The University of the West Indies

Guidelines

International Reparation Debating Competition Guidelines 

 

1. Eligibility
- Each team must consist of five students from 5th and 6th form and two teachers. 

- Teams must be from secondary schools in a CARICOM country or the UK. 

- Participation will be open to all students enrolled in private and public secondary schools within CARICOM Member States, Associate Members and the United Kingdom. CARICOM Member States and Associate Members can under special circumstances nominate at least one team to represent the Member State or Associate Member through preliminary, semi-final and final rounds of the competition. 

- All team members must be registered at the same school. 

 

2. Competition Format
- The competition will follow a structured debate format with three main rounds:

  • Preliminary Rounds
  • Regional Finals
  • Grand Finals (face-to-face event) 

- Debates will be conducted in English (including appropriate local dialect where necessary) and last five minutes per speaker. 

- Teams will be given the debate topic at least 72 hours prior to the round. 

- Each team will have three speakers presenting in favour of the motion and three speakers presenting against it. 

 

3.  Debate Format: The debate will be in the style of a parliamentary debate. The two teams (i.e. Political Parties), will take turns to speak for or against the motion:

SEGMENT
SPEAKER
DURATION

Opening Speech
Prime Minister
5 Minutes

First Opposition Speech
Opposition Leader
5 Minutes

Cross Examination 1
Opposition ↔ Government
3 Minutes

Second Government Speech
Deputy Prime Minister 
5 Minutes

Second Opposition Speech
Deputy Opposition Leader
5 Minutes

Cross Examination 2
Opposition ↔ Government
3 Minutes

Third Government Speech
Government Member
5 Minutes

Third Opposition Speech
Opposition Member
5 Minutes

Government Collective Reply
Government Team Entirety
6 Minutes

Opposition Collective Reply
Opposition Team Entirety
6 Minutes

During each cross-examination period, each bench will ask the other 2 questions, with the Opposition questioning the Government first. 

   

4. Topic Areas
Topics will cover global and regional issues about the transatlantic trafficking of Africans and Reparations, including but not limited to:

  • Chattel Slavery and the Law 
  • The Decline Thesis
  • Caribbean Abolitionists - The Participation of the Enslaved in their own Freedom (Christmas Rebellion, Haitian Revolution, gynaecological resistance)
  • The Role of British Humanitarians/Abolitionists in Emancipation
  • The TransAtlantic Trafficking in Enslaved Africans as the Genesis of the British Industrial Revolution 
  • Haiti’s Reparation to France: A Historical Injustice
  • Reparation to Planters at Emancipation Versus Non-Planters
  • Contemporary Examples of Reparation as Bases for CARICOM Reparation
  • South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation as an Example of  Reparatory Justice (Apartheid)
  • The Church and African Enslavement
  • A New Decade for Peoples of African Descent?
  • Neo-Colonialism and the Risk of Re-Enslavement
  • Can you apologise for a wrongful act by an ancestor?
  • Is the CARICOM 10-point plan fit for purpose?

5. Judging Criteria
Debates will be evaluated on the following criteria: 

- Clarity & Coherence of Arguments 

- Use of Evidence & Research 

- Delivery & Communication Skills 

- Engagement with the Opposing Team 

- Teamwork and Collaboration 

 

6. Team Preparation
- Teams are expected to research and prepare thoroughly for each assigned topic. 

- Rehearsals are recommended to ensure each team member is comfortable with the format. 

 

7. Behaviour and Conduct
- Teams are expected to adhere to the highest standards of decorum and sportsmanship during debates. 

- Disrespectful or disruptive behaviour will result in penalties or disqualification. 

- The use of discriminatory or offensive language including expletives will not be tolerated. 

 

8. Technology and Equipment
- All debates will be hybrid (i.e. a mix of online or face to face) depending on the round. Regional and grand finals are intended to be face to face, with virtual participation for preliminary rounds. 

- Ensure that your team has access to the necessary audio/visual equipment for virtual rounds. 

- Teams are responsible for testing their technology in advance to avoid technical disruptions. 

- All rounds of the competition will be live-streamed via the CARICOM Secretariat Social media platforms. 

 

9. Important Dates
- Registration Deadline: November 28, 2025

- First Debate Round: [TBA] 

- Grand Finals: [TBA] 

 

10. Prizes and Recognition
- National level: Trophies, cash prizes, and in-kind awards for first, second, and third runner-up teams.
- Regional and International levels: Major awards for Caribbean and UK
champions, respectively.

- Special recognition will be given to Best Speaker, Best Team, and Most Creative Argument among others. 

 

11. Additional Rules
- Preliminary and semi-final rounds will be convened virtually, and the final round will be place-based in an assigned CARICOM Founding Member State (for example Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica or Trinidad and Tobago).

- Teams may not change members once registered unless under exceptional circumstances (subject to approval by the competition organisers). 

- By entering, teams agree to the terms and conditions outlined in the official competition rules.