Three Barbadians receive first government-funded reparatory justice scholarships
Barbadian Akil Ifill, one of the three recipients of Government-funded scholarships for postgraduate studies in Reparatory Justice. He is currently pursuing the MSc/MA Reparatory Justice Double-Degree Programme at UWI, Cave Hill Campus. (OPAH/PMO)
Key Points(5)
- Three Barbadians have become the first recipients of government-funded scholarships to pursue postgraduate studies in reparatory justice, as the country invests in developing expertise to advance its reparations agenda.
- Akil Ifill, Peter Cole and Lee-Anne York are enrolled in the MSc/MA Reparatory Justice double-degree programme, a joint offering of The University of the West Indies (UWI) and the University of Glasgow in Scotland.
- Ifill is studying at UWI's Cave Hill Campus in Barbados, while Cole and York are pursuing their studies at the University of Glasgow.
- Minister in the Prime Minister's Office with responsibility for Pan-African Affairs and Heritage, Trevor Prescod, congratulated the recipients, describing the scholarships as an investment in building local expertise to support Barbados' reparations work.
- The programme, launched in 2023, is directed by the Glasgow-Caribbean Centre for Development Research (GCCDR), a collaboration involving the Beniba Centre for Slavery Studies at the University of Glasgow and UWI's Centre for Reparations Research at its Mona campus in Jamaica.
Three Barbadians have become the first recipients of government-funded scholarships to pursue postgraduate studies in reparatory justice, as the country invests in developing expertise to advance its reparations agenda.
Akil Ifill, Peter Cole and Lee-Anne York are enrolled in the MSc/MA Reparatory Justice double-degree programme, a joint offering of The University of the West Indies (UWI) and the University of Glasgow in Scotland.
Ifill is studying at UWI's Cave Hill Campus in Barbados, while Cole and York are pursuing their studies at the University of Glasgow.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Office with responsibility for Pan-African Affairs and Heritage, Trevor Prescod, congratulated the recipients, describing the scholarships as an investment in building local expertise to support Barbados' reparations work.
“This initiative marks another step in Barbados' efforts to ensure that the country's reparations agenda is supported by practitioners whose work can contribute to a deeper understanding of reparatory justice and will aid in strengthening the pool of knowledge and research available to the country,” Prescod said.
The programme, launched in 2023, is directed by the Glasgow-Caribbean Centre for Development Research (GCCDR), a collaboration involving the Beniba Centre for Slavery Studies at the University of Glasgow and UWI's Centre for Reparations Research at its Mona campus in Jamaica.
Professor Simon Anderson, co-director of the GCCDR at UWI, welcomed the first Barbadian government scholars to the programme, saying the awards recognise the role of academic research in advancing reparatory justice.
The partnership will equip the scholars with research skills and perspectives to contribute to reparations efforts in Barbados and elsewhere in the Caribbean, he said.
The MSc/MA programme combines theoretical study with practical research training, preparing students to conduct research using archival materials, interviews and legal frameworks.
Its core subjects include slavery, conflict and human rights, as well as qualitative approaches to the study of political violence. Students complete a substantive research project on reparatory justice as part of the degree.
The programme emerged from a 2019 memorandum of understanding between UWI and the University of Glasgow, which also established the GCCDR.
In 2024, five scholars became the first graduates of the master's programme, marking an early milestone in the development of postgraduate training specifically focused on reparatory justice.
The three Barbadian recipients will join a growing network of researchers, practitioners and activists working to advance reparatory justice in the Caribbean and internationally.
