The political economy of global reparations

The event brings together scholars and experts from diverse fields and regions to explore the political economy of global reparations and their impact on development.

About the roundtable

Claims for reparations – demands for acknowledgement and redress regarding past or ongoing alleged injustices or inequalities – have made a revival in recent years, not only with respect to legacies of slavery and colonialism, but also to interrelated issues such as climate change or ongoing illicit financial flows from Global South to North. 

During this discussion, the speakers will delve into the historical context and contemporary challenges surrounding reparations. From addressing historical injustices to broader contemporary issues, they will analyze the transformative potential of reparations within the global economic system.

Taking a political economy approach, the focus will be on the feasibility, costs, financing and possible (adverse) political and economic consequences of global reparations for the Global South. 

The objective is to reflect further on each of these aspects in light of: 

1. The problematic characteristics of the current global economic and financial system within which reparations would be inserted, and 
2. The domestic power inequalities that often work to the detriment of the groups that are supposed to be the beneficiaries of reparations.

Speakers

• Professor Gurminder Bhambra, University of Sussex, UK
• Professor Horace Campbell, Syracuse University, New York, USA
• Dr Lebohang Liepollo Pheko, Senior Research Fellow at Trade Collective
• Emeritus Professor Hilbourne Watson, Bucknell University, USA

The roundtable will be moderated by Dr Peter James Hudson.

The event will be followed by a reception in the Atrium.