On August 23, in 1791, the largest slave uprising took place on the island of San Domingo, modern Haiti, which at that time was a French colony. This event, which marked the beginning of the eradication of slavery, was proposed to be celebrated annually at the 150th session of the UNESCO Executive Board. The date of the uprising became the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Slave Trade and its Elimination.
It would seem, why recall the times when slavery and the slave trade flourished in many countries of the world? But to this day it has not been eliminated on the planet, taking the most diverse forms. This phenomenon continues to occur both in third world countries and in those that are developed. UNESCO even introduced the concept of the “new slave trade, ” which often targets women and children, who are more often than other social groups subjected to violence and exploitation.
Annually this date becomes an occasion to analyze the current situation and the report of the head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on this issue. The report invariably ends with a call to all countries to protect their citizens from racism and forced labor. Members of the Executive Board of UNESCO on this day call to remember all the victims of the slave trade and those who, at the cost of their own lives, fought against it.
Celebrate this date in many countries around the world. The International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Slave Trade and its Elimination is also taking place on the island of Gori, off the coast of another former French colony - Senegal. This island some three hundred years ago was the center of the transit of slaves from Africa to the United States of America. It was the largest market where there was a trade in live goods. Every year, on August 23, a ceremony is held in memory of the victims of this shameful phenomenon.
At the beginning of this century, a museum of the history of slavery was opened in Ohio, USA, the former center of the slave-owning South. The museum operates year-round, but at the end of August its employees organize new exhibitions and traveling exhibits telling about this page in the history of the United States - a country that today considers itself the most democratic.
The entire international community on this day recalls not only the glorious milestones of the struggle of slaves for their rights and human dignity. It also pays tribute to those progressive people in developed countries who, together or alone, protested against this shameful phenomenon, seeking to eliminate it.
