Greetings Rasta People,

After viewing parts of the UWI Rasta conference I felt compelled to write some form of response to the event so that I may have a better understanding of what occurred and to share my views with the community.
I will not attempt to review every speaker, I will however reference speakers to reinforce my arguments..
I cannot fault the UWI for this conference, it is what universities do. They are merely following up on a report they did 50 yrs. ago. What I find disturbing is that it took UWI 50 years to let the public know that their recommendations were being ignored by the powers that be. What is also trubbling is that the Rastafari Community sat back and allowed it to happened without raising our voices in significant manner.

Prof. Roy Augier stirred a lot of anger with his opening day keynote speech, especially near the end when he took on the subject of repatriation. I agree with him on some of his discussions. I do not agree that we should resign ourselves to call JA our home. We can never give up a continent so vast, the richest on Earth with approx. 13 mill. sq. miles for a small island of just over 4,000 sq. miles. I do agree with his statement when he said, "Not to do it ourselves is dependency, to speak as some of the speakers before me tonight speak about repatriation as getting the where-it-all from abroad, It will never happened." and I agree with the professor 100% on this statement. We need to listen carefully to what he said. My interpretation is; he did not say repatriation could not happened but if we are depending on others to make it happened for us, that will not materialize.

All day we burn Babylon and then we have our hand out begging for repatriation and reparations. We rightfully should return home and be paid for the hundreds of years of free labor and the atrocities we are enduring still to this day. No doubt about that. But if we think the powers that be is even thinking of giving us the crumbs off their table we better wake up and fast too. People in power only respect other people who have power. They pay us little attention so long as we remain disoriented and disorganized. The Rastafari Movement must become powerful in order to garner that respect. The Movement cannot do it alone. It will take the entire nation of African people to bring the West to their knees to honor their moral obligations. Not for us to form an independent nation adding to the confusion that already exist. It's all about African integration not differentiation. We will have to control all the natural resources of Africa that the West and increasingly the East needs in order for them to pay attention.

When we can dictate the terms of agreement for our resources, our diamonds not Debeer's, our gold, platinum, coltan and other numerous minerals and agricultural wealth too numerous to mention here, you will see how quickly they will run to our table. This is the only foreseeable way to secure reparations for Africans at home and in the Diaspora. When Europe, America and China have to deal with a united Africa principled with the teachings and moral dignity of HIM then they will not only listen, they will want the fair trade which was not afforded us in the beginning. Unlike what is happening now with deals being struck hear, there and everywhere with narrow minded local leaders unaware of what is happening next door. The same strategy of divided and rule is still too commonplace today. We must be a united African people in order to effect equal rights and justice for Africans at home and abroad. We should not be running to their table for crumbs. I would also say that as a matter of record it is applicable to make legal representations every now and again to the powers that be for reparations and repatriation claims. Please note however that this would only be a recorded legal exercise expected to get not much if anything out of it.

Restitution should not only result in dollar value but we should also take into account the history that was clouded over and fed to us in their schools, colleges and universities to this day need to be made clear. All our artifacts and documents in their museums and places of interest must be returned, most notably those in Europe. Our animals in their Zoos must be paid for like how they pay Japan for the panda bear. We need to reclaim our philosophy, our arts and sciences. Did you know that the basic principles of the computer was developed from the African branch of mathematics called fractals? We were smelting iron and producing high carbon (high strength) steel long before Henry Bessemer in 1850's Europe. Eye surgery was being performed in Timbuktu when European doctors didn't even know anything about disinfectants or anesthetics. Reparation should also mean that we must identify and reclaim our intellectual and tangible properties that are stored in their universities and institutes of special interest. But this also mean that we must begin to plan in providing adequate spaces to house, exhibit and study all these items.

Ras Iration who was a presenter at the conference agreed with the professor in part when he said, "Our dependency syndrome must be arrested and transformed." He went further by highlighting one of the main problems affecting the community when he stated that, "Adequate production and protection remains the critically missing ingredients for our centuries old quest for liberation." This is literally saying that we need to become productive citizens which will mean less time worrying about Babylon and spending more time becoming problem solvers for ourselves and by extension the rest of the world. This seems a far cry from happening now because as the Ras said: " to behold the Rasta Community languishing in a state of crippling disorganization, impotent to create and operate institutions to satisfy our collective needs is no excuse." All of the above is an indictment on the Movement because these observations by the Ras is totally correct with regards to the Movement generally and especially in Jamaica.

