Liberia Calls for Global Solidarity in Restitution and Restoration of African Heritage at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Africa Week 2025
The Ambassador drew attention to the intellectual and cultural dispossession experienced across Africa and the African diaspora, invoking the CARICOM Reparatory Justice agenda and linking it to Africa's broader fight for dignity and historical memory. 'Destroying historical memory is a crime requiring reparations,' he stated, reinforcing the role of museums, educational institutions, and cultural exchange in healing intergenerational trauma. Highlighting the plight of the African diaspora, Ambassador Witherspoon spoke movingly about the forced separation of enslaved Africans from their homelands, describing it as a 'fundamental element of the colonial agenda' that continues to inflict cultural and social alienation. 'Reparatory justice,' he affirmed, 'must include restoring dignity and rebuilding the bridges of belonging. In a poignant moment, the Ambassador recounted a conversation with a young Liberian archaeology student who had seen her ancestral mask locked behind glass in a European museum. Her haunting question—'How do we connect with our ancestors when we must buy tickets to see the only symbols left to remember them?'—underscored the deep emotional toll of cultural dispossession.
Ambassador Witherspoon urged the international community to view 2025 as a turning point: 'Let us designate 2025 as our fifth year—a year characterized by deliberate action, following years of preparation and reflection.' He concluded with a call to transform Africa Week from a ceremonial gathering into a launchpad for systemic change. 'Let this be the year we reclaim what is ours—not simply in artifacts or archives, but in spirit, story, and self-determination. Together, through science, culture, and education, we can shape a future in which African heritage is not only restored but empowered to thrive.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Liberia.
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