Restorative Justice, Humanitarian Rhetorics, and Public Memories of Colonial Camp Cultures

The abuses and atrocities committed against indigenous populations during the colonial era are coming back to haunt the old imperial powers. As the idea of retributive justice becomes increasingly popular, former colonizing countries such as Britain, Spain and the Netherlands are being held to account for the crimes committed against native populations through lawsuits and national apologies which have required them to confront some of the more grim aspects of their imperial past. This comparative study explores attitudes towards the existence of Spanish, American and British concentration camps at the turn of the 20th Century. Through a critical genealogical study of these camp cultures, this text explores how imperialists and anti-imperialists have justified and condemned these camps and analyses the continued debate on their legality, legitimacy and necessity. Crucially, the study looks at current disputes between those who wish to revive memories of the struggles faced by Cuban guerillas, the Boers and the Herero and Nama communities who were the victim of such horrendous atrocities and those who against calls for restorative justice for these crimes.