BySCEME
23 August: International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and of its Abolition
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| © www.unslaverymemorial.org – Allegory of the Transatlantic Slave Trade route |
Today is the International Day for the Remembrance of the slave trade and of its Abolition. On 23 August each year, UNESCO pays tribute to the women, men and children who fought this oppression. The date is significant because, during the night of August 22 to August 23, 1791, a slave rebellion began in Santo Domingo (the Island containing present-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic). This revolt was instrumental in the abolition of one of the most extreme violations of human rights in the history of humanity.It marked the beginning of the destruction of the slavery system, the slave trade and colonialism.
This Day gives people a chance to think about the historic causes and the consequences of slave tradeand it pays tribute to those who worked hard to abolish slave trade and slavery throughout the world. It’s also the perfect day to remind us that slavery still exists today. Far from being a thing of the past, the issue of slavery and the slave trade concerns us all.
On this Day of Commemoration, SCEMEwants to join the UNESCO initiative and invites people around the world to fight against contemporary forms of slavery of which 27 million of human beings (and probably even more) are still victims.