Slave route project, no. 4 - unesdoc
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Slave route project, no. 4 - unesdoc
SLAVE ROUTE PROJECT Newsletter N° 4 What Next for the Slave Route? nature of the project, which stands at the crossroads of history and memory, at the intersection between scientific research, policy-making and social action. Building on its achievements and breaking new ground by exploring new themes, new geographical areas and new lines of action are the two primary strategic axes for the four years to come. This issue, therefore, provides an update on the project’s directions and main achievements. It reports on the initiatives launched by various partners, without whom the Slave Route Project would never have had such an impact. It also previews some of the activities planned for 2007, marking the abolition of the slave trade by Great Britain, which will afford another opportunity for in-depth discussion on slaves’ resistance movements, the abolition processes, the transition to colonial exploitation and the system’s enduring consequences. This opportunity must be taken in order to give this crime against humanity its rightful place in collective memories, research work, school textbooks, museums and on the political agendas and screens of the countries concerned. TABLE OF CONTENTS What Next for the Slave Route ......................................................................................... 1 Latest News of the Slave Route Project ........................................................................... 2 New Strategy, New Perspectives ....................................................................................... 2 Ongoing Activities ................................................................................................................. 4 Commemoration of the Bicentenary of the UK Slave Trade Abolition ........................................................................................ 5 Spotlight on Activities in the Indian Ocean ..................................................................... 8 2006 initiatives supported by the Slave Route Project .............................................11 Activities Granted the Slave Route Project label .........................................................13 Latest Publications ..............................................................................................................14 Portrait of Two Activists of the African Diaspora in Asia ...........................................14 Focus on a Partner’s Activities .........................................................................................15 Looking Ahead ....................................................................................................................15 Ali Moussa Iye Chief Section of Intercultural Dialogue In charge of the Slave Route Project From the Exposition TEXTURES, Michael Ravassard © UNESCO The fourth issue of the Slave Route Project newsletter marks the inception of a new phase in the project’s development. The 2004 celebration of the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition brought to a close and, in a sense, crowned the first phase of the project. By placing the issue of the slave trade and slavery on the international agenda as a tragedy not only for people of African ancestry but for the whole of humanity, the Slave Route Project has managed to break through the wall of silence and shame built up around one of the greatest tragedies in human history. The first ten years were, above all, a period of exploration that served to determine the scale of research to conduct, the lack of knowledge to address, the frustrations to dispel. In view of the interest aroused and the growing number of initiatives, it was necessary to reposition the project, find its niche and redefine its value. An external evaluation was thus conducted in 2005 by a multidisciplinary team to take stock of progress in order to understand the problems involved in attending to this harrowing memory and to revise the project’s priorities. The evaluation’s highly encouraging conclusions as well as the insight it provided into the expectations of the population groups most affected have been instrumental in the formulation of a new strategy for the project. Adopted by the Slave Route Project’s International Scientific Committee – now restructured to make it more operational – the new strategy reflects the distinctive THE SLAVE ROUTE Latest News of the Slave Route Project Project evaluation: Encouragement for future actions 2 The 2004 celebration of the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition offered an opportunity to review the project’s first ten years (1994 to 2004). Following the request of UNESCO Member States, the Swedish company Andante conducted an external evaluation in 2005. The evaluation commended the considerable impact made by the project despite its limited budget and highlighted the project’s efforts to fulfil UNESCO’s role in developing and disseminating knowledge. The most important finding was that the silence has been broken. As a result of associated research activities to collect oral histories, traditions and folklore, a substantial amount of information is available today on the slave trade and its effects in Africa. Likewise, this research has raised awareness on the contributions of African slaves to their host societies, especially in the Americas and the Caribbean. In addition to their positive comments regarding local research initiatives, the evaluators noted the project’s work to draw international attention to the overall phenomenon of African enslavement and its consequences. There are now more books published in English, French and Spanish as well as new scientific journals. These advances mean that historians studying world systems can no longer neglect the slave trade, as many did some decades ago. The evaluators also recognized the project’s educational outreach activities regarding human rights issues and intercultural sensitivities related to slavery. In particular, the project was commended for its production of multimedia resources, its support for cultural activities and its participation in the development of new museums and monuments in Africa, Europe, the Caribbean and the United States of America. Lastly, the evaluation underlined the central role played by the Slave Route Project at the 2001 Durban World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Related Intolerance and in the proclamation of 2004 as the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition. Commemoration activities took place in numerous countries. The commemorative year owes its success to the numerous seminars, newspaper articles and other media coverage, museum exhibitions, and other events often carried out with the assistance of the National Commissions for UNESCO. Challenges The assessment afforded an opportunity not only to reflect