Genocide memorial in Windhoek © Photo: ECCHR

25 March 2019, Swakopmund, Windhoek

Namibia: A Week of Justice

Swakopmund, Windhoek
25 March 2019, 7:00 pm

Colonial Repercussions: Reflecting on the genocide against Ovaherero and Nama peoples 115 years later

The return of human remains from Germany to Namibia, the lawsuit brought before a US court by Herero and Nama, the restitution of artworks taken during the colonial era currently exhibited in museums in Berlin, Paris and London: the present day repercussions of Europe’s colonial past are being discussed more openly. Calls to address colonial injustices can now be frequently heard in various forums. Addressing colonial injustices in a genuine way – going beyond negotiations between states – is a broader process to be undertaken by societies. As part of this long process, many questions arise for all parties: Who is talking about whom? Which perspectives and memories are part of the conversation, which ones are ignored? What kind of justice is needed to address (post)colonial injustice? How can we achieve a truly constructive and forward-thinking discourse?

From 25 to 30 March 2019, lawyers, artists, constitutional historians and civil society experts will meet in Namibia to discuss these questions in an interdisciplinary way. "Namibia: A Week of Justice" opens with the symposium "Colonial Injustice – Addressing Past Wrongs" organized in Windhoek by the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) and the Akademie der Künste (AdK) in cooperation with the Goethe-Institut.

More information on the program and registration for the symposium "Colonial Injustice - Adressing Past Wrongs" can be found here.

Together with the Ovaherero Genocide Foundation (OGF) and the Nama Traditional Leaders Association (NTLA) and Nama Genocide Technical Committee (NGTC), ECCHR and AdK then invite to the international conference "International Law in Postcolonial Contexts" as well as a public event in Swakopmund.

Participants include: Bonita Meyersfeld (Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg/South Africa), John Nakuta (University of Namibia), Makau Mutua (University of Buffalo, USA), Nontobeko Ntombela (Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg/South Africa), Vasuki Nesiah (New York University), Jürgen Zimmerer (Hamburg University), Werner Hillebrecht (Former Director of the National Archives of Namibia), Wolfgang Kaleck (ECCHR).

More information on the international conference in Swakopmund can be found here.

More information and the registration for the public event in Swakopmund can be found here.

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