We must better recognize and remember the millions of African men, women and children who were captured, deported to the Americas and then exploited to supply Europe with sugar, coffee, indigo and cotton.
Audrey AzoulayUNESCO's Director-General on Monday at an event honouring the victims of slavery in New York.
As UNESCO celebrates the thirtieth anniversary of its 'Routes of Enslaved Peoples' programme, created in 1994 on the initiative of Benin and Haiti, Audrey Azoulay seeks to create fresh impetus for the essential work of remembering and educating future generations about 'one of the greatest crimes in the history of humanity, which still affects entire communities'.
With the support of Brazil, Colombia, Congo, France, Jamaica and the Netherlands, UNESCO will set up a twinning network for sites and museums of memory of slavery in Africa, the Americas and Europe. It will create opportunities for interaction and cooperation between people on either side of the Atlantic, in the form of festivals and events, school exchanges and virtual visits, and the sharing of best practice between professionals.
By bringing together these historically linked sites, UNESCO hopes to raise their profile among the general public, and promote a better global understanding of the history of slavery, particularly among younger generations. For the same reason, Audrey Azoulay has called on governments 'to give greater prominence to the history of slavery in school textbooks and curricula'.
An alliance of university chairs
To continue to advance knowledge of these historical events and their impact on contemporary societies, UNESCO will also be setting up an alliance of university chairs. It will bring together researchers from the three continents to focus on priority issues such as the fight against racism and discrimination against people of African descent.
Since the 1960s, UNESCO has pioneered the search for a new narrative on the African continent and the suffering associated with slavery, writing the General History of Africa. This multi-volume work, which involved more than 230 historians, continues to be a benchmark in scientific research. The 9th volume was published in 2023.
UNESCO also works to recognize and protect places of memory of slavery, as demonstrated by the inclusion of Senegal's Gorée Island, and Jamaica's Blue Mountains and John Crow Mountains on the World Heritage List. Today, these are important places of education for local communities.
About UNESCO
With 194 Member States, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization contributes to peace and security by leading multilateral cooperation on education, science, culture, communication and information. Headquartered in Paris, UNESCO has offices in 54 countries and employs over 2300 people. UNESCO oversees more than 2000 World Heritage sites, Biosphere Reserves and Global Geoparks; networks of Creative, Learning, Inclusive and Sustainable Cities; and over 13 000 associated schools, university chairs, training and research institutions. Its Director-General is Audrey Azoulay.
"Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed" - UNESCO Constitution, 1945.
