Africa400 discusses the topic “Restitution Movement: Returning Stolen African Art and Heritage” on Wednesday, December 9 and Wednesday, December 16. Hosts Mama Tomiko and Baba Ty welcome Special Guest, Mwazulu Diyabanza Siwa Lemba, international spokesperson of the pan-African movement YANKANKU (Unity Dignity Courage). He will be assisted by his translator, Baba Francis Ndengwe, editor of Femmes and Hommes d’Afrique magazine.
This interview was done in two parts. The December 9 show (Part One of the interview) can be heard on our Media Page or by clicking below:
A combination of bad weather and technical problems forced the postponement of the second part of the interview from December 16 to December 17, when the show was broadcast by the good people at HAND Radio (Home – HAND RADIO) who made a recording of the full show. Mama Tomiko and Baba Ty then made the show available to us, and we include it below:
Here is a little background information on Mwazulu Diyabanza Siwa Lemba:
ENGLISH/ENGLAIS
MAN AND HIS CONVICTIONS: Unfailingly attached to Bumuntu: African humanism Mwazulu Diyabanza remains convinced that the human person coming out of Africa has in him the key to the solution to all his great evils and that he must also look at him. profound as it may be to operate its upliftment and the transformation of its society. He also remains convinced that the unity of Africa is the sinequanone condition for its full economic and political realization.
Mwazulu is today, general secretary of the OTID union, independent researcher in African politics and culture and the international spokesperson of the pan-African movement YANKANKU (Unity Dignity Courage) and summarizes his pan-African commitment in 14 points included in the manifesto of Yankanku / MANINKANKU .
FRENCH/FRANCAIS
L’HOMME ET SES CONVICTIONS: Indéfectiblement attaché au Bumuntu: L’humanisme Africain Mwazulu Diyabanza demeure convaincu que la personne humaine sortie d’Afrique à en elle la clef de la solution à tous ses grands maux et qu’elle doit regardée en lui aussi profond que cela puisse être pour opérer son élévation et la transformation de sa société. Il demeure également convaincu que l’unité de l’Afrique est la condition sinequanone pour sa réalisation économique et politique complète.
Mwazulu est en ce jour , secrétaire général du syndicat OTID, chercheur indépendant en politique et culture Africaine et le porte-parole international du mouvement panafricain YANKANKU( Unité Dignité Courage) et résume son engagement panafricain en 14 points inscrits dans le manifeste de Yankanku/MANINKANKU.
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His commitment to the restitution of African artifacts of art and heritage has, as one might expect, landed him in hot water with Western authorities who wish to keep these Afrikan treasures for themselves. He has endured numerous court dates, and more such trials are forthcoming. As part of his legal defense, the Web site CotizUp has established a fund for his lawyers and the cost of the movement. The site, SOUTIEN AVOCAT MWAZULU SUPPORT LAWYERS MWAZULU UDC – CotizUp.com, is similar to what is normally seen in the United States on a GoFundMe page.
SUPPORT LAWYERS MWAZULU UDC
This pot is made to pay the lawyers who defend Mwazulu Diyabanza the activists who act in museum since June 12, 2020 and for the costs of managing our movement around the fight against the theft of invaluable cultural works and obtain their direct restitution to the underprivileged peoples of the planet.
Another fund-raising effort is the release and sale of his book Bumuntu: Humanisme Africain, on the Web site Cagnotte : CAGNOTTE POUR LE LIVRE NUMERIQUE BUMUNTU: HUMANISME AFRICAIN – Leetchi.com:
OFFICIAL RELEASE OF THE POCKET BOOK BUMUNTU; AFRICAN HUMANISM.
Mwazulu Diyabanza restores The spiritual, cultural and architectural heritage of Africa. It also introduces us to the human person who came out of Africa in its existential whole and in all its social fullness. The book is available for purchase on the site.
More Articles on Mwazulu Diyabanza
There are several articles on Mwazulu Diyabanza from several sources on the Web. Here are links to some of them:
https://news.artnet.com/art-world/marseille-mwazulu-diyabanza-1924953
A French Court Acquits Four Anti-Colonial Activists Who Removed a Spear From a Museum, Saying the Gesture Counts as Free Speech
The Congolese activist Mwazulu Diyabanza says the verdict sets an encouraging precedent.
by Naomi Rea, November 19, 2020
https://www.art-critique.com/en/2020/11/mwazulu-diyabanza-aquitted-for-theft-in-marseilles/
Mwazulu Diyabanza Aquitted For Theft in Marseilles
By Katherine Keener, Published on 19 November 2020
https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2020/11/11/emery-mwazulu-diyabanza
Emery Mwazulu Diyabanza: ‘France is still a colonial country’
The activist on a mission to return colonial-era art to Africa has recently been fined for his protests, but promises to continue.
By Peter Yeung, 11 Nov 2020
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/21/arts/design/france-museum-quai-branly.html
To Protest Colonialism, He Takes Artifacts From Museums
Mwazulu Diyabanza will appear in a Paris court this month after he tried to make off with an African treasure he says was looted. France and its attitude to the colonial past will be on trial, too.
By Farah Nayeri, Published Sept. 21, 2020, Updated Sept. 30, 2020
https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/mwazulu-diyabanza-arrested-louvre-1234574985/
Activist Mwazulu Diyabanza Arrested After Attempting to Take Artifact from Louvre
By Claire Selvin, October 26, 2020 11:50am
Africa400 can be listened to on the radio in the Glen Burnie and Baltimore, Maryland areas on 1590-AM WFBR. The show is also streamed over the Internet on a variety of platforms, most notably on WFBR 1590AM Baltimore, 1590 AM, Glen Burnie, MD | Free Internet Radio | TuneIn and Famous 1590 – WFBR – AM 1590 – Glen Burnie, MD – Streema Player. After the show airs, it will be recorded and featured in an update of this post as well as on our Media Page.