UN remembers victims of slavery with drum beats

[AlphaCentauri]

Source: ChinaView

UNITED NATIONS, March 25 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Wednesday launched the official commemoration of the victims of the African slave trade by beating drums, calling on the international community to fight contemporary forms of slavery.

At a ceremony held at the UN headquarters in New York, Ban joined artists and musicians from Brazil, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, the Caribbean countries and the United States, as well as students, diplomats and UN officials to mark the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

Addressing the observance entitled "Break the Silence, Beat the Drum," Ban said the swearing-in this year of Barack Obama to the presidency of the United States marks a milestone in the 400-year struggle of the descendants of African slaves for justice, assimilation and respect.

"Estimates vary of how many millions of men and women were transported. What is not in dispute is the legacy of this vile traffic," Ban said.



Read more: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-03/26/content_11075458.htm

[elleng]

1. 'Addressing the observance

entitled "Break the Silence, Beat the Drum," Ban said the swearing-in this year of Barack Obama to the presidency of the United States marks a milestone in the 400-year struggle of the descendants of African slaves for justice, assimilation and respect.

"Estimates vary of how many millions of men and women were transported. What is not in dispute is the legacy of this vile traffic," Ban said.

He said although slavery was abolished, Africa has yet to recover from the ravages of the slave trade or the subsequent era of colonization, and people of African descent "still struggle daily against entrenched prejudice that keeps them disproportionately in poverty."'

[dipsydoodle]

2. Highly appropriate

especially given that drum ownership by black slaves was made illegal in the USA during the relevant period.

[Igel]

3. Odd that the other great enslavement of Africans

isn't mentioned.

Most estimates have more sub-Saharan Africans "exported" via that obviously to-be-forgotten slave trade than via the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

"Break the Silence" seems not to apply very well to something that has been fairly commonly talked about in the US for the last 30 years. Perhaps South America has a problem discussing it? (I find this doubtful, but it's what we're left with. Isn't it?)

[AlphaCentauri]

4. South America is a melted pot

the bast majority in south america think they have a native or black ancestor even if they are white, most black and natives don't think about their ethnicity or race but their nationality, they are not african-Peruvians, native-colombians they see them selves as Peruvians or Colombians.

Actually in latin america people is more open to talk about race cause they don't have that historic baggage of government or laws discriminating against blacks or natives.

[Vogon_Glory]

6. Of Course The To-Be-Forgotten Slave Trade Is Taboo

Of course the other slave trade is a taboo subject. Most of the North African countries, especially the ones that were playing around with the idea of Third World solidarity, didn't want to remind sub-Saharans that their not-so-distant ancestors were also practicing slave-trading before the colonial powers put a stop to it. Many of the states in the Arabian Gulf were involved in the East African slae trade. Some of us remember that the Saudis didn't outlaw slavery until after 1950.

Why was Timbuktoo so prosperous once-upon-a-time? Who owned Zanzibar and what were the major commercial ventures there?

This is NOT to excuse those Atlantic countries that practiced slaving and the slave trade. But when sub-Saharan slaving and the sub-Saharan slave trade is discussed, ALL of the participants ought to be discussed.

Wickedness is NOT a western monopoly.

[Alamuti Lotus]

10. is that why Brasil & Carribbean peoples were represented?

I know that doesn't fit with the mini propaganda episode on display, but, erm.. it was written right there, I found the reference in about 20 seconds of idle skimming.

[Neo Atheist]

5. and the UN is doing what with regards to the current slave trade in Africa?

oh wait, it's hosting an Israel bashing summit and trying to make criticism of religion a crime.

Yay for more symbolic nonsense from an organization doing an immeasurably bad job.

[AlphaCentauri]

8. Ronald Reagan was there and Republicans too

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag44dRO8LEA

Apologise or we'll cut your funding, US envoy tells UN
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article673161.ece

UN dismay over Capitol Hill plan to cut funding
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/un-dismay-over-capitol-hill-plan-to-cut-funding-1573283.html

Congress Moves to Cut U.N. Funding
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0609-05.htm

[ohio2007]

7. The clueless UN.

They ignore the slave trade going on today. Guess they don't want to upset certain folks

[EFerrari]

9. No, modern slavery is mentioned in the first paragraph of the OP. n/t