Open Restitution Africa

Open Restitution Africa

The Open Restitution Project is an Africa-led project seeking to open up access to information on restitution of African material culture and human ancestors, to empower all stakeholders involved to make knowledge-based decisions.

Why is this Necessary?

There is currently very little information available to practitioners, interested parties and the general public alike, on the current international status of restitution – debates, policy and practice. Because of this we are unable to observe objective trends, shifts and impacts, and enable more people to operate from a place of knowledge. What do we need to know?

See:

An Introduction to Open Restitution Africa

Open Restitution Africa Aug 24, 2020

Open Restitution Africa Africa Centered, Africa led For over 150 years, African material heritage and the bones of our ancestors were taken from the continent and housed in museums across the world. Today, a conversation is happening about their return back to Africa The time is now for honest, open dialogue that centers the African experience. Transparency, access and centralized information for a knowledge centered debate on restitution of African heritage

and

Kenya: Awaiting the return of the Pokomo drum

DW The 77 Percent Jun 30, 2021

The sacred Ngadji drum of the Pokomo community in Kenya was taken by British colonial officers over 100 years ago and is today kept in storage in London’s British Museum. It is just one of thousands of artefacts which are now kept in museums abroad. But no one knows the exact number of missing objects, or where they are today.

See related:

• Walter Rodney Seminar: “Visible Histories, Invisible Data: Documenting the Histories of Migrated Objects and Archives in Africa”
• Visible Histories, Invisible Data: Documenting the Histories of Migrated Objects and Archives in Africa
• The Africa Map Circle – “Explorations”
• The Africa Map Circle – Introduction & Digital Resource Directory
• Introduction to the BU African Studies/Afriterra “Mapping Africa” Workshop
• Selected Online Links to the Africa Mapping Project
• Learning Under Lockdown: Some Tools & Tips for Online Learning About Africa & the World
• Mapping the Slave Trade: 1556-1823 – A Digital Humanities Project
• Images of early maps on the web – 5. Africa (& the islands) by Tony Campbell
• What is the “Africa Map Circle?” What does it Do? What can it help me do? [Excerpt of “Looted Past”]
• Future of Africa-based Curatorial Practice Workshop | Harvard University Center for African Studies
• Curating a Fractured Past: The Role of Museums, Maps, Manuscripts, Prints, Rare Books, Photos, Artifacts, Literature & the Arts in Embracing Our Common Humanity on a Finite Planet

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