on past achievements, but also to identify challenges for the future. One of the project’s strengths is its capacity to mobilize researchers through its international network of partners. However, if the project is to continue to break new ground, it must take stock of the latest methodological and paradigmatic shifts in slavery research. This makes it necessary to include younger and up-and-coming researchers in the network, while maintaining ties with institutes and scholars that were essential for previous research contributions. Moreover, the project must broaden its focus from one centred on the past to one that links the history of slavery more directly to contemporary issues such as human rights, racism and contemporary forms of slavery and human trafficking. Concluding that the core objectives are still relevant for future activities, the evaluators made the following recommendations: (1) prepare guidelines for long-term involvement in research, advocacy and education; (2) restructure the project’s administration; (3) strengthen the intersectoral nature of its administration as well as its coordination with other United Nations agencies, in particular UNICEF and ILO, to address current human rights issues; (4) improve methods of historical research; (5) extend project activities beyond the transatlantic trade and address less explored themes; (6) modernize its outreach tools such as the Slave Route project website and publications. Visit our site at: www.unesco.org/culture/slaveroute New Strategy, New Perspectives The new strategy More than ten years after its launch in 1994, an external evaluation was conducted on the Slave Route Project and its conclusions have been used to plot a new course for its second phase. Adopted in February 2006 by the new International Scientific Committee, the aim of the strategy is to address three major concerns voiced by the various project partners: 1) strengthening of the understanding of the universal dimension of the slave trade; and 2) increasing awareness of its effects on modern societies, synergy, and mobilization of partnerships; and 3) improving the interdisciplinary and intersectoral approaches to the issue. The new strategy restates the project’s three original main goals. Furthermore, it redefi nes the project’s main lines of action as follows: the development of scientific research, the production of teaching materials, the promotion of living THE SLAVE ROUTE cultures and expressions derived from slave trade interactions, the preservation of archives and oral traditions relating to the tragedy, the inventory of sites, places and buildings of memory, the promotion of cultural tourism, and the recognition of contributions made by Africa and the African Diaspora to the rest of the world. In each of these lines of action, the strategy recommends a number of activities to increase the project’s impact, visibility and complementarity with other initiatives, such as introducing research fellowships to encourage young researchers, developing teaching materials at the sub-regional level and mapping sites of memory in every region. To better discern the full scale of the tragedy, the project’s activities are to be stepped up in regions that have received little attention, such as the Arab-Muslim world, Asia and Andean America. It also proposes to explore issues that have been given lesser attention thus far, such as the psychological effects of slavery, the management of memory in the societies derived from slavery, new forms of citizenship and actions to combat discrimination in those multicultural societies. To implement this ambitious strategy the roles and responsibilities of the project’s various partners must be clarified, the coordination of activities at UNESCO must be improved and a sound approach to partnership mobilization and communication must be adopted. Action has already been taken in some areas, such as the restructuring of the International Scientific Committee and the widening of geographical areas. For further information on the strategy, visit the website: www.unesco.org/culture/slaveroute Restructuring the Project’s International Scientific Committee The International Scientific Committee of the Slave Route Project (ISC) was established in 1994, following the adoption of resolution 27 C/ 3.13 by the 27th session of the General Conference. This advisory body convened for the first time in Ouidah, that same year, and has held six subsequent meetings in Cuba, Angola, Portugal, Italy and Brazil. Throughout its existence, the Committee has hosted some of the world’s most eminent scholars on African enslavement and the African Diaspora. Their counsel has provided crucial guidance for the project’s development and raised its international profile. As part of measures taken after the 2005 external evaluation, the ISC was restructured to better enable members to fulfi l their mission. The selection criteria sought to diversify the membership and ensure greater balance in the evaluation of new research areas, partners and publications. Each of its 20 members was appointed by the UNESCO Director-General and together they represent a multiplicity of languages, areas of expertise, institutional associations and countries or regions in Africa, the Americas, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, the Indian Ocean and the Arab-Muslim world. From 22 to 24 February 2006, the 20 members of the new Scientific Committee convened their inaugural meeting at UNESCO headquarters. In the spirit of information sharing, the meeting opened with a debate on the preservation of memory relating to slavery and the slave trades. It was also an occasion for the members to discuss the new directions for the project’s second phase and, in particular, to exchange ideas on how best to move forward in their roles as advisers, ambassadors and partners of the Slave Route Project. The Members of the New Scientific Committee Mr James Anquandah (Ghana) West African archaeologist and President of the Ghanaian Committee for the Slave Route Project Mr Miguel Barnet (Cuba) Writer, expert on Cuban folklore and cultural heritage and Vice-Chairperson of the Slave Route Project ISC Ms Aisha Bilkhair-Khalifa (United Arab Emirates) Sociologist and expert on Arab-African relations, Rapporteur of Slave Route Project ISC Mr Ubiratan Castro Araujo (Brazil) Historian, lawyer and specialist on AfroBrazilian heritage Ms Isabel Castro Henriques (Portugal) Coordinator of the Portuguese Committee for the Slave Route Project, historian of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade Mr Jocelyn Chan Low (Mauritius) Historian, former director of the Mauritian Cultural Centre and Rapporteur for the Slave Route Project ISC Mr Jean-Michel Deveau (France) Vice-Chairperson of the restructured ISC, historian of colonization and slavery, member of the Slave Route Project ISC since its inception Mr Quince Duncan (Costa Rica) Writer and human rights leader