In view of the ignorance or concealment of major historical events that constitutes an obstacle to mutual understanding, reconciliation and cooperation amongst peoples, UNESCO embarked on a project that aims at breaking the silence surrounding the slave trade and slavery. For nearly 25 years, a rich diversity of projects and publications have been developed and brought forward under the leadership of UNESCO. Here are some of such endeavours:
UNESCO Routes of Enslaved Peoples
Launched in 1994 in Ouidah, Benin, on a proposal from Haiti, “the Slave Route project: Resistance, Liberty, Heritage” pursues the following objectives:
- Contribute to a better understanding of the causes, forms of operation, stakes and consequences of slavery in the world (Africa, Europe, the Americas, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, Middle East and Asia);
- Highlight the global transformations and cultural interactions that have resulted from this history;
- Contribute to a culture of peace by promoting reflection on cultural pluralism, intercultural dialogue and the construction of new identities and citizenships.
International Scientific Committee of Routes of Enslaved Peoples
The International Scientific Committee of the Routes of Enslaved Peoples was established in 1994 by UNESCO. Its role is to advise UNESCO on the implementation of the project with regard to the development of educational materials and programmes, the advancement of research into various aspects of the slave trade and slavery, as well as the formation of new partnerships to promote the project’s objectives. Some meetings of the committee include:
- Port-Louis, Republic of Mauritius, 27-29 November 2017
- Cidade Velha, Cabo Verde, 26-27 October 2015
- Mexico City, Mexico, 19-21 November 2014
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 18-20 November 2013
International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024)
This Decade, for which the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) was designated as the lead agency, aims to strengthen actions and measures to ensure the full realization of the economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights of people of African descent, and their full and equal participation in society.
Under the theme “Recognition, Justice and Development”, the Decade provides an operational framework to encourage States to eradicate social injustices inherited from history and to fight against racism, prejudice and racial discrimination to which people of African descent are still subjected.
National Museum of African American History and Culture
“The African American experience is the lens through which we understand what it is to be an American.”, says Lonnie Bunch III, the Founding Director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. The museum is the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history, and culture.
Legacies of Slavery: A Resource Book for Managers of Sites and Itineraries of Memory
This Guide is the result of a collective effort that brought together historians, specialists of memory routes and managers of historical sites. It was prepared within the Social and Human Sciences Sector, in the Policies and Programmes Division, the History and memory for Dialogue Section, under the supervision of Ali Moussa Iye, Chief of Section and coordinator of the Slave Route Project: Resistance, Liberty, Heritage.
“Mass Atrocity and Collective Healing: New Possibilities for Regenerating Communities”, edited by Scherto Gill
This Special Issue of Journal of Genocide Studies and Prevention brings together five articles from different disciplines. It aims to contribute to the emergent critical voices in research about collective trauma and collective healing by introducing novel perspectives and inviting further debates on the relevant issues evoked. For this reason, the Special Issue focuses on collective healing through a number of prisms. First, it delves into the notions of wounding and trauma, with a view to advance a well-argued theoretical framework for understanding collective healing. Second, it identifies underlying ethical pillars for collective healing, especially the principles of equality and well-being that affirm human dignity founded on our intrinsic non-instrumental value as persons. Third, it interrogates one of the deeply seated root causes of transatlantic slavery, and establishes a connection between capitalist expansion and systematic subjugation of human beings to brutal forces for the sake of materialistic production and wealth accumulation. Thus, this Special Issue attempts to survey historical dehumanisation in some of the mass atrocities, probe their continued legacies in contemporary societies in Africa, Europe, and the Americas, and highlight some of the political, psycho-social and grassroots approaches to collect healing in various contexts. In doing so, it further reflects on the conceptual, methodological and structural challenges involved when moving towards collective healing.
Healing the Wounds of History
Healing the Wounds of History (HWH) programmes were essentially different experiential journeys through which people become more aware that unresolved past wounds can continue to drive us to violence. These are often well-established innovative approaches to healing, including the use of drama, storytelling, constellation work, deep spiritual reflection, expressive arts and so forth. The HWH programmes in Lebanon 2011-2017 were co-sponsored by Guerrand-Hermès Foundation for Peace, and the training workshops were provided by Centre for Lebanese Studies.
Articles on Mass Trauma and Collective Healing
To be better informed about the complexity of mass trauma such as trans-Atlantic slave trade and slavery, and challenges of addressing its legacy, we have commissioned a number of relevant articles on these topics.