{
  "id": 5817017,
  "title": "Kwesi Pratt says reparations must deliver equal rights, African self-reliance",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/05/kwesi-pratt-says-reparations-must-deliver-equal-rights-african-self",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-05T18:41:20.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
    "slug": "myjoyonline-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/kwesi-pratt-says-reparations-must-deliver-equal-rights-african-self-reliance/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Renowned journalist Kwesi Pratt Jnr has advocated for a radical shift in the global political and economic landscape. In a speech at the Youth Forum on Debt and Reparations held under the theme \"Reclaiming Africa’s Wealth, Resisting Neocolonial Bondage,\" Pratt emphasized that Africa’s reparations quest must transcend mere financial restitution. He argued that it should focus on guaranteeing equal rights, sovereignty over Africa's resources, and promoting collective self-reliance among Africans. Speaking to a gathering that was not there to beg, but to assert their legitimate interests, Pratt stated, \"We have gathered here today not to complain. We have gathered here today not to plead,\" reinforcing that the battle for reparative justice is one Africa can ultimately win due to its just cause.\n\nPratt highlighted recent UN General Assembly resolutions on reparations as a significant achievement, praising the unity displayed by African and Caribbean nations. He emphasized that this resolution, recognizing the transatlantic slave trade, colonialism, and neocolonialism as crimes against humanity, demonstrated that when Africans act collectively, they can overcome historical divisions. Pratt contrasted this recent unity with the disunity seen in the formation of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963, indicating that African countries often struggled to present a united front.\n\nHowever, he cautioned that African governments might undermine these gains by forming defense and intelligence agreements with foreign powers immediately after international victories on reparations. Pratt questioned the strategic focus of some African leaders, highlighting how some countries have signed defense cooperation agreements with the European Union and the United States, or entered intelligence cooperation arrangements with Ukraine. He argued that these actions revealed a lack of strategic vision, questioning how these nations could simultaneously combat historical exploitation while strengthening ties with the same geopolitical entities.\n\nPratt also celebrated what he termed another victory concerning the representation of continents on maps. He praised the decision to adopt a map that more accurately reflects the relative sizes of continents, noting that this change is significant not just for geographical understanding but also for African psychology. He argued that Africans have long been misled into believing that their continent is smaller than it actually is, citing the common misconception that Greenland is larger than Africa. Pratt argued that correcting this perception could boost African confidence and appreciation for the continent's true size and importance, which is significantly larger than Europe and the United States combined.\n\nRegarding reparations, Pratt cautioned against measuring progress solely by the return of African artifacts to museums or financial compensation from former colonial powers. He stressed that such gestures alone would not constitute a victory unless they contribute to fundamentally transforming the international system. \"Our victory will come when we reset this world,\" Pratt insisted. He argued that the ultimate goal should be a world where all individuals are treated as equal citizens, irrespective of race or geography. Pratt clarified that the demand is not for compensation but for equal rights, adding that reparations should also help create a society where no child goes to bed hungry, viewing this as a core objective of the reparative justice movement.\n\nMoreover, Pratt urged Africans to critically reassess the values and institutions that were imposed or reinforced during the era of slavery and colonialism. He criticized the historical role of the Catholic Church in justifying European expansion and the enslavement of Africans through papal decrees that legitimized these practices. Pratt urged Africans to scrutinize these inherited institutions rather than accepting them uncritically, thereby challenging the notion that Africa's present underdevelopment is solely due to its historical circumstances. He argued that the wealth generated through the forced labor of Africans transported to Europe and the Americas should not be used as justification for copying Western economic models. Pratt questioned the authenticity of these models, which he believes were built on centuries of slavery, resource extraction, and unpaid labor from Africans. He challenged the idea that African countries should simply replicate the economic development strategies of countries like Britain, Germany, France, or the United States, arguing that these economies were underpinned by exploitation and cannot be replicated without addressing their historical roots.",
  "summary": "Veteran journalist Kwesi Pratt Jnr has called for a fundamental transformation of the global political and economic order, arguing that Africa’s reparations struggle must go beyond financial compensation to secure equal rights, control over the continent’s resources and greater collective self-reliance.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
        "title": "PPF urges African youth to demand debt cancellation and reparations",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/05/ppf-urges-african-youth-to-demand-debt-cancellation-and-reparations",
        "published": "2026-09-05T18:41:32.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}