I am proud to share this psychosocially grounded policy brief on reparations in Namibia that I authored, produced by African Youth for Transitional Justice (AY4TJ) in collaboration with Impunity Watch.
The Core Question
The brief explores what intergenerational justice truly demands — not just legal redress, but the repair of memory, dignity, and emotional sovereignty. Anchored in the AU Transitional Justice Policy, it asks: What does justice feel like?
Because memory matters. Grief matters.
What This Brief Explores
Reparations are often framed purely in legal or financial terms. But this brief takes a different approach — one that centres psychosocial healing as an essential dimension of justice. True reparations must address:
Memory and Acknowledgement
Justice begins with truth. Communities must be able to name their harm and have it recognized by institutions.
Dignity Repair
Beyond financial compensation, reparations must restore the dignity that was stripped through historical harm.
Emotional Sovereignty
Communities deserve the right to process their grief on their own terms, not the state's timeline.
Intergenerational Justice
The harm of the past continues to live in the present. Reparations must address this continuity.
Read & Access
Download the Policy Brief (PDF)
Read the Op-Ed
"What does justice feel like? Because memory matters. Grief matters. And reparations that do not heal are not reparations at all."
— Steven HarageibWebinar — Save the Date
Tuesday, 28 October 2025
12:00 – 13:30 CEST
Join us for a live discussion on the findings of this brief and the future of reparations justice in Namibia.
