Day 1: Friday, 20 November 2026

DAY 1: Friday, 20 November 2026 at Harare International Convention Center

Introduction to the Day & Conference Overview by Elvira Dyangani Ose, Chair of the 2026 Content Steering Committee, and CIMAM Board member.

Good Museum Practice

"Best practices" has long been defined by Western institutional norms, but in a world of asymmetrical power and cultural plurality, what does “best” mean, and for whom? Might “good practices” – implying effectiveness, adaptability, and context specificity – offer a better ethical framework? This session reconsiders the foundations of museum ethics and governance from multiple perspectives: Indigenous and community-based museologies, African and diasporic models of stewardship, and frameworks that prioritize care, reciprocity, and sustainability over ownership and authority. We will reflect on what it means to build institutions that do not merely preserve culture but genuinely embody cultural care as practice – in conservation, interpretation, and collaboration.

Keynote Speaker: Gabi Ngcobo, Director, Kunstinstituut Melly, Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Conference delegates will take part in Breakout Sessions exploring the following themes:

• The Museum as Ecosystem: Interdependence, Maintenance, and Mutual Aid
• Museums and Policy: Negotiating National, Regional, and Global Responsibilities
• The Economics of Ethics: Funding, Transparency, and the Political Will
• Collections in Motion: Repatriation, Restitution, and Rebuilding Trust

Chronist: Meleko Mokgosi, Contemporary Artist and Yale Associate Professor, Yale University, Wellesley, United States.

The Chronist will offer an interpretative reading of the day’s key discussions and insights, weaving together reflections from the keynote lectures and breakout sessions.