Repair Campaign spearheads European visit to talk reparations; Beckles clears air, independent effort

Leaders and advocates involved in the Caribbean reparations movement are in Europe this week for a series of political engagements aimed at advancing their demands for reparatory justice.

The delegation is organized by The Repair Campaign, which describes itself as “a social movement for reparatory justice in the Caribbean, guided by the CARICOM Reparations Commission.”

A press release from the Campaign shared that the trip, which is being guided by the CARICOM Ten Point Plan for Reparatory Justice, includes an agenda to visit Brussels and London to meet with Members of Eauropen and British Parliament, respectively.

Organizers state that the trip seeks to amplify Caribbean voices on the global stage and foster meaningful dialogue with European officials about reparations for slavery and colonial injustices.

Meanwhile, a recent statement by Sir Hilary Beckles, Chairman of CARICOM Reparations Commission, stresses that it is important to clarify that the individuals visiting Europe are not official members of the CRC, nor do they have formal affiliations with it.

According to the chairman, the CRC has been actively promoting reparations through broad-based campaigns and partnerships with institutions worldwide for over a decade, emphasizing its diplomatic and public responsibility in shaping the regional and global reparations movement.

Beckles previously acknowledged that The Repair Campaign is “designed to diversify, deepen and ultimately to widen the Caribbean Reparatory Justice Movement.”

He added that “the focus on economic development as the object of reparations is consistent with the CARICOM perspective.”

However, reportedly in an effort to clarify the situation, Beckles responded to the recent media reports about the European reparations delegation and the subsequent requests for statements from the CARICOM Reparations Commission.

He emphasized that the visit, organized by The Repair Campaign, is part of a broader advocacy effort and speaking on behalf of the CRC, stressed “Not us!”

The eight-member delegation comprises:

Professor Don Marshall
– University Director of the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES)
– The University of the West Indies

Dr Halimah Deshong
– The University of the West Indies

Professor Jean Marie Théodat
– Director of the Caribbean delegation of the AUF (Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie)
– Member of Haiti’s National Committee for Restitutions and Reparations (attending for the Brussels engagements only)

Uriel Sabajo
– Member of the National Reparations Committee for Suriname

Carla Astaphan
– Chair of the National Reparations Committee for St Kitts & Nevis
– Attending for the London engagements only

Dr Michael Banner
– Author, Dean, and Fellow of Trinity College, University of Cambridge

Fiona Compton
– Artist and Caribbean historian
– Founder of ‘Know Your Caribbean’ (popular online platform for Caribbean history and culture)

Denis O’Brien
– Founder of The Repair Campaign
– Irish businessman with extensive experience in the Caribbean
– Founder of Digicel (established in 2001, employing 5,000 people across 25 countries)
– Set up three Foundations in Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, and Haiti focusing on education