Ms Marta Beatriz Goldberg (Argentina) Specialist on the history Argentine society during the colonial and post-colonial periods Mr Laënnec Hurbon (Haiti) Coordinator of the Haitian Committee for the Slave Route Project Mr Paul E. Lovejoy (Canada) Historian specializing in the world history of slavery, Director of the “Nigerian Hinterland” project Mr Nestor N. Luanda (Tanzania) Historian and editor of the “Journal of the Historical Association of Tanzania” Ms Luz María Montiel (Mexico) Anthropologist and originator of the Afroamérica-La Tercera Raíz project Mr Rex Nettleford (Jamaica) President of the Slave Route Project ISC, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West Indies, founder of the National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica Mr Nicolas Ngou-Mvé (Gabon) Specialist on the history of Latin America Mr Kiran Kamal Prasad (India) Anthropologist and activist against forced labour and the exploitation of working children in Afro-Indian communities Ms Anne Remiche-Martynow (Belgium) Sociologist, filmmaker and radio producer Mr David Richardson (United Kingdom) Historian of the slave trade and its economic contribution to Atlantic triangle societies, Director of the Wilberforce Institute for the study of Slavery and Emancipation Ms Sheila S. Walker (United States) Expert on the African Diaspora and member of the Slave Route Project ISC since 1994 Ms Benigna Zimba (Mozambique) Historian, sociologist and Vice-President of the Slave Route Project ISC 3 THE SLAVE ROUTE Ongoing Activities Tracing routes of memory in the Caribbean A project designed to identify and preserve «Places of Memory for the Slave Route in the Caribbean» was launched in May 2006 in Havana (Cuba) at a meeting organized by the UNESCO Regional Office for Culture in Latin America and the Caribbean, in close cooperation with the Slave Route Project. The meeting, held from 17 to 19 May 2006, brought together experts and representatives from the region (Haiti, Cuba, Dominican Republic and Aruba) to discuss a strategy aimed at disseminating knowledge on tangible and intangible heritage related to the transatlantic slave trade and slavery and their major impact on the history of the Caribbean. Drawing on the experience of other regions, the participants established a set of methods and criteria for identifying, recording, evaluating, preserving and publicizing features and vestiges, such as places, sites, buildings and objects, which bear witness to this tragic history. A team will be set up in each country to conduct such research and in order to raise public awareness on the importance of the past for understanding Caribbean societies. The research findings, whose aim will be to highlight the shared heritage of the peoples of the region, will be used to map routes of memory in the Caribbean. For further information, contact Frederic Vacheron, f.vacheron@unesco.org UNESCO Office in Havana 4 DVD on «Slave Routes»: A Global Vision As part of the new strategy’s emphasis on making better use of technological outreach tools, the Slave Route Project is developing an educational DVD “Slave Routes: A Global Vision”, to present the histories and diverse heritages stemming from the global phenomenon of African enslavement. Aimed at a general audience, the film’s compilation of images, footage, interviews with experts in the field and historical narration will provide an overview of African displacements through slavery. Its scope moves beyond the trauma of slavery to exemplify its victims’ struggle for human dignity through acts of resistance and the eventual abolition of slavery – an achievement which remains today a crucial reminder of the power of grassroots organization and global humanitarianism. Through a visual exploration of the African Diaspora’s multiplicity of cultures, spiritual and artistic expressions and the introduction of technology and knowledge from their original communities into new enviHaiti. Mélodi in front of Sans-Soucis Castle © K.M. Pagé ronments, the film will also show how African slaves and their descendants helped to shape the modern world. An excerpt of the documentary is scheduled to be shown at the 2007 Zanzibar International Film Festival. (Please see p. XI) From Oblivion to Memory in Central America This project proposal is a follow-up to two initiatives organized by the UNESCO Office for Central America: a workshop on Raising Awareness of Slavery and its Impact on Present Society, held in Panama in August 2004; and a Sub-regional Workshop on Afro-descendents, organized in San José in August 2005. The project aims to break the silence that has prevailed in Central America on the subject of slavery. It will initially compile existing historical analyses of the causes and dynamics of the trade in slaves, their strategies to gain freedom and the role of African people and Afrodescendants in the construction of regional societies. This subject has been ignored and obscured within official Central American history and altogether excluded from school textbooks. This proposal is the fruit of the proactive dynamic created by those working in civil society sector that are concerned about the rights and social conditions of Afro-descendants in Central America. As part of their struggle for the recognition of rights, various organizations working together at the national coalition and federated at the regional level by ONECA (La Organización Negra Centroamericana) have called for priority to be given to the creation of educational resources that acknowledge the history of Afrodescendants. The project will produce a series of didactic materials to train teachers and to lobby government institutions in the education field, the ultimate goal being the integration of the role THE SLAVE ROUTE of Afro-Central American people into the official history taught formally in education centres. Meetings for researchers and leaders will be held in the second half of 2007, in cooperation with the Social Science Research Institute (University of Costa Rica) and ONECA. For more information, please contact Virginie Accatcha, v.accatcha@unesco.org UNESCO Office in San José Commemoration of the Bicentenary of the UK Slave Trade Abolition 2007: Focus on Commemoration of the Bicentenary 25 March 2007 marks the two-hundredth anniversary of the Parliamentary Bill passed to abolish the slave trade in the former British Empire. The 1807 parliamentary ratification of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act was the culmination of years of grass-roots activism, research and political lobbying by a broad coalition of former slaves, religious and political leaders including the British Antislavery Association, and everyday citizens who believed that the Enlightenment principles of humanity and universal liberty were applicable to all. In response to the mobilization of public support in 1806 long-time anti-slavery campaigner William Wilberforce and Charles Fox lobbied the House