Barbara Makeda Blake-Hannah Prof. Robert Hill (First published August 29, 2010. Republished today in light of a recent Seminar held at UWI and in London by Prof. Robert Hill on the 1960 UWI Rastafari Report written by MG Smith, Rex Nettleford and Roy Augier) Before writing a report on the UWI Rasta Studies Conference, I decided to take time to read the Report which the UWI said had formed the basis of, and reason for, the conference. I am glad I did, because what I read within the pages shocked me and caused me to question not only the reason and reality of the conference, but also to state that Rastafari has been cheated, tricked, frustrated and ultimately downgraded from its founding principles, turned instead into objects of scrutiny, as unjustly imprisoned and as scorned any caged zoo animals. Brethren and Sisters, this is what I found in the document. According to the Report, even before the first Mission to Africa set off, the authors of the document recommended that the Government of Jamaica finance the repatriation to Africa of those Jamaicans who desired it. They next recommended a mission to Africa to confirm which nations were willing to accept such emigrants, and returned with a positive invitation from all the countries visited. THAT WAS 50 YEARS AGO! My second discovery was that one of the top recommendations was that the shacks and captured neighbourhoods where Rastafari were then living in the Western Kingston Dungle, should be converted to provide low cost housing for Rastas, as well as schools, skills training institutions, craft centers and light industries. History shows the government acted on this recommendation by bulldozing the Dungle, but when they rebuilt it became TIVOLI GARDENS with all the amenities described, but populated with supporters of the government political party, NOT RASTAFARI. The only evidence I can see today of the intention to house Rastafari in this redevelopment, is the existence of Rasta City , the overgrown, abandoned corner of Tivoli Gardens made infamous during the Dudus affair as the burial ground for victims of assassination and murder. My third, most important and saddest, discovery is the realization that, having authored the Report and presented recommendations 50 years ago of how to help the Rastafari nation, the UWI has not followed up by pressing succeeding governments to live up to their recommendations. Instead, the UWI has kept quiet on the injustice and betrayal, using Rastafari as subjects of continuing and continuous study which has done much to elevate the reputation and scholarly degrees of several UWI personalities, but nothing whatever to advance Rastafari repatriation goals. In 50 years, during which the UWIs scholars have positioned themselves as spokespersons on such Rastafari topics as Garveyism, African history, slavery, ganja legalisation, indigenous languages AND Rastafari, not once has there been a conference, a faculty or a lecture that addressed and reinforced the very study of which the UWI is so proud. This should have been that conference, but instead it was yet another occasion when Rastafari were placed behind the zoo bars again – the only exception being that some of those outside the bars commenting on the animals inside were some of the animals themselves, proud of their position outside the cage with a microphone in their hands Rastafari are not to be blamed. Most, like I, have never read the Report, so could not know the extent to which Rastafari have been betrayed. Some rare voices, like Brother. Sam Clayton, would always speak emphatically about the Report and say how clearly all the visited nations endorsed Repatriation by African-descended Jamaicans, urging anyone who would listen to help make repatriation a reality. But generally I&I knew little of the recommendations, while we got to know so much more about the authors of the report, who grew in power and influence with the growth and global influence of the cultural phenomenon which they had been appointed to observe. Rex Nettleford, who was at the time of the Report a mere Lecturer in Government, went on to become the most powerful man in Jamaica, sitting on the boards of every major Jamaican corporation of commerce and industry and appointed to every important government agency of education and culture. The king , as he was known, was also a king-maker, who influenced the appointments of senior executives, cultural and political leaders in every sector of the island during his lifetime. So powerful was he, that ever since he died in February there has been a link to photos of his funeral ceremony on the GLEANERs online homepage – a privilege not accorded to the recent funerals of such luminaries as former Prime Minister Hugh Shearer and Lady Gladys Bustamante. Yet, though his links with the Afrocentric/PanAfrican/Rastafari movement afforded him a rapid rise from the ranks of mere governance to an international reputation as a champion of African culture, I cannot recall the professor ever once using this enormous power and influence to remind his powerful connections of the calls for Rastafari repatriation and the