My interpretation of Prof. Augier's call to make Jamaica home is that we are actually caretakers of the Caribbean Islands. Since we are hear we should take care of our temporary home. We should keep a clean and productive environment. Since we are the "wise minds" we proclaim so many times to be, we should be looking out for the interest of the common people in our community by engaging the political leadership. We can be political without being partisan. Ras Sam Brown was an example of the politically active Rastaman who many did not agree with back in his days and still don't to this day. Sam Brown is correct because if we were actively non partisan and non aligned politically, exercising and exemplifying truths and rights with concious Ethio-centric moral justice and in keeping with the teachings and moral fortitude of HIM, the garrison donmanship of the street gangs and political gamesmanship of those in high office would not be so prevalent in Jamaican society today. We would be the watch lion, the all seeing eye that roars for justice when it is being denied. By doing these kind of services we would be preparing ourselves for Africa. Island politics is child's' play compared to modern African politics and ancient tribal customs intermingling into riotous explosions at times. If we want to make a difference in Africa we need to start practicing from where we are now in order to develop our political maturity.

I have no illusion that the Islands belong to others and Africa belong to us. In the late 1980's while living in New York at the time, I heard on public radio a Taino Indian, native to the Caribbean but now living in Canada saying that the Taino people have not given up on their island homes in the Caribbean and they are looking forward to the day when they can become powerful enough to reclaim their ancestral homeland. I can never forget that statement. How true it is also of us in the diaspora seeking our ancestral home in Africa, Alkebulan.

Ras Ivi's presentation was very well delivered, I must take issue however with some of his pronouncements and agree with others since I think it is at the heart of our problems today. Declaring that " The 1930 Coronation was seen as a biblical fulfillment which laid the foundation for the livity of Rastafari." is a statement that while having some truth in it, has led us through the door of religious confusion, while at the same time ignoring the political contributions HIM played during his tenure. In fact the Emperor's political life far outweighs any religious contributions he made. Why is it we adhear to religious ideals when the practice of religion throughout the history of humanity has lead to more deaths and distruction than anything else. We should be disassociating ourselves from that word religion and how it is being used today, even though we Africans developed the philosophy that lead to it. We must also see the 1930 coronation as a political fulfillment which laid the foundation for the livity of Rastafari and the liberation movement of the African people those at home and those abroad.

Dr.Fred Hickling rightly pointed out that he agrees with Horace Campbel's definition of the movement as a national liberation movement for Africans around the world, as opposed to Prof. Barry Chevans assessment of the movement as a new religion fueled by the 1930 coronation event.
I contend that it is this religious fervor that has intoxicated us into believing that we can sit around and wait for the seven miles of Black Starliners coming in the harbor instead of building them ourselves. With our hands out for repatriation and reparation while at the same time ignoring the state of our affairs in which we currently live. Since we are going to zion all we need to do is chant and give ises all day long because Jah will defend us. It is this same attitude that has led to the new crime bill in JA being passed without a challenge from the Rastafari community concerning the use of the "sacred herb".

This is why Ras Ivi lamented that "the horse gone through the gate" and that we now have to play catch up in making a concerted challenge in defence of the herb and it's relations to the crime bill. I hope we are not seeking exclusivity for the use of the religious sacramental herb. We need to also consider non Rasta people who just want to relax after a hard day's work with a spliff or those who see medicinal and other benefits in the use of the plant. We went to sleep because we don't deal with politics, ignoring that church affairs are also political in nature. Ignoring the fact that the laws that politicians make respects no person except themselves and their celebrity friends.
Since the Ganja Commission report went public some ten years ago, the Rastafari Movement has not lobbied enough in support of the report to cause the public to pay any attention to the matter. Now the tables have turned against us because of our ignorance. We do not even pay any attention to the other multi-beneficial uses the cannabis plant has to strengthen our arguments.

