Ceremony of the 30th Anniversary of the UNESCO Routes of Enslaved Peoples programme [Video]

On 9-10 October 2024, the Routes of Enslaved Peoples Programme celebrated its 30th anniversary at UNESCO’s Headquarters in Paris.

UNESCO’s Social and Human Sciences Sector has invited stakeholders worldwide to attend a key moment in the Organization’s history. Founded in 1994, the programme aims to address the legacies of slavery and the consequences of deeply entrenched social and economic injustice.

UNESCO inaugurated its Network of Places of History and Memory Linked to the Enslavement and the Slave Trade, unveiling the first 22 locations to join the network during the high-level celebration.

An expert round table highlighted regional and national specificities and good practices in addressing the history and legacies of enslavement, especially with regards to inequalities faced by people of African descent.

The First Dialogue for Reparatory Justice welcomed both descendants of enslaved peoples and enslavers, policymakers, scholars and media partners to reflect on a framework for common understanding and framework. At the end of the Dialogues Series over two years, UNESCO aspires to establish a holistic conceptual framework of reparatory justice and a toolkit to accompany it, plus a plan of action and a resource mobilization strategy.

The two-day anniversary also celebrated the wealth of artistry of people of African descent with performances by Aly Ndiaye (a.k.a. Webster), Maë Defays and the Capoeira group Kilombolas.

Programme’s page: https://www.unesco.org/en/routes-enslaved-peoples

Read more: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/routes-enslaved-peoples-first-22-places-join-new-unescos-network-places-history-and-memory-0?hub=74447