Professor C. Justin Robinson
—
As Antigua and Barbuda prepares to welcome leaders from across the Commonwealth for the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), The University of the West Indies (The UWI) Five Islands Campus will host the first activation of the Global Reparations Caravan, an initiative focused on public engagement and reparatory justice.
The Caravan’s Antigua and Barbuda activation coincides with CHOGM 2026, which will be held under the theme “Accelerating Partnerships and Investment for a Prosperous Commonwealth”. Its arrival comes at a time when calls for reparatory justice are gaining momentum across the Caribbean and internationally. The issue has been championed by regional institutions and leaders, including Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice-Chancellor of The UWI, and Chair of the CARICOM Reparations Commission, whose work has helped elevate awareness of the enduring impacts of transatlantic chattel slavery and colonialism.
“As the Commonwealth gathers in the Caribbean, it is fitting that the call for reparatory justice be heard from a UWI campus,” said Vice-Chancellor Beckles. “Reparations are not charity; they are an investment in justice, development, and our shared future. The Global Reparations Caravan carries this message beyond meeting halls into communities, and The UWI is pleased to provide a home for that dialogue.”
Professor C. Justin Robinson Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of The UWI Five Islands Campus added, “When the Commonwealth meets in Antigua and Barbuda, it meets on ground whose history it shares. The Caravan invites our students and our public to engage that history with evidence, imagination and purpose. That is exactly what a university is for.”
Described as the world’s first travelling global reparations festival, the Caravan aims to unite local and regional initiatives within a broader global movement. Through education, cultural expression and civic engagement, it seeks to advance public understanding of reparatory justice.
From November 2-3, The UWI Five Islands Campus will become a hub for learning, dialogue and community engagement. Students, academics, policymakers, activists and members of the public will have opportunities to explore the continuing relevance of the reparations movement and its implications for contemporary development. The Campus activation reflects the Caravan’s wider goal of connecting research, culture and action in ways that make these conversations more accessible and engaging.
The Antigua and Barbuda programme will culminate in a free Concert for Reparations, celebrating the power of music and culture to foster awareness, dialogue and collective action.
As a partner and host institution, The UWI brings decades of scholarship, advocacy and public education on reparatory justice to the initiative. Through its Centre for Reparation Research and the leadership of Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, the regional university has helped shape evidence-based conversations on historical justice, development and reparatory policy across the Caribbean and beyond.
According to the Director, Centre for Reparation Research at The UWI, Professor Sonjah Stanley Niaah, “The Reparations Caravan will create a wave of awareness for students and ordinary citizens alike. We aim to routinise reparatory justice education and concretise it in the minds of citizens of the Caribbean, and by extension, Global Africa. It adds to the slate of flagship initiatives such as the International Reparation Debate Competition, which the Centre inaugurated in 2025.”
With global attention set to focus on Antigua and Barbuda during CHOGM, The UWI Five Islands Campus is proud to provide a platform for Caribbean perspectives on justice, development and shared prosperity. By hosting the Global Reparations Caravan, the University continues its commitment to advancing meaningful dialogue on issues that shape the future of the region and its people.
Members of the media, students, researchers and community stakeholders interested in learning more about the Global Reparations Caravan or participating in its Antigua and Barbuda activities are encouraged to contact Jasmine Mickens, Director, Global Africa Reparations and Restitution Fund at mickens@trustafrica.org.
[N.B. TrustAfrica: a pan-African philanthropy based in Dakar, Senegal advancing the global reparations movement for Africans and People of African Descent].
END
About The University of the West Indies
The University of the West Indies (The UWI) has played a crucial role in Caribbean development for over 75 years, consistently contributing to the improvement of the well-being of people across the region.
Established in 1948 as a university college of London in Jamaica, with just 33 medical students, UWI has grown into an internationally respected, global university with nearly 50,000 students. Today, it boasts five campuses: Mona in Jamaica, St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago, Cave Hill in Barbados, Five Islands in Antigua and Barbuda, and its Global Campus, along with international centres in partnership with universities across North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe.
The UWI offers over 1000 certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Culture, Creative and Performing Arts, Food and Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities and Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science and Technology, Social Sciences, and Sport. As the leading university in the Caribbean, it is home to the largest pool of intellect and expertise in the region, dedicated to addressing the critical issues facing both the Caribbean and the wider world.
Validated by its inclusion in the Times Higher Education (THE) annual rankings since 2018, The UWI has affirmed its position as one of the top universities globally. It stands out as the only English-speaking institution in the Caribbean featured in four of THE’s prestigious ranking lists. The World University Rankings evaluate over 2,000 research-focused universities worldwide, while the Golden Age University Rankings highlight institutions established between 50 and 80 years ago. The Latin America Rankings focus specifically on universities within Latin America and the Caribbean. Additionally, the Impact Rankings assess universities based on their contributions to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This recognition has also springboarded the establishment of The UWI’s International School for Development Justice (ISDJ), a global online graduate business school aimed at preparing future leaders for sustainable development.
The UWI is an SDG-engaged university consistently recognised among the best in the world. Discover more at www.uwi.edu.
This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: UWI to Host Global Reparations Caravan During CHOGM 2026.