International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade
International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade is a United Nations international observance designated in 2007 to be marked on 25 March every year.
International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade | |
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Observed by | globally |
Type | International |
Date | 25 March |
Next time | 25 March 2024 |
Frequency | annual |
The day honours and remembers those who suffered and died as a consequence of the transatlantic slave trade, which has been called "the worst violation of human rights in history",[1] in which over 400 years more than 15 million men, women and children were the victims.[2]
History
It was first observed in 2008 with the theme "Breaking the Silence, Lest We Forget".[3] The theme of 2015 was "Women and Slavery".[2] The International Day also "aims at raising awareness about the dangers of racism and prejudice today".[2]
With 2015 marking the start of the UN's International Decade for People of African Descent, a permanent memorial was unveiled at the UN headquarters in New York,[4] entitled "The Ark of Return"[5] and designed by Haitian-American architect Rodney Leon, who also designed the African Burial Ground National Monument.[6]
See also
References
- " International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade " Archived 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine at International Coalition of Sites of Conscience.
- "International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade 25 March", United Nations.
- "International Day of Remembrance of Slavery Victims and the Transatlantic Slave Trade", timeanddate.com.
- "Unveiling of the Permanent Memorial to Honour the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade at the United Nations", UNESCO, 26 March 2015.
- "The Ark of Return: Lest We Forget", YouTube.
- Robert Bernstein, "The Arc of Return: The UN Unveils 'The Permanent Memorial to Honour the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade'", Island Voice, 1 April 2015.