of Commons to end the slave trade while Lord Grenville sought support for the measure in the House of Lords. One year later, the Parliament passed the 1807 bill, which criminalized British involvement in the trade. In December 2006, a United Nations resolution, introduced by Caribbean countries and supported by the British Government was adopted to commemorate the importance of the Bicentenary of this pivotal event in the advancement of global humanitarianism and to organize activities throughout 2007. A number of initiatives and activities in Britain and various Commonwealth States will raise awareness on the history of the slave trade, its effects and the existence of forms of servitude today. On the following page, we would like to highlight several events planned with the support of the SLR project. (4) A student and teacher contest to encourage students to actively participate in events aimed at breaking the silence on the tragedy. Drama and exhibition “Turning the Tables”: London and the Slavery Legacy Touring in the United Kingdom, South Africa and Barbados (under discussion – Bahamas, Jamaica and Ghana). In close cooperation with the Museum of London, Iziko Museums (South Africa), the Barbados Museum, the Historical Society in Bridgetown and the Museum in Docklands (London) will mount a travelling exhibition of museum objects associated with the abolitionists Buxton, Wilberforce, Macaulay (second Governor of Freetown) and Lushington. The exhibition will be accompanied by a play by leading playwright John Matshikiza on the abolition of slavery and the contemporary themes of human rights and freedom. The intention is to use these events as a catalyst to shed light on the part played by ordinary men and women in the United Kingdom, both black and white, as well as actions taken by enslaved Africans to overcome their oppressors. 2007 Bicentenary Activities Activities sponsored by the Office of the Mayor of London (1) Unveiling of a Slavery Memorial Statue and the proclamation of Slavery Memorial Day. (2) Two major international conferences on the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade: political, historical, psychological, cultural, educational and ideological. (3) A major concert on 23 August to mark the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition. The Buxton Table, at which negotiations regarding abolition took place © Museum in Docklands (London) 5 THE SLAVE ROUTE Liverpool – Opening of the National Museum and Centre for the Understanding of Transatlantic Slavery On 23 August 2007, the International Day for Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition, National Museums Liverpool will inaugurate the International Slavery Museum, in commemoration of the bicentenary of the abolition of the British slave trade. The museum will expand its popular Transatlantic Gallery into a museum dedicated to global slavery. In a later phase (projected for 2010), it will establish a National Museum Centre for the Understanding of Transatlantic Slavery intended to house both a public-oriented resource and activity Libation Ceremony at Liverpool Pier Head 2004, Ron Davis © National Museums Liverpool 2004 6 centre and an academic research institute. The Centre will be an integral part of the visitor experience to the Slavery Museum. The museum and the resource centre will share premises with the Merseyside Maritime Museum at Liverpool’s Albert Dock, a UNESCO world heritage site. The Joseph Project, Ghana In 2007, year of the 50th anniversary of the Ghana’s independence, the Ghanaian Government intends to celebrate African excellence and to inaugurate “The Joseph Project”. The project was conceived by the Ghanaian Ministry of Tourism, which oversees activities implemented by the National Committee for the Slave Route Project. It aims to consolidate relations between the Diaspora and Africa, fostering healing and reconciliation through a reflection on the impact of this tragic past on both Africans and descendants while, equally, looking forward to new paths to development. In addition to its celebration of the country’s independence, the Joseph Project will commemorate the bicentenary of the abolition of the Slave Trade in the United Kingdom. Within this framework, Ghana will spearhead a series of activities, actions and interactions to re-establish Africa as a continent for all its peoples, both current citizens and descendants within the Diaspora. THE SLAVE ROUTE Adoption of UN General Assembly Resolution for 2007 At the initiative of the Jamaican Government, the UN General Assembly at its 61st session adopted the Resolution 217A (III) to commemorate the bicentenary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade. 2007 marks 200 years since the UK Parliament passed the 1807 Bill to abolish the slave trade in the former British Empire. Throughout the year, a number of initiatives and activities in Britain and various Commonwealth States are planned to take place throughout the year in collaboration with the UNESCO Slave Route Project to raise awareness on the history of the slave trade, its effects and the existence of forms of servitude today. 1 Resolution 217 A (III). A/61/L.28 06-62313 2 Recalling that the trans-Atlantic slave trade, which operated between the fifteenth and late nineteenth centuries, involved the forced transportation of millions of Africans as slaves, mostly from West Africa to the Americas, thereby enriching the imperial empires of the time, Honouring the memory of those who died as a result of slavery, including through exposure to the horrors of the middle passage and in revolt against and resistance to enslavement, Recognizing that the slave trade and slavery are among the worst violations of human rights in the history of humanity, bearing in mind particularly their scale and duration, Deeply concerned that it has taken the international community almost two hundred years to acknowledge that slavery and the slave trade are a crime against humanity and that they should always be deemed so, Recalling that slavery and the slave trade were declared a crime against humanity by the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, held in Durban, South Africa, from 31 August to 8 September 2001, Acknowledging that the slave trade and the legacy of slavery are at the heart of situations of profound social and economic inequality, hatred, bigotry, racism and prejudice, which continue to affect people of African descent today, Recalling paragraphs 98 through 106 of the Durban Declaration and emphasizing, in particular, the importance of the “provision of effective remedies, recourse, redress, and compensatory and other measures at the national, regional and international levels” aimed at countering the continued impact of slavery and the slave trade, Recognizing the knowledge gap that exists with regard to the consequences created by the slave trade and slavery, and with regard to the interactions, past and