Deputy Director Deryck Murray (left) gets a good laugh as Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Rev. Joseph Atherley (second left) and Director Ikael Tafari (right) exchange dialogue. At centre is Director of Foreign Affairs – South Africa, Thabo Thage (centre) and South Africa High Commissioner to the CARICOM States, Faith Doreen Rafebe (second right). (SP)

TOMORROW begins the Bicentennial Global Dialogue – the ten-day African Diaspora global conference that encompasses trade talks and cultural presentations.

Under the theme Slavery To Slave Trade: Consultation And Social Justice, one of the the major discussion points will be an Africa-Caribbean air link.

South Africa High Commissioner to the CARICOM States, Faith Doreen Rafebe, said the conference would also speak to peace and stability; regional integration; economic co-operation; historical commonalities; women, youth, and other vulnerable groups, and knowledge sharing.

This conference will be the fourth out of five in preparation "to draw up a programme [of action] for the inter-ministerial meeting of the Caribbean and African Union, which is supposed to take place from November 16 to 18 in South Africa."

The inter-ministerial meeting, she referred to would proceed a Heads of Government Summit to be held in South Africa in 2008.

Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Reverend Joseph Atherley said that the global dialogue would speak to the issue of reparations.

"We will wish to pursue that subject from a developmental perspective. That [would] therefore become part of the backdrop of which this event will take place," he said.

He added that the event would bring "a very eventful climax" to the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade by bringing together people from the Americas, Africa and the Caribbean.

As part of the conference, Khemit Konnections will be hosting the Ashra and Merira Kwesi lectures documenting the historical contributions of African people to world civilization.

After 26 years of research based on extensive expeditions in both Kemet (Egypt) and Ethiopia, Ashra Kwesi continues to astound audiences with information proving the African origins of civilization.

His wife, Merira Kwesi, details the prominent role of African women in freedom struggles throughout the world from ancient to modern times.

On this their third visit to Barbados, the Kwesis will present a never-before-seen documented account of their travels in Ethiopia.

They will lecture on Ethiopian culture from the Kushites to the Black Lions. The Kwesi Team will also present a lecture on African spirituality and biblically based religions using a slide show presentation of first-hand accounts from the temple walls and tombs of the Nile Valley.

Between 300 to 400 people are expected to attend the ten-day event, which will include an African Diaspora global conference, a cultural expo, a Youth Millennium Breakfast, Reparations Caucus Breakfast, the Bridgetown Dialogues, a cultural show and Investors' Cafe.

In addition, the entire Aquatic Gap will be transformed into a Bicentennial Village during the event so that the public would be able to participate.

Tomorrow there will be a media launch followed by the official opening of Investors' Cafe at the Hilton Barbados.

On Friday business persons will have a session before a cultural workshop. (TM/PR)