Apologies, atonement and reparations for slavery are currently high on the agenda. On 19 December 2022, Prime Minister Mark Rutte ushered in a historic turning point, as the Netherlands became the first major European national government to formally apologize for their role enslaving Africans, as well as to commit over £200 million of government funds and resources toward remembrance and restoration work in the former Dutch enslaved colonies. Prime Minister Rutte’s apology comes after city governments, including Amsterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht, issued formal apologies for their own role in the system of trafficking and enslavement of African women, men and children.
Other institutions in the UK such as the Church of England and even individual families, such as the Trevelyan family, have also recently offered formal apologies and reparations.
The growing apologies, and instances of reparations are not unique – coming on the heels of longstanding demands from people of African descent over the last 500 years for justice and accountability.
AFFORD Institute, in its role providing secretariat services for APPG-AR, is formally launching the African Apology & Reparations Directory which offers a historical record of apologies and reparations that have been made by different bodies, including from governments, chieftaincy and traditional institutions, churches, businesses, universities, etc; and individual families such as the Trevelyans.
The Apologies and Reparations Directory
Directory Updates
Members of the public are also invited to update the online directory on an on-going basis. Are you aware of any statements of regrets, apologies, or reparations made by:
- Governments in Europe and Africa
- Chieftaincy & other traditional institutions
- Churches, universities, businesses, and other non-governmental institutions, as well as
- Individual apologies such as represented by the Trevelyan family
If so please help us build the Apologies and Reparations Directory by completing the following form with your information and contact email.
Updating the Apologies and Reparations Directory
Once submitted, our research team will verify the entry and contact you once it appears