#Restitutions: The archives in question

The discussion will take place in the context of the 60th anniversary of the World Festival of Black Arts, held in Dakar, Senegal, in 1966, which was a major moment of cultural and political reaffirmation. Sarah Frioux-Salgas, archivist at the Quai Branly Museum, and Mamadou Diouf, Professor of African Studies and History at Columbia University, will discuss the notion of “restitution” as it applies to archives and the conditions of access to resources: does this involve transfers of ownership, deposits, supervised circulation, certified copies, shared digitization, or hybrid systems?

This meeting aims to encourage critical reflection on the possible methods of restitution, sharing, or circulation of archives, while questioning the contemporary transformations in the role of heritage institutions in the face of social and political demands for recognition and reparation. The discussions will also focus on experiences of archival cooperation, as well as the resistance and controversy they provoke.

The discussions will be moderated by journalist Valérie Nivelon (RFI).

Mamadou Diouf is Professor of African Studies and History at Columbia University, USA, and Visiting Professor of African History at Global Studies University, Sharjah, UAE.

#Restitutions. Another definition of the world

A series of talks conceived in collaboration with Valérie Nivelon (initiator of the Africaines Queens podcast and the La Marche du monde radio show on RFI), who will moderate the discussions.

On 7 June 1978, Amadou Mahtar Mbow — the first African Director-General of UNESCO — issued a “solemn appeal” to governments, cultural institutions, museums, libraries, historians, and artists, calling for the return of cultural property to its country of origin. Nearly fifty years after this seminal appeal, what is the current state of the debate on restitution?

The series Restitutions. Another Definition of the World offers a platform for reflection and dialogue on the challenges surrounding the restitution of works of art and cultural property acquired in contexts of violence and domination. It also addresses the related issues of memory, justice, and the circulation of heritage that these processes raise. Between April 2026 and the end of 2027, FMSH will organise six discussions exploring this complex reality at the intersection of history, law, diplomacy, and ethics.

By bringing together researchers, lawyers, collection managers, archivists, and cultural and institutional stakeholders, the series seeks to shed light on these issues and to encourage fairer, more collaborative, and more sustainable restitution practices.