23-August International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition:

When did International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition Declared?

The night of 22 to 23 August 1791, in Santo Domingo (these days Haiti and the Dominican Republic) saw the beginning of the uprising that could play a vital function in the Abolition of the transatlantic slave trade.

Against this background, the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition is venerated on 23 August each year.

Purpose of this Day:

This International Day is supposed to inscribe the tragedy of the slave alternate in the memory of all peoples. By the dreams of the intercultural venture “The Slave Route,” it ought to offer a possibility for collective consideration of the historical causes, the techniques and the results of this tragedy, and for an analysis of the interactions to which it has given upward thrust between Africa, Europe, the Americas, and the Caribbean.

The Director-General of UNESCO invites the Ministers of Culture of all Member States to prepare activities every year on that date regarding the entire populace in their country, significantly younger human beings, educators, artists, and intellectuals.

Celebration of the Day:

International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition become first celebrated in several international locations, especially in Haiti (23 August 1998) and Goree in Senegal (23 August 1999). Cultural activities and debates, too, had been prepared. The year 2001 noticed the participation of the Mulhouse Textile Museum in France within the form of a workshop for fabrics called “Indiennes de Traite” (a kind of calico), which served as foreign money for the trade of slaves within the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

Circular CL/3494 of 29 July 1998 from the Director-General to Ministers of Culture invites all the Member States to arrange events to mark 23 August every year.

Audrey Azoulay, Director-General, Message on the occasion of the International Day for Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition:

“On 23 August this year, we honour the memory of the men and women who, in Saint- Domingue in 1791, revolted and paved the way for the end of slavery and dehumanization. We honour their memory and that of all the other victims of the slave trade and slavery, for whom they stand. Once and for all, it is time to abolish human exploitation and to recognize the equal and unconditional dignity of each and every individual on Earth. Today, let us remember the victims and freedom fighters of the past so that they may inspire future generations to build just societies.”