Could a meaningful conversation on reparations support greater climate justice?

About this episode

The episode explores the intersection of reparations and climate justice, particularly for Small Island Developing States, featuring insights from activists and experts.

Intellectuals and activists have long demanded reparations for the horrors of slavery and other colonial abuses. For Small Island Developing States, these demands appear particularly urgent as intensifying climate-related shocks compound existing injustices. In this episode, Emily and Matt ask whether questions of repair and recompense can no longer be avoided by powerful actors. If so, what could such a dialogue look like, how might it shape political and policy agendas, and can it be harnessed to support greater climate justice?   We hear from Gabrielle Hemmings, a Jamaican reparations activist in “Island Voices”. We then move on to an extended panel discussion in “The Big Picture” with three eminent experts: Verene Shepherd, Professor Emerita at the University of the West Indies and erstwhile Director of its Centre for Reparation Research, outgoing Chair (and current Vice Chair) of the UN Committee on Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and Vice-Chair of the CARICOM Reparations Commission; Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Georgetown University and author of  Reconsidering Reparations ; and Emma Christopher, Associate Professor of…

People in this episode

Hosts: Emily, Matt

Guests: Gabrielle Hemmings, Verene Shepherd, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò, Emma Christopher

Topics covered

• reparations
• climate justice
• colonial abuses
• Small Island Developing States
• political dialogue
• policy agendas

Keywords

• reparations
• climate justice
• colonialism
• Small Island Developing States
• activism
• policy
• dialogue

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of the West Indies, UN Committee on Elimination of Racial Discrimination, CARICOM Reparations Commission, Georgetown University, University of New South Wales

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