The Slave Route Project

The Slave Route Project is an effort started by UNESCO in 1994 in Ouidah, Benin. Its goal is to help people talk about and understand the history of the Atlantic slave trade and slavery in general. By learning about this difficult part of history, people can work together to respect different cultures and prevent such unfair treatments from happening again. The project helps communities remember and honor those who suffered, while also teaching valuable lessons for today.

Commemorations

There are special days set aside to remember the victims of slavery and the fight against it. These include:

• International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade on March 25
• International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition on August 23
• International Day for the Abolition of Slavery on December 2
• International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition in 2004
• In 2011, there was the UN International Year for People of African Descent

Pedagogical initiatives

UNESCO, together with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, started the "Slavery and Remembrance" project. This project helps people learn about the history of slavery and the slave trade. It brings together many important places, memorials, and groups from around the Atlantic world to share this history.

Some of these places include the Afro-Peruvian Museum in Peru, Alejandro de Humboldt National Park in Cuba, and the Barbados Museum in Barbados. There are many others, such as museums, plantations, and parks in countries like France, Jamaica, Ghana, and the United Kingdom. These sites help us understand and remember the difficult history of slavery and its effects on the world today.