Restitution and Postcolonial Justice : A Dialogical Approach

The restitution of cultural belongings and the repatriation of ancestral remains has long been both a struggle and an issue of contention. This working paper provides an analysis of grounds for return and restitution frameworks based upon them in different national contexts. One European policy context, namely the German, is analyzed alongside three Latin American legislative contexts: the Argentinian, Chilean, and Brazilian. What defines and legitimizes the grounds for restitution across varied national contexts, and how can dialogical frameworks advance justice in restitution efforts? The paper interrogates existing restitution frameworks while advocating for a dialogical approach to restitution that foregrounds ethical deliberation and a dialogue among knowledges.