Caribbean Encounter

Introduction to the theme, Caribbean Encounter

Evie Vernon, conference organiser, introduced us to the theme through a participatory story:

‘A long, long, long time ago, everyone lived as one family in East Africa. Then, bit by bit, groups of people moved away. Some went to West Africa; some to the south, some to Asia and others to Europe. They forgot they were all part of one family. There are different theories about how people came to America; I don’t know because I wasn’t there! But I do know that people settled in different parts of America but forgot they were all one family.

Christopher Columbus came in three ships. The Europeans turned the land over to the production of sugar and tobacco, and forced local people to work. They got people from Africa, and some from Ireland to work on the land. Millions of people were kidnapped from Africa and forced to work on the land.

All because people forgot they were all one family!

Some slaves fought for freedom, and eventually, in 1834, the slave trade was abolished. In time, independence came to the people of countries of the Caribbean.

Over the years, people were brought from as far afield as Mauritius, India and China to work on the plantations. Indigenous and incoming people shared their knowledge of spices and religion.

We need to remember that God is Father and Mother of us all and WE ARE ALL ONE FAMILY!’

We sang

Onyame Kokroko, Onyame krakraka, Abode nyanaa koto woo

God is great, God is mighty, All creation bows before you.

Then

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord, and they’ll know we are Christians by our love.

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