present, generated among the peoples of Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas, including the Caribbean, Welcoming the work of the International Scientific Committee of the Slave Route Project of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, which aims to correct this knowledge gap, and looks forward to its report in due course, Recalling resolution 28 adopted by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization at its thirty-first session, proclaiming 2004 as the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition, and recalling also 23 August as that Organization’s International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition, Noting that 2007 will mark the two-hundredth anniversary of the abolition of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, which contributed significantly to the abolition of slavery, 1. Decides to designate 25 March 2007 as the International Day for the Commemoration of the Two-hundredth Anniversary of the Abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade; 2. Urges Member States that have not already done so to develop educational programmes designed to educate and inculcate in future generations, including through school curricula, an understanding of the lessons, history and consequences of slavery and the slave trade; 3. Decides to convene, on 25 March 2007, a special commemorative meeting of the General Assembly on the International Day for the Commemoration of the Two-hundredth Anniversary of the Abolition of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade; 4. Requests the Secretary-General to establish a programme of outreach, with the involvement of Member States and civil society, including non-governmental organizations, to appropriately commemorate the two-hundredth anniversary of the abolition of the trans-Atlantic slave trade; 5. Also requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its sixty-second session a special report on initiatives taken by States to implement paragraphs 101 and 102 of the Durban Declaration aimed at countering the legacy of slavery and contributing to the restoration of the dignity of the victims of slavery and the slave trade. 7 THE SLAVE ROUTE Spotlight on Activities in the Indian Ocean Inventorying sites and places of memory 8 The project on the inventory of slavery-related sites and places of memory on the islands in the south-west Indian Ocean – Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion, Rodrigues and Seychelles – began in 2006, following a programme carried out in the region to compile oral traditions linked to the slave trade. The three-year programme, funded by UNESCO and led by the UNESCO Chair in Reunion, was concluded with the 2004 publication of its results and the proceedings of the international symposium, “Oral Memory and Slavery in the Islands of the South-Western Indian Ocean”. This preliminary work of cataloguing and preserving oral traditions has paved the way for current plans to produce a comprehensive inventory of places and sites of memory relating to the Indian Ocean slave trade, which will be instrumental in fi lling the gaps in written records. A common set of methods and criteria for the selection of places and sites was created in co-operation with regional experts so as to harmonise the work of the various research teams on each island. This methodical approach will better understand diverse aspects of the region’s slave trade and slavery, which must take into account the system of “indentured labour” introduced after slavery abolition. The inventory will make it possible to find previously unknown relics and slave markets, to map out routes of memory and to develop educational materials to teach island residents about slavery’s legacy. For more information, contact Tim Curtis, Programme Specialist at the UNESCO Office in Dar-es-Salaam: t.curtis@unesco.org Stelae of Memory 1663 – 2005, Saint Paul, Reunion © Sudel Fuma Marking the slave route in the Indian Ocean Launched in 2004 by the UNESCO Chair in Reunion with the support of the Slave Route Project, the goals of the Stelae of Memory project are to mark out the route of the Indian Ocean slave trade and shed light on the links between the Mascarene Islands, Madagascar, the African mainland and India. In 2004, two stelae designed by regional sculptors were erected and an endemic garden was planted in places of memory in both Fort Dauphin (Madagascar) and Saint Paul (Reunion) to symbolize the interwoven history of these two islands. A “garden of memory” has since been created as part of the project within the walls of an old slave warehouse on Mozambique Island – a UNESCO World Heritage site – to commemorate the historic ties between the Mascarene Islands and the African mainland. During the fourth phase of the Stelae of Memory project, a symbolic monument will be erected in 2008 in India, a country that was not only a destination for slaves but also a supply source, and became a hub of the slave and “coolie” trades. THE SLAVE ROUTE Castaway slaves of the Indian Ocean In October 2006 the Forgotten Slaves project, led by the underwater archaeological research group, GRAN (Groupe de recherche en archéologie navale), with the support of UNESCO and the Slave Route Project, entered its operational phase. Launched in 2004, the project aims to shed light on every aspect of a tragedy that unfolded after a French slaver, L’Utile, was shipwrecked off Tromelin Island in the Indian Ocean in 1761. The ship’s crew left a group of about sixty slaves on the island, promising to return for them. That promise was never kept and it was only fifteen years later that the survivors – seven women and an eight-month-old child – were found on the tiny island which had neither water nor any other resources. The archaeological excavations conducted on land and underwater were designed to retrace the history of the shipwreck and, above all, to learn more about the strategies and skills that the castaway slaves used to survive on that inhospitable, barren island. In addition to its undeniable scientific scope, the exploratory work was also a means to make as many people as possible aware, through education and the media, of the issues arising from slavery and its consequences. With this in mind, an online bulletin– accessible via the UNESCO web portal was posted daily during the three week operation so that visitors to the project’s website could follow the progress of the work. Thanks to special software schoolchildren in Reunion and elsewhere were able to take part in the operation, dialogue with the researchers and post their contributions online. Financial support for the three weeks of underwater excavations was provided by the corporate foundations of Groupe Banque Populaire and the Regional Council, General Council and Regional Department of Cultural Affairs of Reunion. For further information, visit the Utile website at: http://www.archeonavale.org/ Tromelin/ Student