Winding Down Open
Restitution Africa
Throughout 2026, Open Restitution Africa wound down as an active project, consolidating its full body of research, tools, and resources into a lasting public archive for the field it helped build.
2026 has been a year of sunsetting for ORA not an ending so much as a gathering-in. Over the course of the year, the Open Restitution Africa team brought together the full spectrum of knowledge resources developed since the project’s founding: the launch of the ORA Open Data Platform, the publishing of a series of restitution guides and data insights, and the completion of the Restitution 101 explainer video series. Together, these form the most comprehensive public resource yet assembled on African-led restitution.
At the centre of this body of work sits ORA’s dataset of 25 case studies, researched across 13 countries on the continent and spanning more than 200 years of history. Built through a grassroots methodology with research fellows rooted in the communities and contexts of the belongings and ancestors they were tracking, the dataset captures primary data, oral histories, and records that had, until now, remained largely undocumented and inaccessible.
ORA was founded on the understanding that restitution knowledge was siloed, informally held, and largely absent from public record even among those actively leading returns. Over six years, that gap was addressed through grassroots research, community convenings, screenings, and the development of open digital tools, reframing a field historically negotiated between Western museums and governments to instead centre African communities, researchers, and practitioners.
None of this would have been possible without the significant community of practice that has stood alongside ORA since 2020; research fellows, cultural practitioners, museum professionals, scholars, artists, policymakers, and the many institutions and individuals who contributed their knowledge, time, and trust. ORA is deeply grateful for that collaboration, and for the relationships built along the way.
With the project now closed, ORA’s Open Data Platform including its case study database, interactive restitution journey visualisations, data dashboard, and AI-powered data query tool licensed under Creative Commons will remain freely available here for public use here until 2031. After 2031 the open data repository remains accessible at Open Africa et Zenodo.
Le podcast, webinar and Restitution 101 video series will remain accessible here, ensuring that the knowledge gathered over six years continues to support researchers, practitioners, educators, and communities carrying the work of restitution forward.
To understand more about our sunsetting process read a letter from founders Molemo Moiloa and Chao Tayiana Maina
A History of ORA
Letter from founders
Six years ago, in the midst of a global pandemic, the idea for this project was born from a chance interaction.
Project Timeline
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Methodology
Centering Africa in our research means focusing on the work that is being done by Africans to advance restitution.
Slogan
Ressources
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Plateforme de données ouvertes
The Open Restitution Africa (ORA) platform is the first centralized open-access database specifically designed to track African cultural belongings and their restitution journeys.
Histoires de données
Plongez au cœur des informations et des récits uniques qui émergent de nos données.
Vidéos
Explorez le contexte historique et les débats actuels qui façonnent la restitution en Afrique.
Podcasts
Analyser la restitution numérique à travers des conversations avec des praticiens du droit, de la culture et du numérique.
Rapports et guides
Découvrez les principaux enseignements et recommandations de la recherche sur le renforcement des efforts de restitution.
Directories
Voix africaines dans la restitution
Ce répertoire dynamique présente une liste croissante de personnes contribuant à la restitution du patrimoine culturel africain à ses communautés légitimes.
Base de données sur les politiques et la législation
Une base de données exhaustive des cadres politiques et des législations existants qui ont éclairé et continuent d'éclairer les processus de restitution en Afrique.
Slogan
Open Access Archives
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openAfrica
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Zenodo
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Resource Archive
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