An Africa-led project seeking to open up access to information on return of African material culture and human ancestors. By @andaniafrica & @africadheritage
Africa
Joined July 2020
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We are extremely pleased to launch our latest publication, 'Field Work Guide For Restitution Pracititioners in Africa'.
Developed in collaboration with the formidable Victoria Phiri, Director Livingstone Museum, Zambia openrestitution.africa/resou…
While the physical return of cultural heritage back to its rightful communities is certainly a significant moment, return is just the tip of the iceberg.
Processes of repair and reintegration begin long before the physical return and continue long after.
In our final data story 'Climbing Beyond' we illustrate how the crucial work of restoring what was lost requires trust, endurance and appreciation that the most vital work happens in the shadows.
Read it on our website openrestitution.africa/climb…
Open Restitution Africa retweeted
I thoroughly enjoyed co-developing this with Mam' Victoria Phiri. 🫶🏿 💫
I hope it's a useful resource for African practitioners in Restitution.
S/O to the @OpenRestitution team!
We are extremely pleased to launch our latest publication, 'Field Work Guide For Restitution Pracititioners in Africa'.
Developed in collaboration with the formidable Victoria Phiri, Director Livingstone Museum, Zambia openrestitution.africa/resou…
Open Restitution Africa retweeted
A brilliant guide to building restitution frameworks 💯
Download it via the @OpenRestitution website!
The guide offers practical advice on pre-fieldwork preparation, ethical data collection, and navigating local political contexts.
We hope that this resource serves as a toolkit to promote accountability and transparency in restitution openrestitution.africa/resou…
For Whom and For What Purpose? A Position Paper on Digital Humanities and AI in African Studies
Read it in full here - repositorium.zmo.de/receive/…
In 1957, the Tukah Mask, a sacred embodiment from the Bamendou community in Western Cameroon was taken by a French doctor.
It would take another 61 years before community members knew where the mask was and even then, a request to return the mask was denied
Our case study data indicates that significant breakthroughs in restitution processes share a common ingredient – a chorus of voices comprising different actors playing different roles, who come together to work towards repair and restoration.
No one summits alone. Solo climbers in the restitution journey often have to wear many hats and do a lot of heavy lifting to cover the same ground similar to that of collaborating groups.
Read the full data story here - openrestitution.africa/climb…
Open Restitution Africa retweeted
It’s happening tomorrow.
Can restitution and reparations move beyond separate agendas towards a common agenda for reparative justice?
On Wednesday, 16 September, @reforminitiate, African Futures Lab, @OpenRestitution and @LawyersofAfrica will bring together practitioners and advocates working across culture, law, reparations and public mobilisation to explore what meaningful repair requires, and what must follow the return of cultural heritage.
Restitution and Reparations: Towards a Common Agenda for Reparative Justice
🗓 16 September 2026
⏰ 1:30 PM GMT | 3:30 PM CET | 4:30 PM EAT
🎙 Speakers:
@Makmid | @ChaoTayiana | Molemo Moiloa | Liliane Umubyeyi, PhD | Ruth Ogbewekon
Moderator: Lavender Namdiero
🔗 Join the conversation: zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_…
Tomorrow, we ask what it means to move from separate tracks to a common agenda for justice.
#ReparatoryJustice #RestitutionAndReparations #ReformInitiatives #AfricanHeritage #Restitution #CulturalHeritage
This Wednesday, 16th September, Open Restitution Africa along with other partners will convene a public webinar to explore the relationship between restitution and reparations.
Join us online 2.30 GMT I 3.30PM CET I 4.30pm EAT.
Register Here - lnkd.in/deF_6VjP
We are pleased to publish our latest insight- An African Practitioner's Guide To Building Restitution Frameworks
This resource aims to equip practitioners with the tools to build Africa-centred restitution governance frameworks, and empower stakeholders to start where they are
By integrating insights from our advocacy campaigns, research and collaborative engagements we sought to address the shared challenges in restitution policy-making.
Download it here today 👇🏿
openrestitution.africa/resou…
Open Restitution Africa retweeted
When a stolen cultural object returns to its rightful home, is the debt paid? Or does it reveal a deeper wound that demands a broader reckoning?
For too long, the pursuit of restitution and the demand for reparations have travelled separate paths. Yet, we cannot build a future of shared dignity while the legacies of colonialism remain unaddressed. The recent adoption of the United Nations General Assembly resolution declaring the racial trafficking of Africans and chattel slavery as the gravest crime against humanity compels us to reconnect these struggles.
This is a matter of profound moral urgency. We must ask ourselves: What are we truly repairing? Who holds the power to define the terms of return? And what must follow the return itself? These are not merely logistical questions. They are questions of human dignity.
To explore these vital intersections, Reform Initiatives, alongside African Futures Lab, Open Restitution Africa, and the Pan African Lawyers Union, invites you to a crucial public webinar: "Restitution and Reparations: Towards a Common Agenda for Reparative Justice."
Together, we will examine how connecting cultural, legal, political, and public mobilisation strategies can forge a unified movement for colonial accountability.
🗓 Date: Wednesday, 16 September 2026
⏰ Time: 1:30 PM GMT | 3:30 PM CET | 4:30 PM EAT
🎙 Panelists:
• Makmid Kamara (Reform Initiatives)
• Chao Tayiana (Open Restitution Africa)
• Molemo Moiloa (Open Restitution Africa)
• Liliane Umubyeyi, PhD (African Futures Lab)
• Ruth Ogbewekon (Pan African Lawyers Union)
Moderator: Lavender Namdiero (African Futures Lab)
🔗 Register here: lnkd.in/eu4nbPak
Let us move from separate tracks to a common agenda. Let us pursue justice together.
#ReparativeJustice #RestitutionAndReparations #ReformInitiatives #AfricanFuturesLab #OpenRestitutionAfrica #PALU
The absence of restitution policies in Africa has been a significant challenge affecting restitution work on the continent. In recent years, several countries have begun formulating and putting together the building blocks for national restitution frameworks.
On 11th September 2026, we will be launching a guide to developing restitution frameworks in Africa. This resource, is intended to provide a road map for those currently creating restitution frameworks in a rapidly evolving social, political and economic landscape.
Find out more about the restitution in practice convening held in Cape Town here - youtube.com/watch?v=FzvVfAtY…
Joining you from Zanzibar, Tanzania this week, we are pleased to be taking part in this year’s Data Tamasha conference, convened by @PollicyOrg and @dLabTz .
Guided by the theme ‘kujenga na data’, ORA co-founder @ChaoTayiana will be speaking about Open Restitution Africa’s approach to gathering, centralizing and socialsing data on African restitution experiences.