participants in Reunion of the Forgotten Slaves educational outreach activities © GRAN 9 THE SLAVE ROUTE Transport of Slaves to the Creole Islands from the 18th – 19th centuries in the South-West Indian Ocean F ro m s o u th -e as t Asia The map below shows the flow of slaves from the African mainland to Mauritius, Reunion, Rodrigues, the Seychelles and other small Creole islands in the Indian Ocean between 1690 and 1848. According to the estimates produced by the UNESCO Chair, in cooperation with the Laboratoire de Cartographie Appliquée at Reunion University, more than 1,160,000 victims were shipped to the islands. Size of slave population 650,000 500,000 10 300,000 100,000 10,000 Size of slave population removed in the period 1690-1848 Size of slave population unloaded in the period 1690-1848 Slave trade departure points Slave transport routes Slavery in Mauritius lasted from 1725 to 1835 This map was created by Sudel Fuma and cartographic engineers Bernard Remy and Emmanuel Marcade THE SLAVE ROUTE 2006 Initiatives supported by the Slave Route Project Bermuda Hosts African Diaspora Heritage Trail Conference The concept of the African Diaspora Heritage Trail (ADHT) is one of a unified cross-border cultural tourism initiative to educate visitors and enhance economic viability of African Diaspora countries. The ADHT Conference itself is a platform for forging long-term cooperation between the Caribbean, African nations, North America and South America. It represents a yearly opportunity for countries of the Diaspora, venues within the Diaspora and the best minds to gather annually to discuss heritage and cultural issues pertaining to tourism, culture, education, economic development and the improvement of the quality of life in host communities. Building on the momentum created at the fi rst conference in 2002, from 27 September to 1 October 2006, experts gathered in Hamilton, Bermuda, to discuss this year’s theme “Linking Our Future: From Philosophy to Practice in Heritage Destination Development”. Alongside the scholarly discussions on a range of social and historical topics, the international forum also offered participants an opportunity to report on the progress of their activities and exchange ideas for future initiatives. Much has been accomplished since 2002 when the Honourable David H. Allen, former Minister of Tourism in Bermuda, had a vision for scholars, historians and cultural activists throughout the African Diaspora to come together and create a plan to introduce and encourage travel throughout the “Heritage Trail” in Africa and the Caribbean. Under the UNESCO Slave Route Project’s Tourism of Memory Programme, the Bermudan Government undertook, in conformity with the UNESCO/WTO programme, the inventory of existing sites of memory in Bermuda, introduced a preservation policy and provided descriptive panels at each site, with an acknowledgement of the UNESCO Slave Route Project’s moral support. At the 2006 conference, participants were invited to experience the fruition of their efforts by taking part in the newly launched Bermuda Heritage Trail. The next ADHT Conference will be held at Nassau, Bahamas, in August 2007. Visit the website at www.adht.net Remembering slavery through film At the ninth Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF), held from 14 to 23 July 2006, the Slave Route Project organized a round table on “Images and memory of slavery: can cinema fathom the tragedy of the slave trade?” The purpose of the meeting was to integrate the issue of the slave trade and slavery within the themes at ZIFF. The location of the festival further boosted the impact and legitimacy of this event, for Zanzibar had long been a key site of the eastern slave trade, and the history of its importance for slave trafficking as well as various slavery systems that coexisted there is crucial to understanding that tragedy in the Indian Ocean. ZIFF thus afforded the Slave Route Project an excellent opportunity to relate the concerns of researchers to those of the film directors and producers interested in that tragic period of history. The round table – organized in cooperation with ZIFF, the Black Film Project, Iziko Museums of Cape Town and Radio France International (RFI) – examined the place of slavery in audiovisual productions and discussed the roles and responsibilities of filmmakers and audiovisual professionals in raising the awareness and in fulfilling the duty of remembrance of the tragedy. In light of the interest generated by the round table, the ZIFF organizers have decided to look into the possibility of instituting a “Slavery Prize” to be awarded to films providing especially enlightening insight into this tragedy. For more information: www.ziff.or.tz Women at the Plaza de Armas in Havana, Joanna Pinkteren © UNESCO 11 THE SLAVE ROUTE 50th Anniversary of Historic Black Writers and Artists Congress On 19 September 1956, visionaries from across the black world convened the First International Congress of Black Writers and Artists in the Descartes Amphitheatre at the Sorbonne, Paris. By bringing together such prestigious delegates as Alioune Diop, Aimé Césaire, Léopold Sédar Senghor and Richard Wright, the first congress gave a global status to black intellectualism, thereby preparing the way for liberation movements and cultural innovation worldwide. Fifty years later, scholars, activists, dignitaries and artists from Africa and the African Diaspora gathered in Paris to commemorate the 50th anniversary of that historic event and assess its legacy. The event’s patrons, including Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO; Aimé Césaire, writer and Honorary Mayor of Fort-de-France; Abdou Diouf, Secretary-General of the International Organization of Francophonie; Wole Soyinka, Writer, Nobel laureate and President of the African Community of Culture; and Henry Louis Gates Jr., Director, W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research were joined by other luminaries from across the globe, such as writers René Depestre and Edouard Glissant, Deputy for French Guyana Christine Taubira and Costa Rican congresswoman Epsy Campbell, in addition to a special video message from Aimé Césaire. During the four-day event, participants commended the strides made by the 1956 delegates and addressed the contemporary challenges of geopolitics, economic marginalization, cultural and linguistic diversity, gender inequality and the creation of new forms of solidarity in pursuit of universal human rights and citizenship. The conference also hosted cultural events, including a “Theatrical Evening” sponsored by France Culture and Organization of Francophonie, and the premiere screening of Bob Swaim’s documentary, “Lumières Noires”. The proceedings closed on a triumphant note with a memorable jazz concert featuring Nathan Davis, Maurice Brown, Claus Reichstaller, Benny Golson, Patrice Rushen, Abraham Laboriel and Billy Cobham, followed by a tribute to