Ras Ivi is pointing to the problem without identifying the cause which to me is an overzealousness in stressing the religious attributes of the movement while totally ignoring the political and revolutionary aspects of the movement.

We ignored the revolution in favor of religion.

Yet at the same time we cannot even compete with the Christian churches. One day you see a tent, a few months time a permanent structure begins to rise. Finally the church in all its' glory with the message of prosperity preached within. All in a few years with the pastor driving the latest car. The lesson is after 80 years of the movement we cannot accommodate our own existence. We are still dependent on others to do for us that which we should be doing for ourselves. If in the name of religion Jah is expected to save the chosen ones while Babylon burn, then we will be waiting forever

Yet the Rases in Chile as noted by Ivi, have the use of land and their sacramental rights are not abused all at the courtesy of the Chilian government. Why is this so? Because the Rases in Chile are proactively involved in the political affairs of their community. Unlike our Jamaican counterparts who seem only interested in which house have the more talk. My way is the only way, red on top no it's green and therefore we fall in the never ending pit of religious confusion and extremism.

We ignored the revolution in favor of religion.

One way to get back on track was highlighted by Amaha Selassie with his presentation on Continuing the Legacy of Haile Selassie I. He clearly identified one of the main problems within the movement when he stated, "As Ras I feel our lack of fully embracing HIM teachings (and I must add works, accomplishments and deeds,) is the reason why our community is somewhat dysfunctional and lacks the underlying sense of unity and commonality." This therefore means that if we paid more attention to the teachings of HIM, his works, accomplishments and deeds, i.e. the revolutionary aspects of the King, then we need to take less notice of the individualized concepts of the various houses within the movement.
The focus must be on the King and his legacy not mansions and houses. If we can do that then we cannot go wrong. As the The Ras rightfully said, " If we are to truly liberate ourselves from Babylon and mental slavery we must do so solely through the construct of the teachings (and I must add works, accomplishments and deeds,) of HIM rather than any ideology superimposed by others.

The suggestion to establish a database for the speeches of the King (and I must add his works, accomplishments and deeds) is a valid one. It will give us the opportunity to explore the intricacies of the King. To really study HIM. We may think we know HIM but let me suggest that this is far from the truth. We pay more attention to the bible than the King. We always celebrate the Solomonic Dynastic connections and rightfully so but at the exclusion of HIM claiming deeper roots to the 4,500 b.c Ethiopian King Ori. What do we know about Ori or ancient AEthiopia. We have become stuck on the 6,000 year creation story of the modern evangelical christian scientiest who believe that Christ will come again in the clouds with blowing trumpets paralleled with Selassie and the Black Starliners coming to save Rasta, becoming raptured in all his glory the 144,000 chosen ones.
This exercise will enable us to find out the true nature of HIM. I would also suggest by extension that we take this exercise out of the cyber world and into the real world by monitoring, evaluating and improving on all the legacies left to us by the King, not only in the Caribbean but all over the world. Let's start in our back yard by proposing to transform the Haile Selassie I school in Kingston JA into a multi disciplinary educational, research and industrial institute somewhere in the country side on 50,000 acres of land with it's own water source. Let us not be like the five who were foolish but improve upon our gift so that the King can be proud of us his children who took care of his legacy and left a lasting institution for generations to come here in the west. The saying is that HIM gave enough funds to start a university but the politicians stole some of the money for themselves, used part of it to build housing for their constituents and the rest was just enough for a high school. Given JA politics I would not surprised if this were true, and again pointing to the fact that the Rasta community fell asleep in allowing the government of the day in Jamaica to misuse our King's gift.

I do not find it amusing that celebrities of whatever sort can come into our midst, invited into our innermost chambers and afforded the privileges we would not even think of offering our own. The scholars then the Prince and Camila, who's next Paris Hilton?
If we are to be serious revolutionaries then we must think like our fore bearers at the first Afro-Asia Conference held in Bandung in 1955 where no Europeans or Russians were allowed. The general feeling was that the whites were the problem therefore we should not strategize in their presence. HIM was representing Ethiopia at that conference which eventually led to the non-aligned movement.
When it comes to our collective security we can depend on no one but ourselves. The revolutionary zeal would be to tighten our ranks and fortify our boundaries. The religious ideal is to open up your hearts even to your worst enemies. That is why anybody can walk through the gate, especially if they have wealth, sip two chaliwa and chant the most Rastafari and in no time they become bonefied as the saying goes. Because of this attitude all kind of unsavory kinds come among us, get what they want then leave when it suits them. This attitude must stop if we are to develop any sense of collective security.

