International Reparation Debate Competition 2026 advances to knockout stage

The International Reparation Debate Competition (IRDC) 2026, hosted by the Centre for Reparation Research at The University of the West Indies, has concluded its preliminary rounds after several days of engaging and intellectually rigorous debate among students from secondary schools in the Caribbean and UK.

The UWI said in a release that students from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, The Bahamas, Guyana, and the United Kingdom debated motions addressing major issues within the global reparation movement, including economic justice, historical accountability, political strategy, and the cultural dimensions of repair.

The competition now advances to the knockout stage, beginning on March 16, 2026, where the remaining schools will continue to debate complex questions surrounding justice, repair, and the legacies of colonialism.

Several schools delivered standout performances during the opening rounds. Arima North Secondary School (Trinidad and Tobago), defeated Charlemont High School (Jamaica) on the motion rejecting debt cancellation as an acceptable form of reparation. Merl Grove High School (Jamaica) defeated Queen’s College (Guyana) in a closely contested debate examining whether the

Caribbean can achieve economic advancement without reparation.

In other Round One debates, Goodwood Secondary School (Trinidad and Tobago) defeated C.V.

Bethel Senior High School (Bahamas) on a motion calling for stronger political and economic alliances among post-colonial states, while San Fernando Central Secondary School (Trinidad and Tobago) secured victory over Knox College (Jamaica) in a debate on infrastructural development as a form of reparation.

Additional victories were recorded by Presentation College Chaguanas (Trinidad and Tobago),

Fatima College (Trinidad and Tobago), Herbert Morrison Technical High School (Jamaica), and defending champions St Joseph’s Convent, Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago). These schools advanced following strong performances on motions addressing the possibility of realising reparation, racial versus geographic distribution of compensation, the drivers of Caribbean emancipation, and the role of official apologies.

Round Two continued with equally competitive exchanges. Queen’s Royal College (Trinidad and Tobago) narrowly defeated Wolmer’s Boys’ School (Jamaica) in a debate examining whether quiet diplomacy is more effective than confrontational lobbying in advancing the reparation agenda.

Queen’s College (Guyana) advanced after defeating St Joseph’s Convent (Trinidad and Tobago) on the question of whether Caribbean societies should prioritise internal reform over pursuing reparation.

Jamaica’s Merl Grove High School continued its strong showing by defeating Herbert Morrison

Technical High School in a debate examining the role of social media activism in the reparation movement. Rawlins Academy (United Kingdom) defeated Presentation College Chaguanas

(Trinidad and Tobago) in a debate arguing that reparation is fundamentally about restoring dignity rather than delivering economic benefits.

Other successful teams included The Bahamas’ C.V. Bethel Senior High School and Grand Bahama

Academy; Jamaica’s Clarendon College, Convent of Mercy Academy “Alpha”, Montego Bay High

School for Girls, York Castle High School, and Manchester High School; and Trinidad and Tobago’s

Hillview College and Fatima College, whose speaker Kennedy Valley achieved the highest individual score in the preliminary rounds.

The International Reparation Debate Competition provides a regional platform, especially for

Caribbean youth, to engage critically with the history and future of reparatory justice while developing research, advocacy, and public speaking skills. With the return of UK schools such as Rawlins Academy, the competition’s international relevance continues to grow with each staging, The UWI said.

All matches are streamed live on the Centre’s YouTube page.