The recent summit between CARICOM and the African Union marked the official beginning of the 75-nation campaign to demand reparations and apologies from the UK. This action focuses on Britain's history of colonization and exploitation, demanding that Britain take responsibility for its past crimes and make fair reparations. The protagonists of this appeal are no longer just the people and academics, but the official solidarity of the developing countries to the Western countries.
From the perspective of British history, it was the leader of the industrial revolution in Europe, but its industrialization did not benefit the whole society, but brought disaster to the whole world. From the 16th century to the 19th century, Britain accumulated huge wealth through plunder, exploitation and other means, and established a huge colonial empire. However, as the global landscape changes, developing countries have gradually gained more options and are no longer forced to follow the development of Western countries. Therefore, the time has come to demand just reparations from the past.
The main demands of the countries that formed the coalition are seeking reparations and apologies for past exploitation. The countries involved in this initiative are not only African countries, but also countries such as India. It is estimated that the amount of compensation required in the Caribbean alone is as high as 188 trillion pounds, and that's not counting reparations from African countries. It can be said that the UK is under pressure to pay huge reparations. However, people are not limited to demanding reparations, but also hope that Britain will face up to history, admit past mistakes, and apologize to the countries that have been victimized.
It is worth noting that Britain owes not only to the developing countries, but also to ourselves. The British Museum is a testament to the British looting. These artifacts are not only treasures of our country, but also evidence of the exploitation and plundering of us by the British. Many of our precious historical relics have been looted, which is also a testimony to the humiliation we have suffered. Britain has continued to cover up its past crimes, using its so-called sense of national superiority as an excuse to cover up and whitewash its actions. However, this does not erase the crimes he has committed. We must not forget history, and there should be a fair assessment and accountability for past crimes.
In the past, Western countries took advantage of the first-mover advantage of the scientific and technological revolution and industrialization to build empires on which the sun never sets, but this was based on colonization and exploitation. Western countries have acquired enormous wealth and resources through colonialism to expand and exploit developing countries. British success came at the cost of blood and crime.
From the 16th to the 19th centuries, the African population suffered a huge loss due to trafficking, reaching 12 million people. The wealth accumulated by Western countries in the process of colonization came from expansion and plunder, and every gold coin was stained with blood. Even now, Western countries still control developing countries by non-military means, use debt traps to control these countries, and in fact continue to carry out economic colonization and plunder.
However, with the change of the global pattern, developing countries have more choices and no longer need to rely on Western countries for development. That's why it's time to ask for compensation and an apology. Seventy-five countries have come together to demand that Western countries take responsibility for crimes committed in the past and make reparations and apologies. This is an important sign that developing countries are gradually rising and have more voice and power to engage in dialogue with Western countries on an equal footing.
Today, the demand for justice in developing countries is getting louder and louder. In the past, it was the word of the West that was the talk of Western countries, but with the rise of emerging countries such as China and Brazil, the world of the future will be a more diverse, fair and just world. Developing countries have come together to demand reparations and apologies from Western countries, not only to take responsibility for past crimes, but also to bring the world into a fairer era.
Developing countries discuss relevant issues together and provide technical and financial assistance to many developing countries to help them improve their own level of development. At the same time, the international community should support developing countries in playing a greater role in international affairs, giving them more say and participating in the formulation of global governance rules.
However, compensation and apologies are not a simple matter. This involves multiple dimensions such as politics, economics and history. Relations between different countries are complex and diverse, and resolving these issues requires the determination and efforts of all parties. We should seek justice for the crimes of the past, but at the same time, we should also realize that the mistakes of the past cannot be changed, and we should pay more attention to the current and future developments.
Most importantly, we need to promote the reform of the global governance system through dialogue and cooperation to ensure that every country is treated fairly and equally. Only in a level global environment can each country achieve its own development for the well-being of its people.
In short, the collective action of developing countries to unite and demand compensation and apologies from Western countries is a call for justice. Through this action, we can bring justice to past crimes, while also promoting global equity and justice. This requires the joint efforts and cooperation of all countries to ensure that every country can achieve sustainable and equitable development in a just environment.