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AGAINST SLAVERY AND THE SLAVE TRADE |
| 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 the struggle against slavery and racial discrimination. 1950 Ralph Bunche: 'Nation shall not rise up against nation ?' (Issue 3, 2003) By Nuchhi R. Currier http://www.un.org/Pubs/chronicle/2003/issue3/0303p37.asp Slaves' Fight For Freedom Remembered http://www.un.org/Pubs/chronicle/2002/issue3/082202_breaking_silence.html Committee On Elimination Of Racial Discrimination Opens Summer Session http://www.un.org/Pubs/chronicle/2002/issue3/080602_committee_racial_discrimination.html RightsWatch: Breaking Down Borders By Zahra Sethna (Articles from Issue 3, 2002) http://www.un.org/Pubs/chronicle/2002/issue3/0302p57_article_13.html Durban Conference against Racism (Issue 4, 2001) http://www.un.org/Pubs/chronicle/2001/issue4/0104p53.html A Vast, Afflicted Landscape (Issue 2, 2001) By Michael E. Sherifis, Chairman, Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination http://www.un.org/Pubs/chronicle/2001/issue2/0102p27.htm Defending... The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Issue 4, 1998) By Dumitru Mazilu, former Vice President of Romania http://www.un.org/Pubs/chronicle/1998/issue4/498p17.htm LINKS RELATED TO STRUGGLE AGAINST SLAVERY AND RACIAL DISCRIMINATION Rescued from Horror - UN Works http://www.un.org/works/women/women5.html Racial Discrimination - Cyberschoolbus http://cyberschoolbus.un.org/discrim/race.asp Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) http://www.unhchr.ch/ International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/d_icerd.htm 2004 Slavery Abolition Year - UNESCO http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php-URL_ID=13974&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.HTML ASPnet Transatlantic Slave Trade (TST) Project http://www.unesco.org/education/asp/flagship/tst.shtml |