Contributed
Professor Warner Zips (second left), president of the Society for Caribbean Research (located in Vienna, Austria) presents a donation of books on Maroon history and heritage, provided by Ian Randle Publishers, to Colonel Sydney Peddie (second right) of the Accompong Town Maroons, for their library. Seated at left is Professor Verene Shepherd, chairperson of the Jamaica National Bicentenary Committee. Colonel Noel Prehay of the Scott's Hall Maroons is at extreme right.

Paul H. Williams, Sunday Gleaner Writer

In collaboration with the Jamaica National Bicentenary Committee and the Institute of Jamaica, and in this, the bicentenary of the abolition of the British transatlantic trade in Africans, it was only fitting that the 10th conference of the Society for Caribbean Research (SOCARE) convened under the theme, 'Discourses of Resistance: Identity, Freedom and Reconciliation'.

From December 5-7, historians, educators and students met at Half Moon Hotel and Spa, in Montego Bay, St. James, to present papers and discuss theme-related topics. Over the three days, there were nine panel discussions, and three plenary lectures by Professor Veronica Gregg of Hunter College, New York, who spoke about 'Morality, Decency and the Slave Trade'.

Professor Werner Zips, of the University of Vienna, Austria, and president of SOCARE (located in Vienna, Austria) gave a discourse on 'African Law(s) in the Caribbean: The Jamaican/Maroon case of Legal Pluralism'.

The other plenary lecturer was Dr. Sultana Afroz of the University of the West Indies, Mona campus, who delivered a controversial lecture exposing 'The Muslim Maroon and the Bucra Massa in Jamaica'.

Purpose of the conference

According to Professor Verene Shepherd, chairperson of the National Bicentenary Committee, the purpose of the conference was "to bring together international and local scholars to discuss issues relating to slavery, resistance (especially Maroon resistance), abolition and the bicentennial of the passing of the British Slave Trade Abolition Act". In her own presentation, on day two, she talked about 'The Bicentenary Observance in Jamaica: Conflict or Consensus?'

But, there was no conflict, only consensus, when conference attendees shifted gear and left the hotel confines to go to Accompong Town, St. Elizabeth, the symbol of slavery resistance, on day four.

Colonel Peddie, Accompong Town Maroon chief, welcomed the guests, and after brief greetings, introductions and acknowledgements, several presentations of books and CDs were made to the leaders of the Maroon communities in Jamaica. Then, the guests were off to a tour of the Maroon community, and a hearty lunch of traditional Jamaican food. The conference recommenced in the community centre, with three panel discussions on 'Maroons and Marronage'.

Presenters

Among the presenters were Miranda Kaufmann, of Christ Church College, Oxford University; Ulrich Fleischmann, of the University of Berlin, Germany; and, Michelle Thompson, of New York University, who spoke on 'The Creation and Maintenance of the Accompong Maroon'. It was an apt way to end the conference, as shortly after, the visitors were entertained by pulsating Maroon drumming and exciting dancing.

This visit was in addition to those made to the Freedom monument in Sam Sharpe Square, Montego Bay, where floral tributes were made to the freedom fighters of the 1831 Emancipation war led by Sam Sharpe; and to Kensington, St. James, where the war first started.

In retrospect, Professor Shepherd said: "The most important conclusions were that the story of the abolition of the British transatlantic trade in Africans had ignored the activist role of Africans themselves; that abolition was not solely the result of British benevolence."

She added: "Another important resolution, coming from the Maroons themselves, was that scholars need to modify their analysis of the Maroons as traitors. Several papers on marronage seemed to also point in this direction. The final resolution was that the details of the trade in Africans and slavery exposed in the many papers on those subjects should provide additional and strong evidence to support the call for reparation."