Herero & Nama Voices from Namibia – Muinjangue / Hengari / Veii / Geiseb / Kaunatjike / Aikins

In the context of the exhibition "RESIST! The Art of Resistance," Herero and Nama activists discuss about the reconciliation agreement negotiated between Germany and Namibia on the genocide of the Herero and Nama. “We are the voices of people who died in 1904. We are speaking on behalf of those skulls, that are in Germany. And that is why we are saying: “it cannot be about us without us”. Because the UN declaration on the rights of the indigenous people of 2007 it’s very, very clear as to how the indigenous communities should be involved. Germany is a signatory to that and they cannot ignore that. We are saying “the pain that our people felt 117 years ago, we are still feeling that pain”. – Esther Utjiua Muinjangue, Namibia, January, 2021 The Rautenstrauch-Joest Museum (RJM) continues its series of events on restitution and justice as part of the exhibition RESIST! with the discussion "Herero & Nama Voices from Namibia." What does this agreement, in which Germany acknowledges the genocide and announces 1.1 billion Euros in reconstruction aid, mean for the descendants of the Herero and Nama? Why is the agreement criticized by many victims' associations? Discussants Esther Utjiua Muinjangue is a Namibian politician. She is the first woman to lead a political party (NUDO) in Namibia and the country’s first female presidential candidate. For 15 years, she was the chairperson of the Ovaherero Genocide Foundation, a foundation that works to address the genocide of the Herero and Nama people. Together with Ida Hoffmann, Muinjangue is "It's Yours!" curators of the autonomous space "It cannot be about us without us" in the exhibition RESIST! Mbakumua Hengari – member of the Ovaherero and Ovambanderu Genocide Foundation Kambanda Nokokure Veii – director of the Riruako Centre for Genocide and Memory Studies) Sam Geiseb – member of the Nama Genocide Technical Committee (NGTC) Israel Kaunatjike – Berlin-based Herero descendant and activist The discussion was moderated by political scientist Joshua Kwesi Aikins. Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum – Cultures of the World Cäcilienstraße 29-33 50667 Cologne / Germany www.rjm-resist.de www.rautenstrauch-joest-museum.de www.twitter.com/rjmkoeln www.facebook.com/rjmkoeln www.instagram.com/rautenstrauchjoestmuseumkoeln