On the sidelines of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, CCSE’s Professor Gayle McPherson and PhD researcher Zara Grant attended the Conference on Reparatory Justice in and through Sport at Glasgow City Chambers. Hosted by the Centre for Sport and Human Rights, Commonwealth Sport and the UN Human Rights Office, the event explored the link between sport and legacies of colonialism and enslavement – and how sport can be reimagined as a force for healing and unity.
“The harm (of colonialism and enslavement) has persisted across generations and is still carried. What was taken was human dignity. Reparation is about the return of dignity. That is what reparatory justice sets out to restore.”
Dr Donald Rukare, President of Commonwealth Sport, was among those who opened the conference, and reflected on the progress made in recent years to showcase the sporting successes of smaller Commonwealth nations and the welcome increase in representation by African nations on Commonwealth Games podiums. Another presenter noted that sport is ‘one of the few languages spoken almost everywhere’, making it an optimal platform through which to seek and deliver reparatory justice.
“Reparation is about remedy. It is not revenge.”
The conference featured a number of esteemed speakers from an array of backgrounds, and was moderated by David Grevmberg CBE, Games Delivery Executive for Deloitte Technology supporting the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games and former Chief Executive of the Commonwealth Games Federation (now Commonwealth Sport). There was a full agenda, covering the themes: ‘Reparatory Justice in Action’ – which showcased the work being conducted through a partnership between the University of Glasgow and the University of the West Indies to address legacies of enslavement – ‘Justice and Human Rights’; ‘Repair through Memorialisation and Education’; and ‘Reconciliation and Forward Focus’.
“This is not a transactional conversation. It is a shared cause.”
Conference attendees were encouraged to share their views, and recommendations were set out by those presenting on what ought to be prioritised across sport in order to see reparatory justice delivered. One speaker noted the importance of looking at the legacies of enslavement and its impact on young people today and working to address and bring about an end to this ‘continuum of harm’. Another emphasised the need to ensure more equitable representation in international sports governance and to champion indigenous sports. Discussions also highlighted an urgent requirement to enable athletes to be advocates for causes such as reparatory justice and highlighting the inequalities they face in sport – and to protect them from facing punishment, such as being deselected from representing their countries for speaking out.
The event marked the first ever international meeting on the theme of reparatory justice and sport, and a full meeting report from the Centre for Sport and Human Rights will follow.
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