The presentation on sustainable development could have been better. I will give credit for trying to bring to our awareness what role nutrition, agriculture and water play in sustainable development. I was hoping to hear more about gray water (water from the hand sinks, showers, rooftops, ect.) that can be treated and recycled to flush toilets, water plants and so on in your home. We should be looking at examples of water storage, treatment, distribution and waste management from the domestic to the urban level. Water is the number one basic renewable life giving resource upon which all life depends, therefore in the planning or reviving of any community the water cycle must be the first consideration. Many times during the presentations I could not hear any audio which makes it difficult to fully understand what was being conveyed.
The idea of agriculture as a pop culture is a strong one but the focus should be more about substance rather than image. We should be talking about the best example of the organic urban garden revolution taking place in Cuba and how we can learn and adopt some of their systems and techniques as exemplified in the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRz34Dee7XY

Premaculture where you use the attributes of the plants to their utmost potential. e.g. The more variety of crops and plants that are used on a farm the less pesticide and fertilizers are needed. Some plants add nutrients to the soil while others extract it. Understanding the bio chemistry of plants can lead to proper crop rotation techniques resulting in improved crop yield. A wide variety of crops also attracts a wide variety of insects and pests which can balance the population of each other instead of feeding on the crops. If diseases arise it would be easier to manage with a wider variety of produce than the mega mono cultured industrial farms commonplace in industrialized countries. Deep rooted plants also helps to bring moisture to the surface for shallow root plants.The three sisters an ingenious technique developed by Native Americans and I am sure in other places also, where a tall growing plant such as corn is the foundation plant upon which vines of beans run upon while the roots are kept cool with broad leaf vine ground creepers such as the pumpkin.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw7mQZHfFVE&feature=player_embedded

How can we talk about sustainability and not talk about wind and solar power, geothermal (using the heat from the earth as an energy source) and bio-mass power, both for the single family and for the wider urban community. The idea is to become independent of the power grid distribution system by adding to it instead of subtracting from it. Let the utility companies pay us by reversing the current flow on our electrical meters.
It is best to use a combination of sources creating a hybrid system where one can function as a backup
at times when needed. We should be at the forefront of the green revolution, the roots of ital living is engrained in the concept of sustainability, yet we are not making enough use of it. Like the Ras said, we developed the juices from the fruits and the sea vegetables and others profit from it. It's a long time now Bobbo selling mats and brooms, I envision the most skill full artisans with adequate amenities, mass producing and corning the Caribbean market in brooms, mops and their assessories, non toxic cleaning formulas and detergents. Mats, carpets and draperies among other interior room finishes.

The best part of the lecture came at the end with a question from the audience asking about hemp as a sustainable product and the economic impact of decriminalization, also hinting at some of the uses of the plant. I was surprised that this was not even mentioned during the entire presentation. The most productive, sustainable and versatile plant on earth we can only see as a sacrament. Wake up Rasta people. Stop falling asleep on your chaliwa. Humanity has known of the versatility of the cannabis plant for more than 10,000 years.
Ancient Egyptian royalties were mummified in it's fibers, known to be one of the longest and strongest in nature. The works of almost every famous artist plays upon it's canvas with it's oil. The fabric was the clothes of slaves, made popular by Levi Strauss with the rough wearing jeans pants. It was the first plant on earth to be labeled as a billion dollar crop by the Popular Mechanics Magazine back in 1938 and the most profitable and desirable crop that can be grown by the Mechanical Engineering Magazine also in 1938. They were not talking about gains from illicit use which is minute in comparison. They were talking about the more than 5,000 textile products from the outer fiberous bark and more than 25,000 other products that can be generated from the high cellulose content of the woody stalk or hurd, ranging from dynamite and diesel fuel to cellophane. We have not even mentioned the food and medicinal properties which we will leave for another time. it can provide us with all the basic necessities of life. Food including medicine, fuel, clothing and shelter, note a few examples attached:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMon3-yDBy8

http://environment.change.org/blog/view/cannabis_electric_cars_canada_1_us_0?me=nl

