Call for Abstracts | Towards a Pan-African reparations agenda: Contestations, disputations and prospects

Call for abstracts for a research workshop to be convened at the Centre for African Studies (CAS), University of Cape Town, South Africa on Thursday 4th June 2026, 9.30am – 3.30pm.

Towards a pan-African reparations agenda: Contestations, disputations and prospects

Background and context

The global resurgence of calls for reparative justice animated by the Pan-African and global African reparations movement, the campaigns for restitution of African knowledge and cultural artefacts, the Black Lives Matter movement and the growing momentum for the decolonisation of knowledge, has reignited debates on reparations for historical injustices, particularly those rooted in slavery, colonialism, apartheid and systemic racial oppression. Across the African continent and its global diaspora, notably in the Americas and the Caribbean, the demand for reparations has evolved from moral appeals to structured political, legal, and economic claims.

This research workshop provides an academic platform to interrogate the contestations, disputations as well as the prospects for a Pan-African and global African reparations agenda.

In Africa, the Caribbean, the Americas and Europe, the reparations discourse is increasingly framed within continuing struggles to redress historical injustices as well as to decolonise the Pan-African body politic and assert continental political and economic sovereignty through redistributive socio-economic justice. Yet, the agenda remains fragmented, contested, and often co-opted by competing interests. While some African and Caribbean governments, for example the CARICOM Community, and civil society actors have advanced bold claims, others remain hesitant or divided on the modalities, beneficiaries, and political implications of reparations. The African Union’s designation of 2026–2036 as the Decade of Justice for Africans and People of African Descent and the growing influence of Pan-African and global African advocacy networks signal a critical moment to consolidate scholarly research as well as policy and activist perspectives.

This workshop, convened by the University of Cape Town (UCT) Centre for African Studies (CAS), Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR), and UCT Institute for Democracy, Citizenship and Public Policy in Africa (IDCPPA), seeks to interrogate the evolving contours of the Pan-African reparations agenda. It aims to provide a platform for rigorous academic engagement and strategic reflection on the prospects and pitfalls of reparative justice in Africa and its global diasporas.

Objectives of the workshop

• To critically examine the historical, legal, political, and moral foundations of reparations claims across Africa and the Global African diaspora;
• To map the current landscape of reparations activism, policy initiatives, and transnational advocacy networks;
• To explore the tensions, contradictions, contestations and disputations emerging from within the continent as well as across the Diaspora, including within and between African, Caribbean, European and North and Latin American states, civil society, and global institutions regarding reparative justice;
• To foster interdisciplinary dialogue between scholars, policymakers, activists, artists, and community leaders on the future of the Pan-African reparations agenda;
• To generate actionable recommendations for advancing a coherent, inclusive, and transformative reparations research agenda and policy frameworks at national, regional, and global levels.

Activities

The one-day workshop offers an opportunity for scholars, advanced postgraduate students, artists, jurists, and activists to share their perspectives on topics such as:

• Moral, political and legal pathways and precedents for reparations;
• Cultural restitution and memory politics;
• Reparations and economic justice in Africa and Global Africa;
• Gendered dimensions of historical injustice and repair;
• Youth, digital activism, and the future of reparations;
• Key recommendations to policymakers, including the African Union and CARICOM Community and civil society leaders;
• Artistic interventions, including exhibitions, performances, and film screenings exploring reparative memory and resistance;
• Graduate student presentations to showcase emerging scholarship and foster mentorship;
• Establishment of a UCT Pan-African Reparations Research Working Group to further refine academic papers to be featured in a special journal issue or edited volume.

Expected outcomes

The Research Conference will seek to establish:

• A consolidated body of interdisciplinary research scholarship on reparations in Africa and the Global African Diaspora;
• A policy brief outlining key recommendations for African governments, regional bodies, and international partners;
• Strengthened research networks among scholars, activists, and institutions engaged in reparative justice;
• Enhanced public awareness and engagement through media coverage and cultural programmes;
• A roadmap for future collaborative research, advocacy, and policy engagement on reparations.

About the co-convenors

Centre for African Studies (CAS), University of Cape Town: CAS is a leading interdisciplinary hub for critical scholarship on Africa and for advancing African perspectives on global predicaments. It fosters interdisciplinary research, teaching and public engagement on the continent’s past, present, and futures.

Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR): IJR works across Africa to promote reparative justice, transitional justice, reconciliation and inclusive development. It engages governments, civil society and communities in building democratic societies rooted in human rights, redress, accountability and dignity.

Institute for Democracy, Citizenship and Public Policy in Africa (IDCPPA), University of Cape Town: IDCPPA advances research and dialogue on the challenges and possibilities of democratic governance in Africa. It brings together scholars and practitioners to explore issues of citizenship, accountability and public policy from a Pan-African perspective.

Co-Convenors: 

• Prof. Suren Pillay, Director: UCT Centre for African Studies (CAS)
• Prof. Tim Murithi, Research Associate: UCT Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IDCPPA)

Submissions

Participants are requested to submit a research paper abstract of no more than 500 words by Thursday, 30th April 2026, including name, affiliation and email address via email to: cas@uct.ac.za.

The workshop selection committee will notify successful participants by 15th May 2026.

NB: Note that, due to limited resources, all participants outside Cape Town will be expected to cover their own travel and accommodation costs to attend.