true African heritage aswell. We need to have a direct link to Africa, point blank. You simple minded Caribbean men just thinking about African men coming over and showing REAL male dominance. “You fraid”. Lol.
This is a wonderful and largely unexplored opportunity that will boost Grenadian and African economies. The exchange of knowledge, goods and services is long overdue. The outdated colonial mindset of ‘having nothing to do with Africa’ or ‘outsiders’ needs to be seriously challenged in light of current global realities.
For starters an influx of Africans is bad. I say so without prejudice.
We have seen human trafficking in Antigua using the same route.
Antigua went about that badly to begin with and it’s not even a well established service furthermore. It happens once a week or once a month something like that. It was basically a rush to get ahead of the rest of the islands just to say they had the flights first. But overall for Antigua It was a failure.
The average African has no interest in the Caribbean yes individuals can go to certain parts on holidays l don’t think there is going to be red carpet welcome anytime
Sounds good on paper but the reality of this happening is virtually impossible.
Look at the issues we are having the current airlines who are operating some of the worst service in aviation history.
What on Earth would we need direct flights from Grenada to Africa for? What would we gain from that? What possible economic benefit would there be. What cultural benefit. Regional travel between the Caribbean islands is hard enough, as is travel between the Caribbean, North America and Europe. We need to focus on what actually matters and would be of real, tangible benefit. None of this African nationalist nonsense.
Grenada Loyal, unless they are going to pay us reparations too. And then they should do that without us having to fly there. So agree with you. We’ll said.!
We have not even figure out regional travel after trying for 49 years but those dear leaders want to go to Africa. Why not think about and discuss matters that are really important to our people?
Truthfully they have figured out international traffic better than they’ve figured out regional so shouldn’t be a surprise if they go ahead and it works out