Africa: Restitution and Reparative Justice – Outcomes from the Side Event 4th Session of the PFPAD

Location: Blue Gallery, New York, USA
Organizers: African Diaspora Council of Switzerland, TrustAfrica Foundation, African Foundation for Migration and Development
Title: Africa in the Museum
Theme: Reparatory Justice for Africa Through Restitution

This event was part of the 4th Session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent. It focused on reclaiming identity and advocating for reparative justice. The discussion also examined colonialism and transatlantic slavery's legacies.

Prominent voices from the African Union and Diaspora communities spoke at the event. They highlighted the urgent need to return looted African artifacts. They also addressed ongoing historical injustices that shape global inequities today.

Key themes included the spiritual significance of looted objects. Speakers discussed policy frameworks needed across Africa. They criticized former colonial powers for trying to "loan" sacred artifacts back.

Speakers included representatives from various organizations, including the Nigerian General Consulate in New York and TrustAfrica Foundation in Senegal. A Washington Post journalist moderated the event. Many participants came from UN PFPAD, international organizations, and civil society.

The dialogue showcased progress made by the AU and Nigeria's partnership with Germany. However, some emphasized that declarations alone are insufficient without meaningful restitution. There is a need to trace illicit financial flows from Africa as well.

The conversation stressed that Africa's dignity cannot be negotiated. Our identity is not a museum relic; it must be returned and restored.

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Recommendations:

Advocacy Spaces: Future conferences on African restitution should occur on African soil. Holding events outside Africa redirects wealth towards non-African economies. This subjugates descendants to difficult visa processes.

Cities like Addis Ababa and Nairobi could host these forums effectively. Other countries in Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America are also eligible.

Holistic Reparative Justice: Demands for reparations should include all cultural heritage aspects. We must seek justice for destroyed landscapes and cultural erasures too.

The return of looted objects should not involve "loan agreements." Successful models like Nigeria's restitution framework should be expanded across Europe.

Immediate Debt Reassessment: It is scandalous that formerly colonized nations pay former colonial powers for independence or infrastructure left behind. These infrastructures were built using free labor from colonized people; this is not empowerment!

Africa’s historical debts must be reevaluated to retract unjust loan obligations that perpetuate colonial domination financially.