The landmark resolution calls for an apology and contributions to a reparations fund, without specifying an amount.

The United Nations General Assembly has voted to recognise the enslavement of Africans during the transatlantic slave trade as “the gravest crime against humanity”, a move advocates hope will pave the way for healing and justice.

The resolution - proposed by Ghana - called for this designation, while also urging UN member states to consider apologising for the slave trade and contributing to a reparations fund. It does not mention a specific amount of money.

The proposal was adopted with 123 votes in favour and three against - the United States, Israel and Argentina.

Countries like the UK have long rejected calls to pay reparations, saying today’s institutions cannot be held responsible for past wrongs.

  • Chloé 🥕@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
    93·
    6 hours ago

    are the descendants of the enslaved people still suffering from it? are the descendants of the enslavers still benefitting from it? yes?

    then reparations should be paid.

    • ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
      32·
      2 hours ago

      It’s been too long, and who exactly are you going to blame or get reparations taken from? Hell; If memory serves it was other black people who were gathering up and selling the black people into the slave trade. What you gonna do? Give $40 a piece to 50,000,000 black people, along with an I’m sorry card?

    • encelado748@feddit.orgEnglish
      53·
      6 hours ago

      How do you determine who is descended of enslaved and enslaver? How do you identify who is benefitting today for something that happened 500 years ago? How do you deal with people that descend from both enslavers and enslaved? There is a long thread about this. Ultimately it is not possible to do what you are asking. Should a farmer in Turkey pay for the benefit the ottoman empire got from slave trade to a white looking mixed american of west african descent? You realize how stupid that sound?

      • Chloé 🥕@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
        42·
        5 hours ago

        the states would be paying those reparations, not the people individually

        european states should pay reparations to the nations they colonized and enslaved, and colonial states (the usa, canada…) should pay reparations to their colonized populations.

        • FenrirIII@lemmy.worldEnglish
          21·
          2 hours ago

          And where do ‘the states’ get their money? Taxes. You’d still be taxing the people to pay for reparations