The University of the West Indies’ Centre for Reparation Research (CRR), alongside regional collaborators, has unveiled plans for the second International Reparation Debate Competition scheduled for 2026. Following the resounding success of its inaugural edition in early 2025, this intellectual contest will initiate virtual qualifying rounds in January before culminating in a live championship event in Kingston, Jamaica come March.
Designed specifically to empower Caribbean youth and diaspora communities, the competition creates an educational platform for rigorous examination of reparatory justice themes. Participating teams—each comprising five students guided by two educators—will engage with complex topics derived from the CARICOM 10-Point Reparatory Justice Framework. Key discussion points will include moral imperatives for restitution, economic dimensions of historical wrongs, and ongoing responsibilities of former colonial powers in rectifying systemic disparities.
The precedent-setting 2025 tournament featured academic institutions from five Caribbean nations and the United Kingdom, ultimately crowning St. Joseph’s Convent Port of Spain from Trinidad and Tobago as champions. Their triumph was particularly noted for articulate argumentation and scholarly activism that impressed both judicial panels and dignitaries. Beyond competitive debates, the initial program incorporated educational workshops and expert-led discussions to deepen participants’ understanding of global reparations movements, while strategic social media engagement expanded public involvement.
Professor Sonjah Stanley Niaah, CRR’s Director, emphasized the initiative’s continued significance: ‘Merging academic rigor with digital innovation allows the CRR and its partners to maintain vibrant, accessible dialogues around reparations.’ The 2026 iteration will enhance its reach through influencer collaborations, live-streamed debates, and broadened partnerships targeting audiences across the Caribbean, Americas, Africa, and Europe.
Established in 2017, the CRR operates as a pivotal institution advancing reparatory justice through multidisciplinary research, policy advocacy, and international cooperation. It actively supports the CARICOM Reparations Commission’s objectives while contributing to worldwide movements addressing historical crimes including indigenous genocide, African enslavement, and colonial exploitation.
The University of the West Indies, housing the CRR, celebrates over 75 years as a cornerstone of Caribbean intellectual development. Since its 1948 founding in Jamaica with merely 33 medical students, the institution has evolved into a globally recognized academic force serving nearly 50,000 learners across five campuses—Mona (Jamaica), St. Augustine (Trinidad and Tobago), Cave Hill (Barbados), Five Islands (Antigua and Barbuda), and its Global Campus. Offering more than 1,000 accredited programs, The UWI consistently earns top positions in international university rankings by Times Higher Education.
Educational institutions across the Caribbean and United Kingdom are presently invited to register for the 2026 competition through the official portal: www.uwi.edu/crr.