The Guyana Reparations Committee will hold the main event of its month-long activities, the CARICOM International and Regional Youth Reparations Relay and Rally at the Parade Ground (Independence Park) on Friday.

The Reparations Baton that was passed to Guyana to mark the staging of the event here.

  This CARICOM Initiative began in Barbados on April 16 when Prime Minister, Freundel Stuart, Chairman of the CARICOM Heads of State Subcommittee on Reparations launched the event. President Granger is a sitting Member of that Subcommittee.
According to press release from Guyana Reparations Committee, a reparations Baton, created in Barbados and made of Mahogany wood was passed on to Guyana at the Event by Chairman of Barbados’ Task Force on Reparations, Professor Dr. Pedro Welch, to Acting Consul General of Guyana to Barbados, Monique Jackman.
It arrived in Guyana on April 19, 2016. The CARICOM Relay and Rally is part of a wider effort to spread the reparations message around the Caribbean, through public education and other initiatives focused on Youth.
The CARICOM International and Regional Youth Reparations Relay and Rally sit in the middle of a large number of activities all across Guyana. Earlier this month, the Reparations Baton was sent to Essequibo where it was first taken by boat to Hackney, Liberty, Marlboro and Lillidale in the Pomeroon to Charity.
From Charity runners relayed the Baton to Dartmouth where a ceremony was held. Runners then took the Baton to Anna Regina where a ceremony was held at Damon Square. Runners continued to Queenstown where a ceremony was held and finally the Baton was driven to Hopetown back to the ‘Stelling’.
At each ceremony, the Moringa Tree (‘The Tree of Life “) was planted. On Friday last, beginning at Calcutta (Mahaicony) Belladrum, Litchfield, Hopetown, Lovely Lass/Golden Grove and Ithaca.
At each stop, there was a Ceremony and a planting of a Moringa Tree. Drummers, outriders, runners and speeches were all part of the process for this seven-hour journey of the Baton through Region Five, Berbice.
Yesterday, beginning with the historical heritage Village of Sandvoort, the Baton was relayed through Winkel (an historical Village of free African technologists) to the Esplanade in New Amsterdam where representatives from Skeldon, Kildonian Manchester, Lancaster and other African Villages were waiting for a grand Ceremony, which was significantly facilitated by the Mayor of New Amsterdam and several other individuals.
Libations, drumming, singing, speeches and tree planting, as well as a Message from the Guyana Reparations Committee constituted the Programme.
Friday’s event at Parade Ground begins at 4pm with young runners leaving with the Baton at Stabroek where slaves were undocked through several historical stops (Parliament Building, Cuffy Square, the Sea Walls) to the Parade Ground for the 6pm Programme.
Sir Hilary Beckles, Danny Glover and Don Rojas of the African American Reparations Committee have been invited to the Parade Ground Event. The Baton will then be sent to the next CARICOM country after Guyana’s activities are over in May. It will tour all 15 CARICOM reparations countries this year.
Guyana has produced 3 replicas of the Baton, in beautiful Mahogany, one for each of the three original Counties of Essequibo, Berbice and Demerara. The Guyana Reparations Committee is inviting all groups and individuals who are interested to participate in the activity.

SOURCE:
CARICOM youth reparations relay and rally set for Friday
MAY 15, 2016 | BY KNEWS | FILED UNDER SPORTS