Beyond Statecraft: Unmasking the Truth of the Ovaherero and Nama Genocides

Join us for an event within the framework of our exhibition „Fractured Lifeworlds – Ovaherero and nama Claims for Intergenerational Justice“ which is currently on display at Spore Initiative in Berlin.

On 08 July 2026, we will screen our investigation „German Colonial Genocide in Namibia: Swakopmund“, followed by a panel discussion on the ongoing systematic denial of German colonial crimes.

The evening addresses the false media narratives that perpetuate the idea that the genocides of the Ovaherero and Nama people have already been sufficiently acknowledged and recognized. Representatives from the Global Ovaherero Genocide Foundation (GOF) and the Nama Traditional Leaders Association (NTLA) will be joined by legal experts and civil society representatives to discuss the history of litigation, parliamentary inquiries, and passed legislation. They will also discuss the systemic zigzagging of successive German governments and the severe inadequacies of the 2021 Joint Declaration (JD).

The discussion will emphasize that nothing meaningful has changed thus far and explain why this struggle must continue until the German government formally recognizes the crimes of the German Empire and engages in genuine dialogue about reparations within established international frameworks. That dialogue must take place directly between the state and the communities descended from survivors.

Speakers:
– Nandiuasora Mazeingo (Ovaherero Genocide Foundation Chairperson)
– Maboss Johannes Ortmann (NTLA)
– Tim Mulhanga (Medico International)

Moderated by Anne Schroeter (ECCHR)