The Chagossian People hope to return home soon. They call on others to support them as they build a viable community, one very different from the coconut plantations of forty years ago. The outer islands retain their great natural diversity and beauty.

But they and a restored Chagossian community will now be in the front-line of adaptation to climate change. The islands, their coral reefs and the archipelago’s marine resources will all benefit from active management by a people committed to protecting their own homes and livelihoods. 

All activities on and around the islands, from fishing and wildlife conservation to sewage disposal and energy efficiency, will adopt the best current practices for vulnerable island ecosystems. At last it will be possible to provide a long-term research base for visiting scientists and conservationists.

Controlled and responsible tourism will be far more than just a source of income. Those who visit as tourists and who support the new Chagos in other ways will all be sharing in a historic enterprise: a dispossessed people taking back control of their future; and those who have been opponents in the law courts at last becoming partners in a victory for justice and freedom.

“Chagos” will become a story in which to take suitably qualified pride. Comparable to the Campaign for the Abolition of Slavery - at last, an injustice is being righted.

Enjoying the freedom to go home will not be easy. It will require new skills from the Chagossians, sensitive support from interested parties and imaginative investment in activities that respect the environment. Many people consider that the archipelago deserves listing as a World Heritage Site. 

Now is the time for all who care about Chagos, from many different perspectives, to start preparing for the cooperative discussions that will be needed to make this shared vision a reality.