The Church of England has set up a £100m fund as part of its apology for past involvement in the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. The chu...
The Church of England has set up a £100m fund as part of its
apology for past involvement in the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.
The church made the announcement on Tuesday following
research that showed that the church’s commissioners through the Queen Anne’s
Bounty, a fund established in 1704, invested in the South Sea Company which
traded in chattel slavery.
Chattel slavery is enslaving and owning human beings and
their offspring, forcing them to work without wages.
In its response to the findings, the church commissioners’
board said it would try to address some of the past wrongs through the fund.
Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury and chair of the
church commissioners, said the church would do whatever was necessary even
though resources are “stretched”.
“I am deeply sorry for these links. It is now time to take
action to address our shameful past,” Welby said.
“It is hard to do this at a time when resources in many
parishes are so stretched, but by acting rightly we open ourselves to the
blessing of God.”
The church said the fund would be delivered over the next
nine years and would be dedicated to programmes on investment, research and
engagement.
“The church commissioners will also continue to use its
voice as a responsible investor to address and combat modern slavery and human
rights violations, and to seek to address injustice and inequalities,” the
statement reads.
The church added that a new oversight group would be formed
with “significant membership from communities impacted by historic slavery”.
“This group will work with the church commissioners on
shaping and delivering the response, listening widely to ensure this work is
done sensitively and with accountability,” the statement added.
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