The colonial past and its complex repercussions have been present in post-colonial European public
discourse for quite some time now. Still, neither former colonial powers like the United Kingdom, France and Germany, nor the successors of the private companies involved in colonization have yet fully acknowledged, apologized or paid reparations for the crimes committed during European colonialism. Beyond that, questions remain about how colonial structures persist in present-day national and international law.
The "Colonial Repercussions" event series organized by the Akademie der Künste and ECCHR aims to contribute to this process. As part of the series, a "Week of Justice" was held in Namibia on 25–29 March 2019. It included events in Windhoek and Swakopmund that focused on the German colonialization and the genocide of the Ovaherero and Nama peoples, the effects of which still reverberate strongly today.
This publication is a collection of academic and personal accounts by the conveners, speakers and participants in the "Week of Justice" event series in Namibia. It does not aim to summarize or depict
the content discussed over the course of the week in a comprehensive manner, but rather seeks to showcase the diversity of perspectives, perceptions and approaches discussed during the different events, organized in collaboration with the Nama Traditional Leaders Association, the Nama Genocide Technical Committee, the Ovaherero Genocide Foundation, Akademie der Künste, the Goethe-Institut Namibia and ECCHR.