Alioune Diop whose award was accepted by his widow, Mrs Yandé Christine Diop. To read more about the event, Visit the W.E.B. Dubois Institute website at http://dubois-paris2006.fas.harvard.edu/2006.html 12 International Conference on the African Diaspora in Asia Two Siddi participants at the Afro-Indian workshop in Goa © N. Cacchioli On 13 January 2006, the TADIA Society (The Society for Research, Culture, Education and Development of the African Diaspora in Asia), in association with the UNESCO Slave Route Project, hosted its first international conference on the Siddis and the African Diaspora in Asia. This three-day forum, which was cosponsored by the Ford Foundation (New Dehli), the Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (Lisbon), was an occasion for scholars, documentary film-makers, musicians, and social activists to share their work and engage in lively debates. In addition to the discussions on academic matters, representatives from the Afro-Indian communities, or Siddis, were also invited to give their own perspectives on their history and views of their African origins during round table meetings. Additional activities, such as the Festival of African and Afro-Diasporic Song, Music, Dance and Drama and the Festival of African and Afro-Diasporic Cinema, gave conference THE SLAVE ROUTE participants and the Goa community an opportunity to learn more about Afro-Indian heritage. One of the most productive achievements of the gathering was a threeday workshop held for Afro-Indians from the Indian states of Maharashtra and Karnataka on “Socio-Economic Development Strategies”. In spite of language and religious differences, participants were able to discover their shared heritage of performance, dance, and spirituality and to exchange strategies for socio-economic change. The conference proceedings will be published in 2007. The second international conference is to be held in 2009 in Maputo, Mozambique. nities of African descent living in Turkey and other parts of the world. In a general discussion, Afro-Turkish participants spoke emotionally of their desire to group together their communities that had been displaced through resale, poverty and political turmoil. As a fi rst step, the association, with the support of the UNESCO Slave Route Project and in collaboration with local scholars, will conduct a research project to collect and assess oral histories and other historical material relating to the slave trade and slavery and identify sites of memory such as slave markets and slave gathering places. Afro-Turks come together for the first time On 18 November 2006, the Cultural Organisation for the Defence and Mutual Aid of Africans (Afrikalilar Dayanisma, Kültür ve Yardimlasma Dernegi) held its inaugural meeting in Ayvalik, Turkey. The present-day Afro-Turk population is the result of a series of forced and voluntary migrations of Africans (primarily from the Horn of Africa and North-East Africa), which spanned the Ottoman Empire’s duration until early twentieth century. For the region’s AfroTurkish population who had travelled from towns and villages throughout the northwestern Balıkesir province, the meeting was a much-anticipated event and a crucial move towards the creation of support network. In his opening remarks, the association’s founder, Mustafa Olpak, underlined the importance of honouring their slave ancestors by educating themselves and other communities about their heritage. Afterwards, the panel, composed of Gül Muyan, journalist for the Turkish network TRT2, sociologist Esma Durugönül, lawyer and historical author Harris Pappadakis and Ali Moussa Iye in charge of the UNESCO Slave Route Project, shared information with participants about the circumstances of other commu- 13 A woman from the Afro-Turk Community © Engin Aydeniz Activities granted the Slave Route Project label The label “Project supported by the Slave Route” was created in order to promote and give credibility to initiatives that contribute to the realisation of the Slave Route Project objectives. Ninth Slave Trade Memorial, organized by the “DiversCités”Association in Bordeaux, France (9-13 May 2006). • “Hilda”, a play by Marie Ndiaye, performed at the Avignon festival in France (1625 July 2006). • Work entitled “Atlas des esclavages” [Atlas of Slavery] by Marcel Dorigny and Bernard Gainot, published in November 2006. • Work Entitled Kenya-Crète-Istanbul: Des côtes des Esclaves. Biographies humaines [Kenya-Crete-Istanbul: Slave Coasts. Human Biographies], a book by Mustafa Olpak, published 20 November 2006 by Librairie Özgül • Forum on indentured labour in Mauritius and other countries organised as part of the intercultural dialogue. • A project by Sonik Productions to produce a 26-episode TV series (26 minutes per episode) and a 75-minute documentary film (35mm) on the slave trade. THE SLAVE ROUTE Latest Publications • Il fut un jour à Gorée : L’Esclavage raconté à nos enfants [Once Upon A Time in Gorée: Telling Our Children About Slavery] by Joseph N’Diaye, illustrated by Serge Diantantu and prefaced by Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO. Editions Michel Lafon, 2006. • Raconte-moi l’esclavage : [Tell Me About Slavery] by JeanMichel Deveau, prefaced by Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO. UNESCO Publishing/Nouvelle Arche de Noé Éditions, 2006. • 2006 slave Route Project Brochure, published in Arabic, English, French, Portuguese and Spanish Portrait of Two Activists of the African Diaspora in Asia Farida al-Mubrik throughout Gujarat and other parts of India. She has also received national recognition for her partnership with Ishani Surgical Hospital, whose staff offers free medical care for all Siddis in Bhavnagar and sets up medical camps in neighbouring villages. In addition to these activities, al-Mubrik currently heads a relief programme for those affected by the devastating 2006 monsoon season. While attending to the immediate needs of those who have lost their homes and livelihood in the flooding, Farida al-Mubrik lays the groundwork for her next goal: to give rural Siddi boys and girls access to the Bhavnagar schools by establishing a children’s hostel. Mustapha Olpak an emblem of her family’s origins and spiritual practices. As well as a guardian of Afro-Indian traditions, al-Mubrik’s life work is to assist disadvantaged families in the local Siddi population of her town. In 2000, she founded the Sidi Goma al-Mubrik Charitable Trust and for the past six years has mobilized government officials and community leaders to uplift her community. Beginning with small-scale activities such as the provision of sewing machines and sewing courses for widows and school supplies for students, al-Mubrik’s work has expanded to neighbouring cities and inspired similar initiatives Mustapha Olpak currently has one thing on his mind – to learn as much as he can about the history of African enslavement in Turkey and share this little known history with