PHILIPSBURG:--- The One St. Martin Association (One SXM) has been invited by the Caribbean Reparations Committee (CRC) to participate in the Caribbean Festival of Arts, CARIFESTA XV, in Barbados, from August 22 to 31, 2025.
The CRC will participate in panel discussions on issues such as Reparations and decolonization. The revised CARICOM 10-Point Plan on Reparations is also slated to be presented during the festival.
According to One SXM, the association’s president, Dr. Rhoda Arrindell, will deliver St. Martin perspectives on Reparations and decolonization during the panel titled “Freedom Isn’t Finished—Reflections on the Caribbean’s Unfinished Historical Mission: The Total Decolonization and Unification of the Region.”
Arrindell’s co-panelists include representatives from the British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Trinidad and Tobago. The discussion is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Wednesday, August 27, at the Marcus Garvey Amphitheatre in St. Michael. Arrindell is a leading St. Martin Reparations activist and author of the book Language, Culture and Identity in St. Martin.
“Freedom Isn’t Finished” is one of several panels of the “Big Conversations” program, which, along with the Symposia of CARIFESTA XV, is coordinated by Dr. Marielle Barrow-Maignan.
“At Big Conversations… we are bringing the issues that matter into the spotlight and shaping the ideas that will drive Caribbean culture and the arts industries forward,” CARIFESTA stated Thursday on its Facebook page.
As for the CARIFESTA XV Symposia, the festival’s conference agenda is enhanced by sessions that bring together thought leaders, artists, scholars, and cultural practitioners to explore key issues related to the festival’s theme, along with broader, interconnected topics.
Arrindell, a Howard University lecturer, said she is also “excited to attend performances in dance, music, and other art forms, and is looking forward to discussions on Caribbean spirituality, climate justice, decolonization, and Reparations—as well as seeing St. Martin artists perform.”
The aim of CARIFESTA is “To foster a vision of Caribbean unity and possibility by facilitating the documenting and disseminating of artworks as highlights of the ongoing historical and cultural development of our people,” according to CARICOM.
As the region’s premier arts festival, CARIFESTA is held periodically in different Caribbean locations. The 2025 edition began last Friday with a Parade of Nations, an address by host country Prime Minister Mia Mottley, and a high-energy concert featuring musical stars. With the theme “Caribbean Roots … Global Excellence,” this year’s festival focuses on the global influence of Caribbean culture.
