The International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition was commemorated on 23 August 2004. This date refers to the beginning of the 1791 slave revolt led by Toussaint L’Ouverture on the island of Saint Domingue, which ended in 1804 with the creation of the first Black republic, Haiti. Commemorating the bicentenary of that struggle against slavery, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2004 the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition.
On this International Day, we reflect on the historical causes and consequences of slavery and the slave trade, which disrupted the lives of millions of human beings, uprooted from their land and deported in the most inhuman conditions. However, in the face of unimaginable pain and suffering, it also brought about cultural exchanges that deeply influenced social relations, beliefs and knowledge systems on several continents. In the continuing fight against racial prejudices and ideologies of intolerance and hatred, we acknowledge the major cultural impact of the victims of slavery on the civilizations of the world, as we promote a dialogue of cultures respectful of diversity based on the values of equality and tolerance.
Below are related articles from the UN Chronicle and its online edition, as well as educational links that are particularly relevant to slavery and racial discrimination.
LINKS RELATED TO STRUGGLE AGAINST SLAVERY AND
RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
LINKS RELATED TO STRUGGLE AGAINST SLAVERY AND
RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
>> Rescued from Horror — UN Works
>> Racial Discrimination — UN Cyberschoolbus
>> Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
>> International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
>> 2004 Slavery Abolition Year — UNESCO
>> ASPnet Transatlantic Slave Trade (TST) Project
These stories and more can be found at UN Chronicle online at www.un.org/chronicle. The UN Chronicle print edition is published by the Department of Public Information of United Nations in English and French, and co-published in Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Spanish. It is not an official record; the views expressed in individual articles do not necessarily imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations.
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