others. The grandson of two former slaves from Kenya, Olpak speaks emotionally of his five-year quest to piece together the fragments of his family’s history. A marble worker by trade, he transformed his family research into a first-person reflection on his slave heritage in the 2005 publication of Kenya-Crete-Istanbul: Biography of a Family of Slaves. After an overview of Ottoman slave history, the book traces his family’s struggle to overcome the trauma of enslavement and make a new life for themselves in Crete and, later, Turkey. For the author, the book’s publication was only the beginning of his tireless campaign to shed light on the history and social conditions of Turkey’s population of African descent. In 2006, he founded the “Association of Solidarity, Culture and Mutual Aid for Africans” in order to create a network for others affected by the tragedy of slavery so that they could become full participants of their local communities. His book attracted the attention of the Turkish media and his story continues to spark interest amongst experts. It was translated into French and published in Paris with the support of the Slave Route Project. Mustafa has a lifelong dream to help to make a better life for himself and his community and bring their experience out of the shadows of history. Yet his wisdom and ability to create a working coalition have enabled him to begin to make this dream come true. Despite his modesty, Olpak’s charismatic words and determination touch the hearts and minds of all those who come into contact with him. He Mustafa Olpak, N. Cacchioli © UNESCO Farida al-Mubrik © UNESCO 14 Farida al-Mubrik speaks with great pride about her great-grandfather, a court treasurer, who became one of the most influential East African slaves among those purchased by a Bhavnagar king during his visit to Africa. Four generations later, her ancestor’s integrity as a royal administrator has become part of the folklore of her region. On first entering her home in the town of Bhavnagar, India, Farida shows the visitor her family’s cherished heirloom, an East African tanbur drum, passed down from generation to generation as THE SLAVE ROUTE has succeeded in convincing journalists and scholars to support him in his struggle against ignorance. In line with its mission to break the silence on slavery in the Arabo-Islamic world, the UNESCO Slave Route Project will contribute to the groundswell of support for this vital work. Focus on a Partner’s Activities « Nuestra Tercera Raíz », Mexico discovers its «African roots» The project La Tercera Raíz (The Third Root) was launched in 1974 at the instigation of Dr Luz María Martínez Montiel, a member of the International Scientific Committee for the Slave Route Project since 1994. Based at the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia de México, it involves research on the African presence and heritage in Mexico and throughout Latin America. In 1987, La Tercera Raíz embarked upon an operational phase marked by a host of conferences, exhibitions, festivals and documentary fi lms on the subject, culminating in 1996 in the establishment of the Afroamérica México Association, with the objective of raising public awareness of Mexico’s “third root”. Since 2004, when it entered into partnership with the Programa Universitario México Nación Multicultural-UNAM, the project has returned to its original academic task of pursuing research on Mexico’s African heritage and plural identity. In 2006, under this vigorous partnership, a project was drawn up for the establishment of a documentation centre in Mexico City, as was a plan to extend the activities of the country’s Afro-American Museum. For further information, visit the website: http://www.nacionmulticultural.unam.mx/tem5.html Looking Ahead Performance: Requiem for a slave Le Requiem Noir [Black Requiem], an oratorio honouring the victims of slavery, was composed in Dakar in 2006 to mark the centenary of the birth of Léopold Sédar Senghor and the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade by Great Britain in 1807. The project, a tribute to the vitality of the cultures derived from that chapter of history, is the fruit of collective work initiated by Pierre Lunel, former President of the University of Paris 8 (Vincennes-Saint Denis). It is a highly colourful show involving more than 80 performers from different backgrounds and giving pride of place to choral singing. The Requiem Noir will be performed by a wide variety of musicians such as the Senegalese rapper Didier Awadi, the singer Yandé Codou Sène, the Soli-Tutti vocal ensemble and associated choirs conducted by Denis Gautheyrie. After its premiere in Senegal in December 2006, the show will tour France until June 2007, with nine performances at various town halls throughout the Paris region. It will also include an educational component designed to raise awareness of the slave trade and slavery through, inter alia, an exhibition entitled Devoir de mémoire : le triomphe sur l’esclavage [A Duty to Remember: Triumph Over Slavery] mounted by the Slave Route Project in the towns where the performances are taking place, together with text readings and the screening of a documentary film. Brown University Committee on Slavery and Justice Brown University, located in one of the oldest neighbourhoods of Providence, Rhode Island, is making US history through its efforts to address its own historical links to the New England slave trade. The need for this initiative arose following the controversial publication of an anti-reparations advertisement in a 2003 issue of the university newspaper, the Brown Daily Herald. To clarify the institute’s role in the slave trade and address concerns on what remains an emotive subject within the community, university President Ruth Simmons appointed the Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice. After more than three years of scientific research, and reflection on the ethical implications of the university’s slavery past, the committee published their findings. The report, available to the general public on the committee’s website, (www.brown.edu/Research/ Slavery_ Justice) called for actions such as a slave memorial, the establishment of a research institute, the creation of fellowships for postgraduate and senior researchers and higher recruitment from ethnic minority students, particularly from Africa and the West Indies. The committee has also furnished an extensive collection of digitalized archival material and the curriculum unit, A Forgotten History: The Slave Trade and Slavery in New England, for teachers to download. For more information please contact: The Slave Route Project Coordination Unit Division of Cultural Policies and Intercultural Dialogue 1, rue Miollis, 75015 Paris Tel.: (33) 1 45 68 49 45 Fax: (33) 1 45 68 57 51 Email : r.esclave@unesco.org Web site: http://www.unesco.org/culture/slaveroute 15 Memorial pour lʼesclavage, Stonetown, Zanzibar © UNESCO