Financing Reparations Programs: Reflections From Intenational Experience

Source: (2006) In Pablo De Greiff, ed., The Handbook of Reparations. Oxford, New York, USA: Oxford University Press. Pp. 650-675.

“One of the least studied aspects of programs of reparations, both in theory and in practice is financing. This is odd if we take into account that mobilizing resources, domestic and foreign, is politically one of the most difficult tasks any society can undertake. This chapter focuses on the subject of financing reparations programs and attempts to answer, even if only in part, the following questions: Which factors play a role in the process of mobilizing domestic and foreign resources to finance reparations? Is financing solely a technical-economic problem, or does it involve political, social and cultural factors? Why do governments prefer financing social programs instead of programs of reparations? How do the proposals made by truth commissions regarding financing affect the viability of programs of reparations? Which factors explain the efficacy of financing models of reparations programs? In order to address these questions, this chapter has been divided into three main sections. In the first, programs of reparations are analyzed from the perspective of political economy, which means that both economic and noneconomic factors that influence the mobilization of domestic and foreign resources by a transitional society are taken into consideration The second section focuses on international experiences in the area of financing programs of reparations, with the purpose of extracting some lessons. Finally, in the third section, the main conclusions are presented.” (excerpt)