The UN observes the first International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. CARICOM calls for monument at the Headquarters.
By Reinaldo Velandia
To honour the memory of those who died as a result of slavery and those who have been exposed to the horrors of the “Middle Passage” and have fought for freedom from enslavement, the United Nations held its first observance of the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade on 26 March 2008.
Clockwise from right to left: Logo of The Transatlantic Slave Trade (TST) Education Project; Danish students recreate conditions in the hold of a slave ship, 2002; A re-enactment of "the journey of no return" (Badagry, Nigeria, 1999); Pupils at the UNESCO ASPnet school, Benin, beside their mural of the project (Photo: UNESCO)
Following the commemorative ceremony, held at UN Headquarters under the theme “Breaking the Silence—Lest We Forget”, organized by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the African Union, the United States Permanent Mission to the UN and the UN Department of Public Information (DPI), a press conference was held. Participating were: Augustine P. Mahiga of the United Republic of Tanzania, representative of the Chairman of the African Union, Christopher Fitzherbert Hackett of Barbados, Chairman of CARICOM, Congressman Donald Payne of the United States, and renowned actor and human rights activist Harry Belafonte, UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Goodwill Ambassador.
Mr Hackett welcomed the fact that CARICOM’s proposal to celebrate the day annually had become a reality. He emphasized the need for a monument in the halls of the UN Headquarters to help remember the victims of slavery. To create this memorial, a fund had been established and a committee chaired by the Permanent Representative of Dominica to the United Nations was expected to have its first meeting soon.
Mr. Mahiga mentioned that apart from raising awareness and showing solidarity with the victims of the slave trade, the Day of Remembrance should be an occasion for Africa to strengthen its historical links with African descendants living in the Americas. He said that this was also an opportunity to address all other evils related to all kinds of discrimination and human rights violations. Africa still suffers from poverty, disease and ignorance. “I hope this message would be heard on both sides of the Atlantic and help to gather the skills, support and resources in the Americas to help the African continent”, Mr. Mahiga said.
Mr. Belafonte stated that although a lot had been promised and accomplished, it was still very important to inform and educate the younger generations about the transatlantic slave trade, in order to avoid repeating the horrors of the past. Slavery still existed under new forms and names, he said, among them was poverty. “Slavery has changed, people are not shackled anymore, but the mentality of slavery still exists in our society”, Mr. Belafonte added. “In that context, words like ‘globalization’ and ‘free trade’ described, in fact, a free-for-all for the very rich to exploit the very poor. It was necessary to talk very seriously and deeply about that phenomenon.”
Mr. Belafonte recalled that after the 2001 Durban Conference, many countries in Latin America, including Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil and Nicaragua, created commissions and various organizations to study the heritage and contributions that Afro-Latinos made to their societies. He remarked that there was still a great distance between the realities of slavery, much of which still continued to plague the world, and the nuances of people’s daily lives. He reiterated the importance of educating the younger generations and the engagement of communities in the efforts to invest in young people.
Mr. Payne remarked: “On this day, we want to acknowledge the tragedy of slavery and recognize the legacy of those who died on their forced way to America. We also rededicate ourselves to addressing modern-day slavery and other injustices around the world.” He mentioned the creation of a commission in the United States Congress to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade. “One of the objectives of the commission would be to promote debates about the transatlantic slave trade and its impact on and contribution to our society”, Mr. Payne explained.
Remarking on the need to put more effort into education and research, Mr. Mahiga stressed the importance of the creation of forums to encourage dialogue between the African descendants living in the Americas and in the African continent in order to better understand each other and to cooperate in the development of the African continent.
