Author: Angelina Bora, Year 11, Newsted Wood Grammar School, London, UK
Although colonialism ended in most of the world nearly 50 years ago, its impact is still heavily felt today in the racist attitudes towards people in postcolonial states and the mass poverty that some of these areas face. The practice of colonialism, which dominated the modern era, resulted in some of the most brutal injustices globally and are even categorized as Crimes against Humanity. Reparations have become a way of rectifying these past injustices against a group, or an entire nation.
What is colonialism?
Colonialism as a term refers to the social, political, and economic domination of populations and their territory. From the early 16′ century to the late 20th century, mainly European powers subjected nearly one-third of the world (after WW2) to colonial rule. Although the experience was greatly varied, one main theme was present. In most instances, the colonies were established to enrich the state that controlled it, and this wealth accumulation took many forms. The self-serving endeavors of such colonialists often led to the further establishment of a social hierarchy, resulting in terrible consequences for those native to the territory.
Those who found themselves in a position of power considered colonized peoples to be primitive and “subhuman”, meaning they believed that they did not qualify for the same rights and protections as they did. As evidence shows, it was therefore acceptable and even encouraged, for the colonizers to confiscate land, enslave local people, and even exterminate large portions of their populations.
Since then, the achievement of independence has not brought an end to unequal economic, social, and political structures that had been established under colonial rule. As the local economies of colonies had been reoriented to export, it was a struggle to build independent economies that would flourish once again. For example, it was estimated that before colonization,
India’s productivity represented 27% of the world’s economy but after the British Raj; the same statistic plummeted to a mere 3%.
Even more so, the racial and ethnic social hierarchies instituted under colonialism have continued to survive. Many former colonial powers saw the poverty and underdevelopment of postcolonial states as a sign of their inherent ‘racial inferiority rather than the fact that they had been destabilized by elitist nations.
Furthermore, within some states, social hierarchies were maintained meaning that select elites took over the position of the colonial powers to then exploit their fellow citizens. The most notable example of this was the apartheid in South Africa, where people who weren’t white were segregated from the white minority and denied basic human rights. In the present day, many people from post-colonial states continue to face discrimination based on race and ethnicity at home and abroad.
Due to the extent of the economic damage and human rights abuses that took place under colonial rule and their multigenerational impacts, many post-colonial states have called on former colonial powers to issue reparations.
Reparations can take many forms and combinations depending on the context, such as
1) a formal apology made from the perpetrator to the victim,
2) the establishment of “truth and reconciliation” commissions to uncover all the crimes committed,
3) means of financial compensation, and lastly,
4) the introduction of social and/or economic programs to address problems that have emerged as a direct result of the occurrence and to prevent them in the future.
An example of this is that of Germany after WW2 when the German government agreed to reparations to neighboring states that suffered under German occupation. The calls for reparations are not a new phenomenon as they have been ongoing since the 1960s It is only fair that post-colonial nations receive aid for damages that continue to harm them to this day, the only question is if it is financially feasible to do so…
Reparations are not a tool of empowerment but atonement for the horrors people suffered. No amount of money can expedite those losses, the principle is truly what matters. In the words of Shashi Tharoor, it is unacceptable to argue that the British faced the same losses that its colonies did because the truth is that they didn’t.
There are many feasible systems of reparations across the globe, Italy’s reparations to Libya, Japan’s to Korea, and ironically so, Britain’s reparations to the New Zealand Māori. It isn’t as if this is completely unprecedented or unheard so there is no reason why Britain doesn’t owe and shouldn’t have to pay for its wrongdoings.
