King Charles told Commonwealth leaders on Tuesday that the transatlantic slave trade filled him with “horror” and deep personal sadness, saying that learning more about its injustices had reinforced his determination to address the past.
The gathering of the Commonwealth’s 56 member states, most of them former British colonies, has been marked by debate over whether the United Kingdom should apologize or pay reparations for its role in the slave trade. Neither Charles nor the British government has announced an apology or discussed reparations.
“We cannot change the actions of those who came before us. We can, however, learn from the past,” Charles said in his opening address. He added that the slave trade’s legacy continued to affect Commonwealth countries and called for modern partnerships to tackle historical injustices.
The king pointed to education, employment, opportunity, trade between member countries and efforts to resist global warming as areas where cooperation could help people facing hardship and inequality.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he was open to discussing an apology, going further than his predecessors, and officials were speaking with national leaders at the summit about what such a gesture might involve. Burnham also said he wanted to discuss restructuring debt for smaller Commonwealth countries and announced £40 million in investment in critical Caribbean infrastructure over the next three years.
Charles urged leaders to focus on choices ahead, saying that while they could not control the winds or where the past had taken them, they could decide how to adjust their sails.
Sources: Folha Mundo.