New Delhi: The International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition, a day of profound historical significance, is observed on August 23 every year. This date, designated by UNESCO, honours the transatlantic slave trade and marks the beginning of an uprising on the island of Saint Domingue (now Haiti) on August 22 to 23, 1791. This pivotal event led to the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade, a momentous step in human history.
This day aims to commemorate the tragic history of the slave trade and promote collective reflection on its historical causes, methods, and consequences. It also provides an opportunity to analyse the intercontinental interactions stemming from this tragedy involving Africa, Europe, the Americas, and the Caribbean. The day was initiated following the adoption of resolution 29 C/40 by UNESCO’s General Conference during its 29th session.
Every year, UNESCO Member States hold events on a specific date. These events aim to involve young people, educators, artists, and intellectuals. They are part of UNESCO’s “The Slave Route” project, which focuses on the historical causes, methods, and consequences of slavery. The goal is to collectively recognise and analyse the interactions that led to the transatlantic slave trade between Africa, Europe, the Americas, and the Caribbean.
In this article, let us look at what UNESCO’s ‘The Routes of Enslaved Peoples’ project is.
The Routes of Enslaved Peoples
The UNESCO “Routes of Enslaved Peoples: Resistance, Liberty and Heritage” Programme has been active since 1994. Its contributions include the development of high-level scientific networks, innovative knowledge production, and support for memory initiatives related to slavery, its abolition, and the resistance it inspired.
At an international level, this UNESCO programme has been instrumental in breaking the silence surrounding the history of slavery and ensuring that this tragic part of world history is preserved in universal memory.
Goals
The UNESCO programme aims to significantly reshape our perspectives by dismantling the ideologies that justified racial discrimination, celebrating the achievements and contributions of individuals of African descent to the advancement of society as a whole, and critically evaluating the enduring social, cultural, and economic disparities stemming from historical injustices.
Every year on August 23, International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition is observed, and the day aims to raise awareness about the horrific nature of the slave trade and remind people about the transatlantic slave trade and its impact. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
