On March 22, 2022 the United Kingdom’s Daily Mail published articles that purported that I shunned the Duchess of Cambridge. The global media frenzy which followed was deeply concerning, as at no time during our pleasant exchanges would I have needed to shun and or ignore the Duchess. That form of behaviour is not consistent with my personality or value system.

The world is interconnected, and what may seem like fun and games to one party can cause significant damage to people’s lives and reputations, especially when we position them as the protagonist to further manipulative agendas and readership.

There are too many global problems that have been caused by misinterpretation and an inability to understand the truth. And the truth, in this case, is that we had amicable interactions, and there was no negativity between us whatsoever.

We only solve problems when we dare to speak out. And this week I spoke to the British people. Here is what I said:

“In Jamaica, we often use the word ‘respect’ when we greet or part ways with other people, no matter who they are or where they come from. We say this word because we mean it. We respect you as a person because we are all made in God’s image, and we seek to show appreciation for your value. The word respect does not mean that we always agree with that person; it is simply an acknowledgement of their humanity and their value.

“Much ado has been made of my supposed snub of Duchess Catherine because of a two-second manipulated video clip taken out of context. I have nothing but respect for the Duchess as a person, and I treated her with that respect and cordiality, as evidenced by many, many other photos and videos of our interaction. What is more, I do not have any quarrel with the Duchess herself, the people of the United Kingdom, or the Government.

“However, what’s at stake here is bigger than the personalities, bigger than Lisa Hanna and Prime Minister Andrew Holness, bigger than the Leader of the Opposition Mark Golding, and bigger than Duchess Catherine and Prince William. This is about justice for you, the people of Jamaica, and the wider Caribbean.

“The more significant issue at play is the current global reality that our institutions have created over the centuries. We all know the history of wars of conquest, slavery, subjugation, and colonisation. We all know about the extraction of resources and the exploitation of lands and labour. Sadly, too many of us do not know that it was the slave masters, not the slaves or their descendants, who received reparation after slavery ended and the plantations collapsed. We know many of these things, and we all know deep in our hearts that these things were, are, and always will be wrong.

“All of us in the Caribbean Community (Caricom) are united across our myriad national, political, ethnic, and regional differences in the belief that the issue of reparation must be taken seriously. We have studied the topic extensively, held conferences, developed a clear policy framework on the way forward on implementing a reparation policy in the 21st-century reality. What we now need is for the West, especially the United Kingdom, to seriously engage with us on this matter. And, it’s not just lip service that we require. Flowery words and artful symbols not only do not placate us, but words without action will also offend us. Therefore, we need leaders in civil society, leaders in politics, and in the monarchy to acknowledge the consequences of historical exploitation and begin to take concrete steps to rectify them.

“The work has already been done. The Caricom Reparations Commission has outlined a clear 10-point action plan with tangible goals for creating justice. The leaders of this commission and the region are ready to, in good faith, engage on this plan and implement a framework for moving forward. I sat on this commission in 2014, and I am proud of the work that was done.

“But that work was done by Caricom alone, and the reality is that it takes good faith on all sides if we genuinely want to achieve the justice we all know deep down is needed. Therefore, we cannot continue to do it alone anymore. Furthermore, this process is not merely something we must pass off on our Diaspora to lead on. It will take bold leadership in the United Kingdom and, indeed, across the Western world to have the bravery, humanity, and political courage to stand up and agitate for the issue of reparative justice for our people.

“I was delighted when Barbados became a republic, and I am heartened that Jamaica is taking steps to become truly independent by removing the Queen of England as our head of State, towards republic status. However, this is just a step, and we must not rest on our laurels. Our friends in the United Kingdom should be under no illusion that the journey to justice is now complete because these moves have been made. Far from it.

“If we are honest with ourselves, we know that becoming a republic does very little for the mother in Trelawny who is struggling to put food on the table, neither does it help the taxi driver in Kingston who is struggling with high gas prices. However, the evils of slavery cannot be forgotten, nor can the wealth gained from it by a few, including the wealth acquired by the institution of the monarchy, which cannot be overlooked.

“Indeed, Prince William and Duchess Catherine have a unique opportunity to define their issues and advocacy. I hope that their visit to the Caribbean will stir their emotions and thoughts and that, as they ascend, they will refine the monarchy’s perspective with enthusiasm towards building a fairer and more just global society.

“Condemning slavery with no action, as both Prince Charles and Prince William did, however, is not particularly bold, nor does it show courage. I would hope that this rhetoric is a start and not an end to their journey on the issue of reparation and justice.

“When we in Jamaica say ‘respect’ we mean it. We respect you. We respect Prince William and Duchess Catherine. We respect the British people; we respect your leaders. So when you visit Jamaica, we are polite to you and cordial to you. We give you the time of your life on holiday. We will laugh with you, and we will cry with you.

“It’s time for reciprocity by taking our advocacy seriously so that together we can right the historical wrongs and reset the political, economic, and social system for future generations.”

Lisa Hanna is Member of Parliament for St Ann South Eastern, People’s National Party spokesperson on foreign affairs and foreign trade, and a former Cabinet member.