Key insights from the CPG on International Development
Context
Scotland’s International Development Alliance (SIDA) have recently published a report: From talk to transformation: How Governments can shift the power towards global justice. The report recommends reparative and restorative justice to acknowledge historic and ongoing injustices, noting that UK cities like Edinburgh and Glasgow have made public apologies. However, the Scottish Parliament has not yet taken this step.
The Cross Party Group meeting on 17 September heard from three reparations experts: Esther Xosei, Sandra Kwikiriza and Councillor Graham Campbell.
Insights
Esther Xosei: Pan-African reparations and power imbalance
Esther Xosei, a reparations legal expert, highlighted:
- Need for power rebalancing: We should address ongoing wealth extraction from Africa and the Global South.
- Colonial legacies: Reparations limited to financial compensation reinforce colonial structures.
- Broader reparative justice: We must understand the link between Europe’s wealth and Global South impoverishment.
- Co-option of movements: There are concerns about reparations being dominated by elites, sidelining affected communities.
- International examples: Germany-Namibia reparations process was cited as an example of “State Capture.”
- UK’s APPG on Afrikan Reparations: Formed in response to grassroots concerns; Esther called for a global truth and reparations commission to ensure inclusive dialogue.
- Scottish opportunity: Ether encouraged the Scottish Parliament to lead in implementing a bottom-up approach to reparations.
Sandra Kwikiriza: Addressing colonial harms and LGBTQ+ communities
Sandra Kwikiriza, a Ugandan queer feminist and human rights defender, stressed:
- Impact of colonialism on LGBTQ+ Rights: Colonial-era laws criminalised same-sex relationships, which persist today as homophobic legacies.
- Cultural restoration: Reparations can empower African LGBTQ+ communities by reconnecting them with indigenous knowledge of diverse gender roles.
- Beyond financial reparations: Sandra advocated for dignity restoration, funding for care services, legal reforms, and welfare structures for LGBTQ+ communities.
- Educational campaigns: Reparations funding could support campaigns to challenge homophobic attitudes rooted in colonialism.
- Intersectionality: Reparations must address racial, economic, and gender injustices.
Graham Campbell: Confronting Scotland’s role in slavery
Councillor Graham Campbell emphasised:
- Scotland’s Colonial involvement: Contrary to popular belief, Scots were disproportionately involved in the transatlantic slave trade.
- Financial reparations debate: While quantifying colonial impact is controversial, Graham argued it is essential for achieving justice.
- Glasgow University study: Graham acknowledged the institution’s ties to slavery, but highlighted concerns over elite institutions benefiting without deeper reparative action.
- Acknowledgment, atonement, reparations: Graham called for a process where apologies come after tangible reparative actions, including returning cultural artifacts and engaging with African and Caribbean communities.
- Scotland’s leadership role: Graham encouraged Scotland to lead UK efforts in reparatory justice.
Conclusion
The speakers highlighted the urgent need for Scotland to take leadership in reparative justice, from acknowledging its colonial history to reforming education and addressing ongoing injustices faced by African and LGBTQ+ communities.
Scotland has the opportunity to set a precedent by adopting a comprehensive, inclusive approach to reparations that addresses both past harms and current inequalities.
A first step could be to explore the recommendation made by Esther Xosei to create a truth and reparations commission to ensure inclusive dialogue. This is echoed in SIDA’s report, with a recommendation that:
The Scottish Government should establish an independent commission to interrogate the impact of Scotland’s colonial legacies, including colonialism’s continued manifestation in current policy making and decisions. This should include an interrogation of the relationship between colonialism and Scotland’s choice of partner countries.
More information: Contact CPG International Development secretariat: louise@intdevalliance.scot