Commemoration of the 200th Anniversary of the
The commemoration was established in November, 2006 at the United Nations by General Assembly Resolution 61/19: “The Slave Trade operated between the 15th and 19th centuries and involved the forced transportation of millions of Africans as slaves, mostly from West Africa to the Americas, enriching the imperial powers of the times.” During the week of March 26, 2007, several events were held at the UN in New York. Sisters Bernadette Sullivan and Grace Frances Strauber, representing Franciscans International, helped plan the event sponsored by the NGO Committee for the Elimination of Racism. A major issue that many of the speakers addressed is the legacy of slavery. Africans who were enslaved lost their families, their land, culture and religion. A profound wound in the descendants of slaves needs to be acknowledged and healed. The question of reparations was raised. Some possible ways to make reparations are first to acknowledge the scars that remain. An African proverb states: “Until the lions have their own historian, the hunters will tell only their side.” Other means to make reparations include improved educational opportunities, teaching the history of slavery in our schools and learning about the culture and history of the ancestors of African descendants. We now know who they are and where they came from. Representatives of governments acknowledged that slavery continues today and is manifested in slave labor, trafficking of people, especially women and children and extreme poverty. Sister Tiziana Longhitano and Associate Thomasina Nolan attended. A more detailed report is available for anyone who is interested. Sister Bernadette Sullivan, SFP Resources for further information include: Website: http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php-URL_ID=25659&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html UNESCO has done a study of the Slave Route from Africa to North and South America. See their web site for this major contribution.
Tutu and Franklin: A Journey Towards Peace - about High School Students who are given a multicultural experience in Dakar and on the Island of Goree in Senegal. Amandla - about South Africa’s struggle vs. Apartheid. Books: Jennifer Frank - Complicity: How the North Promoted and Profited from Slavery.
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