A Week with Sir Hilary Beckles and CARICOM: reparations for transatlantic slavery

Between 1 and 3 October 2024, the Institute of Commonwealth Studies (ICwS) was honoured to host Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West Indies, Chairman of the CARICOM Reparations Commission and Commonwealth Fellow at the ICwS between 1986-1987.

On 1 October, a lunch was held at Senate House in Sir Hilary’s honor attended by representatives of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and friends of the Institute with a Caribbean focus, including:

1. Sir Hilary Beckles
2. Prof Kingsley Abbott, Institute of Commonwealth Studies (host)
3. His Excellency Mr Milton Inniss, High Commissioner for Barbados 
4. Her Excellency Ms Racher Croney, High Commissioner for Grenada
5. His Excellency Mr Vishnu Dhanpaul, Trinidad and Tobago
6. Her Excellency Ms Therese Rath, High Commissioner for Belize 
7. His Excellency Mr Alexander Williams, High Commissioner for Jamaica 
8. His Excellency Mr Cenio E. Lewis, High Commissioner for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 
9. His Excellency Mr Paul Gomez, High Commissioner for the Commonwealth of The Bahamas 
10. Her Excellency Dr Karen-Mae Hill OBE, High Commissioner for Antigua and Barbuda 
11. His Excellency Kevin Isaac, High Commissioner of St. Kitts and the Nevis
12. His Excellency Mr Anthony Severin St. Denis, High Commissioner for Saint Lucia 
13. Acting High Commissioner Ms Janet Charles, High Commissioner for the Commonwealth of Dominica
14. Rose-Anne Evelyn-Bates, Deputy High Commissioner, Saint Lucia
15. Dmitry Robertson, Jamaican High Commission
16. Nakinda Daniel, Dominica High Commission
17. Dr Juanita Cox, Institute of Historical Research
18. Dr Amara Thornton, Institute of Classical Studies
19. Dr Sophie Stevens, Centre for Latin American & Caribbean Studies
20. Dr Catriona Cannon, Senate House Library
21. Dr Oku Ekpenyon, Institute of Commonwealth Studies
22. Dr Colin Riordan, Association of Commonwealth Universities
23. Dr Miriam Kaufmann, Institute of Commonwealth Studies
24. Dr Eve Hayes de Kalaf, Institute of Historical Research
25. Latoya McDowald-Hurley, Commonwealth Secretariat
26. Dr Cherisse Francis, St Mary’s University
27. Grace Jutan, Chief of Staff, Office of the Vice Chancellor, the University of the West Indies

Sir Hilary briefed the room on the current situation with respect to seeking reparations for transatlantic slavery.  The day concluded with a tour of the Senate House library where a special exhibition was held highlighting documents of interest from its Caribbean collections.

On 2 October, Sir Hilary delivered the annual Memorial 2007 Lecture to a packed Chancellor’s Hall on the following topic:

The Global Reparations movement is arguably the most eruptive and influential political force sweeping the world. It is integrating the post-colonial global south into a transformative development discourse in relation to the legacies of colonisation in general and specifically the transatlantic enslavement of Africans for five centuries, undoubtedly the greatest Crime against Humanity in modernity. It is a global call for justice, equality, freedom and inclusive participation for all.

On 3 October, the ICwS facilitated a meeting between members of the CARICOM Caucus and Sir Hilary at Senate House to discuss the CARICOM Ten Point Plan for Reparatory Justice.