What is it about?
The current promises European politicians make regarding the restitution of looted objects remain Eurocentric. They rarely take into account the views and necessities of originating communities of the heritage concerned which is the focus here.
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Why is it important?
In the 1990s former colonial collections were revisted as instruments of colonial progaganda. Current European and politicised restitution policies render such collections political instruments again as European politicians use them to put themsevels in a positive light as benefactors in a decolonisation process. However, these efforts often remain dominated on the European side, and do not take into account in which ways originating communities would want to reconnect with these collections. This contribution is based on a preliminary dialogue with originating communities in Northeast-Congo, whose heritage is kept in museums in Tervuren, Berlin, and New York, but whose youth does not know this heritage. Many of their questions focus on providing them with assistance and infrastructure to educate their youths, rather than restituting objects to the National Museum where they will never see them. When we are talking about reparations for colonial wrongs this seems a very relevant area.
Perspectives
I believe it is important that people remain critical of what is happening now in terms of restitution and reparation. Although current promises to return looted objects are a step in the right direction, people need to pierce through the political instrumentalisation of such efforts. Thirty years ago, the Western world still perceived colonial collections as tainted instruments of colonial propaganda, portraying the colonised in a selective way, whereas today this same heritage is reconsidered as important stolen heritage that should return to its rightful owners. Decisions with regards to what should happen with these collections should be based on thorough research and in a profound dialogue with different stakeholders in the originating countries. Rather than that museums carry out the policies of the governments and politicians under whose guardianship they resort, museums should be able to carry out independent research and community outreach activities. I personally like the idea that museums could play a more socially responsive role in the future, in carrying out critical research of which role collections could play in resolving crises, and in engaging in new experiments bringing museum activities more into the community (rather than remaining at the centre of attention themselves). A lot of new experiments are already happening in this domain.
Dr vicky VAN BOCKHAVEN
Ghent University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Les Congolais obtiendront-ils la restitution qu’ils demandent?, Afrika Focus, April 2022, Brill,
DOI: 10.1163/2031356x-35010001.
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