recommendations of which he was one of three authors. Professor Barry Chevannes, whose studies of Rastafari began in the 70s as a guitar-playing singer, who converted his cultural interest into scholarly research and an eventual doctorate and leadership of the UWI Rastafari studies movement, (* now deceased but alive when this was written) has inherited Rexs now-vacant throne as the head of the UWIs Rastacentric professors and is also heading both the government Parliamentary commissions on Ganja reform AND reparations. With keynote speaker Sir Roy Augier now 83 and the only surviving author of the Report, Chevannes was the de facto conference head. The role of the other UWI professors will be described later. It is shocking to see the total disregard with which those who should, have not acted on the recommendations of the 50 year old Report. Looking at the fact that Chevannes recommendations on Ganja reform have not been acted on in 10 years since they were presented, and realizing how cleverly the issues of the 50 year Report have been buried by a long line of UWI academics and admirers, one cannot help but agree with the pessimists (including Professor Augier) who think there will be similar lack of success for the now-stalled Reparations Commission recommendations. But I digress. Barbara Makeda Blake - Hannah Prof. Robert Hill (Primera publicada el 29 de agosto de 2010. Republicado hoy a la luz de un reciente seminario celebrado en la UWI y en Londres por el Prof. Robert Hill en la UWI Rastafari Informe 1960 escrito por MG Smith , Rex Nettleford y Roy Augier ) Antes de escribir un informe sobre la Conferencia de Estudios Rasta UWI , me decidí a tomar el tiempo para leer el Informe que la UWI , dijo que había sido la base de , y el motivo de la conferencia. Me alegro de haberlo hecho , porque lo que he leído en las páginas me sorprendió y me hizo cuestionar no sólo la razón y la realidad de la conferencia, sino también para afirmar que Rastafari ha sido engañado , engañado , frustrado y finalmente rebajado de sus principios fundacionales , se convirtió en lugar de en objetos de escrutinio , como encarcelados injustamente y despreciados como los animales del zoológico en jaulas. Hermanos y hermanas , esto es lo que encontré en el documento. Según el Informe , incluso antes de la primera misión a África partió , los autores del documento recomienda que el Gobierno de Jamaica a financiar la repatriación a África de los jamaiquinos que desea él. Se recomienda una próxima misión a África para confirmar que las naciones estaban dispuestas a aceptar este tipo de emigrantes , y volvieron con una invitación positiva por parte de todos los países visitados. ESO FUE HACE 50 AÑOS ! Mi segundo descubrimiento fue que una de las principales recomendaciones fue que las chabolas y barrios capturados donde Rastafari vivían entonces en el oeste de Kingston Dungle , se deben convertir para proporcionar viviendas de bajo costo para los Rastas , así como las escuelas , las instituciones de formación profesional, centros de artesanía e industrias ligeras. La historia demuestra que el gobierno actuó de esta recomendación por demoler la Dungle , pero cuando se reconstruyeron convirtió Tivoli Gardens con todas las comodidades que se describen , pero rellena con simpatizantes del partido político del gobierno, NO RASTAFARI . La única prueba que puedo ver hoy de la intención de albergar Rastafari en este nuevo desarrollo , es la existencia de Rasta City , la esquina cubierto abandonada de Tivoli Gardens hizo tristemente célebre durante el asunto Dudus como el lugar de entierro de las víctimas de asesinato y el asesinato. Mi tercera , más importante y más triste , el descubrimiento es la constatación de que , habiendo el autor del informe y presenta recomendaciones de hace 50 años de manera de ayudar a la nación Rastafari , la UWI no ha seguido presionando los gobiernos sucesivos a la altura de sus recomendaciones. En cambio, la UWI ha guardado silencio sobre la injusticia y la traición , utilizando Rastafari como sujetos de permanente y continua estudio que se ha hecho mucho para elevar la reputación y grados académicos de varias personalidades de la UWI , pero absolutamente nada para avanzar en las metas de repatriación Rastafari . En 50 años , durante el cual los estudiosos de la UWI han posicionado como portavoces sobre temas tales Rastafari como garveyismo , la historia de África , la esclavitud , la legalización ganja, las lenguas indígenas y Rastafari , ni una sola vez ha habido una conferencia, una facultad o una conferencia que abordó y reforzado con el estudio de los cuales el UWI está tan orgulloso . Esto debería haber sido esa conferencia , pero en vez de eso fue otra ocasión en la que Rastafari se colocaron detrás de los barrotes del zoológico de nuevo - con la única excepción de que algunos de los que están fuera de las barras de comentario sobre los animales en el interior fueron algunos de los propios animales, orgullosos de su posición fuera de la jaula con un micrófono en la mano.
Posted on: Sun, 16 Mar 2014 14:59:19 +0000
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