Barbuda islanders say that government plans to overturn a centuries-old system of communal land ownership will destroy their unique way of life and erase their cultural identity.
Under the existing system, Barbudans govern all land communally with no private ownership.
Residents can identify parcels for residential, commercial or agricultural use which are then approved by the Barbuda Council and can be passed on to their heirs. Public meetings have traditionally been held to gauge consensus on various issues.
Many fear the changes will open the floodgates to wealthy foreign investors and transform the pristine isle into a tourism hotspot.
"As soon as the land is sold, it is lost to us," says secondary school principal John Mussington. "Our traditional lifestyles of farming and hunting, which require large amounts of land and have been our economy for hundreds of years, will be completely disenfranchised. Our resources will be removed with one stroke of a pen."
British QC Leslie Thomas, argues that the government has contravened laws which state that communal ownership can be repealed only with the consent of the majority of the Barbudan people.
"You can't seek consent without consultation," Mr Thomas tells the BBC, adding that campaigners were prepared to fight all the way to London's Privy Council, the country's final court of appeal.
The draft bill would limit freehold titles to 10,000 sq ft (0.23 acre) per person with sale prices to be determined by government. Mr Mussington says that even if every Barbudan bought the 10,000 sq ft allotted to each resident, that would only amount to less than one square mile in total out of the island's 62-square-mile territory. He fears what the government will do with the remaining 61 square miles of land which under the new law it will be free to dispose of as it sees fit.
Local resident Goldie Harris says, "We were never notified, we never received a copy of the changes to the land act; they just rammed it down our throats," he alleges. "This island is paradise for us but the government sees it as a money-maker for high rollers. I agree Barbuda needs development, but on a limited basis. Our children will never be able to afford land here," he adds.
Thomas Thomas, another resident, fears the close-knit community, where neighbours are considered family and doors are left unlocked, will change.
"I want my grandkids to have the same privileges we had, to acquire land freely and do what they want to do," says farmer Shiraz Hopkins. "If my son wants another piece of land it will be priced way too high for him," he says about the plans.
Kelly Burton says. "And on top of everything, this bill seeks to erase our heritage."
"Public meetings have traditionally been held to gauge consensus on various issues."
ReplyDeleteIn the strictest sense "communal" land is "common ownership" and, as noted, it relies on CONSENSUS.
Capitalism is based upon Robert's Rules of Order; that is, by majority vote -- practiced by the World Socialist Movement. Prior to the corruption of capitalism and class society communal land ownership was practiced by consensus.
What is described in this article is state law usurping consensus, or the hierarchy of patriarchy. This is presently illustrated in Canada, for instance, with the land of the reservations (more or less) held by the tribe. [One of the effects of this is that members cannot get mortgages; hence practice private ownership.) As far as I know the breach has begun with one tribe in British Columbia (with their land never ceded by treaty to the state) have VOTED for private ownership.
In comparison to socialism as enunciated by the WSM, anarchism relies on consensus (in theory at least)and eliminates hierarchy. I will leave it at that for now.