UWI describes headline to reparation story as ‘inaccurate”

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – The Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, has described as “inaccurate” the headline of a story indicating an agreement had been reached with the University of Glasgow to pay £200 million (One British Pound=US$1.27 cents) in reparation payments to the regional tertiary institution.

In a brief statement, Sir Hilary said that the headline of the story originally published in the Jamaica Gleaner newspaper last weekend and subsequently carried by other regional media outlets “addressing the vice-chancellor of the University of Glasgow’s admission that £200 million in fees, endowments and grants were received from Caribbean slave owners, and attributing reference to an “agreement” with the vice-chancellor of The UWI to repay the said sum, was inaccurate.”

No agreement yet

The statement said that the “universities are working through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) built upon the principle of “reparatory justice”, but there is no “agreement” about the repayment of £200 million to the UWI.

Having excellent conversations

“In good faith, the two universities, ever since the vice-chancellor of the University of Glasgow, Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli, indicated that his university seeks to be excellent and ethical, have had excellent conversations about how the University of Glasgow can contribute to cleaning up the colonial legacies of slavery that are holding back the region”.

The statement said that a working team has been established, which has made many reparatory justice submissions, “but is yet to complete its deliberations.”