UWI Vice-Chancellor: Support reparatory justice movement

Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Prof Sir Hilary Beckles believes the Caribbean is determined to be “the freest zone of humanity in the world.”

He was speaking at the UN Security Council’s open debate on Tuesday, on the theme Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace.

The meeting was chaired by Dr Ralph Gonsalves – Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines who is also president of the council for November 2020.

Beckles discussed reparatory justice as a development paradigm for Caribbean nations, among others.

He said, “(The Caribbean) celebrates the global industry of tourism which is effectively the invitation industry of humanity and its generosity.

“From this space of respected tolerance comes the greatest movement of the 21st century—the reparatory justice movement against the legacies of slavery, violent colonisation and institutional racism.”

He said Caricom has “embraced the economic development paradigm framed around reparatory justice,” which calls for a finance plan.

“Such a plan was proposed by Sir Arthur Lewis for the West Indies Federation and was rejected by the British government, though a similar proposal from the Asian colonies was accepted and became known as the Colombo Plan which laid the basis of economic development in post-colonial Asia.”

He said he believes injustice can, at times, lead to instability and violence. And, “The Caribbean, Africa and its diaspora are calling for the reconciliation of peace within the context of reparatory justice.”

He called on the council to acknowledge and support the reparatory justice framework and movement.