These ideas were made know to the community from the early 1990's close to 20 years ago. Before it became popular in the hemp revolution a few years later. We took no heed because we were focused on more "important" things like praising Jah, repatriation from Babylon and burn Babylon. Not realizing the independence the Movement could have generated from just a few of the identified products that would have made the ises much sweeter, repatriation a possibility while still burning Rome with the flowers, making oils from or replanting the seeds. Despite the rosy outlook some of us may have, the Rastafari Movement is in a sad state of affairs.

Bro. Sam Clayton gave a captivating account of the second journey of the brethren through Africa on their way to meet the king in Ethiopia. Bro. Sam is a good storyteller and he knows how to control his audience. There are however a few points that need more clarification in the interest of full disclosure. According to Bro. Sam the Abba advised the brethren that they should ask for land in the place where HIM was born because the land was larger and more bountiful with rivers and olive trees instead of Shashamane where the land was small and less bountiful. Whatever became of that advise. Was the request ever made? I am sure that HIM would readily give the land to the Movement as Sam noted the King said that land was not the problem.
Why then are we so stuck on Shashamane, though still of symbolic importance, I would think that the Mount of Olives where the King was born would be more of a symbolic, not to mention economic importance.

After the brethren came back from their journey, was there any effort to mobilize a team to follow up on the offer made by the King? To continue dialogue with the office of the King on making the necessary preparations and plans to implement the repatriation move? This was a golden opportunity to at least get the repatriation move started with Ethiopia. This is not a one week pack up and move kind of event. As the King was reported to have said that infrastructure would have to be built which will be years in the making. We should have offered to help with the infrastructure planning, that would be the first step in the dialogue. I can only summarize that non of the above was done because we are still suffering here in the pit. Is it possible that pro. Augier was correct when he reported that the King requested the right people to come. If the right people were going during and after the first two missions I believe some if not all of the above would have happened. Other institutions took up the offer made by HIM and made a success of it like the Seventh Day Adventist Organization, why can't we.

What can we learn from that exercise at UWI? One thing I have learnt is that the university will continue to hold these conferences on Rasta and will strive to be the intellectual voice and information source of Rasta. I don't think that is a good thing for the Movement. Just like the religious theme, the intellectual theme leaves too many gaps open for the unsavory types to come waltzing in.
We need to begin paying more attention to HIM rather than ourselves. Look at how he governed his people, He decreased his power while coming to power by offering a constitutional monarchy to his people. He gave them laws to govern themselves. We need to develop laws to govern ourselves that would solve a lot of the division and confusion among us. We don't need a conference for that. We need to appoint a committee to do this work. There are many lawyers and lay persons among us who are talented enough to do the work. The results can then be debated in each house and then ratified at the conference table. Each house or mansion can then develop their own constitution and by laws which must not be in conflict with the main Rasta constitution or be deemed unconstitutional. Over time the document will be revised and amended to suit the current conditions. Just like HIM did with the Ethiopian Constitution. This Rasta constitution and by laws should be able to regulate the Movement and ensure that it functions properly. It will guarantee the integrity of the creed. We don't need to add anything to the creed much less to bury our dead with honor. The constitution will ensure that or else it would be a worthless piece of paper.

The State of the Rastafari Movement is in a precarious position. We have to make it right for us to be truly the inspiration to Africa and by extension the world that we were meant to be. I know that Rasta has the key, the right idea but our demonstration of it so far is still at the very primal level. Like a drunken man trying to fit the key into the lock unsuccessfully. Most of us do not realize what level we are at, what time it is. Yes we are attractive to the world because deep within the subconsciousness of humanity the truth is recognized. The time is now for us to become more aware of our responsibilities to ourselves and to the wider communities around us. We cannot use repatriation as an escapist argument because our responsibility is the same to our neighbors wether we live in the east or the west. Now is the time to work hard at studying, maintaining and continuing the legacy of our divine Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I.