36 schools competing in the UWI Centre for Reparation Research Reparation Debates
THE CENTRE FOR Reparation Research (CRR) at The University of the West Indies is now into the second week of its International Reparation Debate Competition for secondary schools.
The kick-off event was held virtually on January 20, signalling the launch of the 2026 competition, and welcomed students, teachers, partners, stakeholders and advocates from across the Caribbean and the diaspora, a CCR release states.
The competition which aims to transform how Caribbean students engage with history, justice, and the global reparation movement has grown significantly. This year 36 secondary schools have registered, up from 24 schools in the inaugural year. Participating schools are from Jamaica (15); Trinidad and Tobago (12);The Bahamas (3); the United Kingdom (2); and Guyana (1).
The cohort includes returning schools, new entrants, and defending champions reflecting the growth in regional and international interest. The student debates started on February 9, 2026, and will run for just over nine weeks, culminating with the grand finale scheduled for April, 2026.
The Centre for Reparation Research said it seeks to continue to highlight the power of education grounded in historical fact and critical thinking, equipping a new generation of Caribbean leaders with the relevant skills to engage in one of the most consequential matters of justice for Caribbean people.
Key supporting partners of the International Reparation Debate Competition include: The Repair Campaign, the Jamaican Association for Debating and Empowerment (JADE), UWI Press, the CARICOM Reparation Commission, and the Wilberforce Institute at the University of Hull.
Director of the Centre for Reparation Research, Professor Sonjah Stanley Niaah, who delivered opening remarks at the January 20, launch emphasised the urgency of embedding the reparation discourse within Caribbean education. Various other speakers underscored the importance of equipping young people with the tools to think critically about the past and to engage in the rapidly unfolding present-day movement for repair.
Head of the History Teachers Association (Jamaica), Melissa Beckford, highlighted the role of history education in building informed, confident students who can engage meaningfully with the tools to think critically about the past and to engage in the rapidly unfolding present-day movement for repair.
Dean and Chair of the Bahamas National Reparation Committee, Dr. Niambi Hall Campbell, spoke on the significance of The Bahamas’ participation in the competition and the value of regional collaboration.
Former student debaters Kaysie Marin (Arima North Secondary), Shanna Kay Willis (Clarendon College), and Julianne Solomon (St Joseph Convent, Port of Spain), reflected on how participation in the competition sharpened their critical thinking and sparked a passion for advocating for reparatory justice.
Round One of the competition opened on February 9 and will run through to March 18, 2026.The quarter-finals are carded for March 26, 2026; semi-finals on April 9, 2026; with the finals planned for April 17 or April 22, 2026.
The Centre for Reparation Research (CRR), officially began operations in March 2017, but was launched to the public in October 2017. It was created to promote research and engage in advocacy around the legacies of the transatlantic trafficking in enslaved Africans, African chattel enslavement, post-slavery indentureship (for example Indian indentureship), colonialism and its legacies in the Caribbean; and assist to bring justice and positive transformation to societies affected by these legacies.
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