A year on, and several project initiation and planning work has begun, as activity starts to ramp up for the delivery of its five project pillars. Renewal and Reconciliation: The Codrington Project is a long-term reparatory justice project spanning 10-15 years with a pledged commitment of £7 million / 18 million Barbadian dollars. Delivering on this important and necessary work will be significant.
The Executive Group has introduced five areas of work to be carried out as part of this project:
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A - Conduct research to locate the burial and habitation places of enslaved person
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B - Engage in academic work to record and present the full story of the estates
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C - Undertake to improve the circumstances and standards of qualified tenants
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D - Fuel the spirit of self-reliance, enterprise and entrepreneurship among residents
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E - Nurture a culture of theological enquiry and ministerial formation within Codrington College
The next 12 months will see the beginning of Project Pillar A which will look to conduct research to locate the burial and habitation places of enslaved persons who worked on the Codrington estates of The Trust throughout its history. It will document the findings and establish monuments to memorialise those persons, connect kinship and family groups, and recognise those areas as sacred spaces.
The outcome will be a dedicated family research centre for the descendants of those enslaved, at Codrington to trace their ancestry. There will also be training for a new generation of Caribbean archaeologists and researchers who can contribute to Barbados’ cultural heritage sector.
The budget allocated for Pillar A workstream is 500k Barbadian Dollars.
With regards to Pillar B over the next quarter we will be developing a collaborative research network between the project and key academic institutions, e. g. the University of the West Indies. Specialists in Barbados and the UK will come together to assess the volume, structure and nature of historical research required for the project. Some preliminary foundational research will be commissioned and undertaken.
A research symposium will be held each year starting October 2025 to collate and review research into all project research subjects (history, archaeology, theology and reparatory justice). The costs will be met through external funding.
We will also establish a clear proposal for several academic scholarships at the MA and/or PhD level for Barbadian and Caribbean students to develop this research.
Pillar E will begin with a review of the current curriculum and context for ministerial formation at Codrington College. We are aiming to create an MA programme in the broad area of reparatory justice.
Plans for Pillars C and D are currently being developed and work will commence in 2025/6
Alongside this project development and scoping work the following has also been achieved:
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The Executive Group has formed its Steering Committee consisting of 11 delegates from both organisations, independent members and community representatives.
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The Executive Group has appointed two Project Managers based in Barbados and the UK alongside a Community Field Officer who will serve as the liaison between Codrington estate tenants and the Codrington Trust.
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We completed the surveys for two of the five tenantries in collaboration with the Barbadian government.
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We have also established connections with key archives such as Lambeth Palace Library, the National Archives at Kew and the Bodleian Library, Oxford
Find out more: www.codringtonproject.org
Click here to meet the steering group