As the new secretary-general as the federal leader, in some circles, the organization is regarded as a relic of past eras. To make any serious statement about this, put a person in a social attack, but his face tilted in the fruit of modernity.

Despite this, there is still a rebuttal. If the Commonwealth is indeed an outdated one, countries would not line up to join. The shared links of language, laws and regulations and education systems make trade between member states cheaper. If there was no English-speaking Democratic Association, then there would be a certain person to be created.

Ultimately, however, today’s Commonwealth strives to defend a wider audience.

In order to make yourself relevant, the Commonwealth must face rather than ducks, not ducks, which is a crucial issue to be addressed. Forty years ago, the group faced problems with its ties to segregated South Africa. Today, it must address the biggest reparation issue of forced immigration in human history: the transatlantic slave trade.

Last year, at the federal summit of the Biennale in Samoa, the final communiqué addressed the reparation issue and stated: “It is time to have a meaningful, authentic and respectful dialogue to exercise a shared future based on equity.”

It is no secret that support for the Commonwealth has traditionally (albeit not entirely) come from those who live on the right. In response to the communiqué, some former voices of support in the media have given the trumpet for British exports – an echo of a sad response from a generation ago, when some called for continued pre-Pertoria with the fact that all the facts of segregation were kept unforgivable.

No need to do this. A dialogue of open compensation will not only update the relevance of the organization; if careful, it can revitalize the Commonwealth itself, offering common purposes and new common projects, gathering around them.

Nevertheless, for many, the idea of ​​compensation is still difficult to understand. Crime is enormous, spanning centuries, and is geographically pervasive. Who should pay? to whom? Individual, community, government? However, there is no technical barrier to prove that one of the greatest crimes of humanity is ignored.

The material damage suffered today has kidnapped tens of millions of Africans (when the mainland population was hovering around 100 million). Meanwhile, Britain and other European countries have accumulated wealth and power from trade. This past continues to shape our present.

But perhaps the historical dimension will cause many people to retreat: Why should we pay the price for the crimes of our predecessors, and generations have to pay for generations? To alleviate resistance, we must give up on zero-sum thinking.

Funding and cooperation can be introduced into new joint ventures between the UK and other Commonwealth countries: Both countries benefit: investments and programs that create common long-term value, designed to transcend political cycles and changing governments. These may be public, private, or both – but unlike other initiatives that already exist.

Infrastructure should be a priority, driving economic development, creating jobs and connecting the entire continent. One of the challenges defined by Africa is its lack of continental trade-the legacy of resource extraction from the colonial era, bringing raw materials into the West rather than cultivating regional exchanges. Free trade agreements between 54 African countries are underway to reduce tariffs across the continent and unlock economic potential, but there is no material connectivity – roads, railways, ports – the transformative impact will be depreciated.

Secondly, debt forgiveness should be discussed. No Western funds are needed, just writing government books. Debt is corroding many African countries, a global financial building that benefits Western interests and punishes developing countries. This is by no means accident: banks, insurance and capital markets are shaped by profits and economic structures established in the era of slavery.

Many African countries today spend more on repaying their debts than education and healthcare combined. Fiscal space not only needs to fund development; this is crucial to building climate resilience on the continent, but one of the worst hits of rising temperatures is essential.

To be sure, the call to leave the Commonwealth will not silence the dialogue on compensation. This is the central theme at the African Union Summit in February, which the Caribbean community has been actively pursuing for more than a decade. Rather than retreating, why not lead – like the Commonwealth did with the collective sanctions of segregated South Africa? No other global institutions that are not subject to the region are promoting serious discussions on viable and feasible restoration of justice between developed and developing countries. Once we go beyond the noise, a compensation framework can be developed that promotes mutual benefit rather than conflict.

Africa has huge opportunities. Its market will be driven by a period of population boom, which booms will be a quarter of the world’s worker residents worldwide by 2050. It is rich in key minerals, which will power the energy transition and define the economy of the future. In order to seize this opportunity fully, the past should be ignored and used to create common value.

The Commonwealth is often seen as a talking shop. But on this issue, conversation is exactly what is needed.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own views and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Al Jazeera.