Routes of Enslaved Peoples

Since its launch in 1994, the UNESCO "Routes of Enslaved Peoples: Resistance, Liberty and Heritage" Programme has contributed to the production of innovative knowledge, the development of high-level scientific networks and the support of memory initiatives on the theme of slavery, its abolition and the resistance it generated.

At the international level, the programme has thus played a major role in "breaking" the silence surrounding the history of slavery and placing this tragedy that has shaped the modern world in the universal memory.

The International Scientific Committee of the Programme consists of 20 members appointed by the Director-General of UNESCO.

The Committee members, who represent different regions, areas of expertise and gender, hold a mandate of four years.

The main function of the Committee is to advise UNESCO on the implementation of the Programme.

In recent years, groundbreaking research in psychology, cognitive psychology and epigenetics has highlighted that traumatic stress can not only alter behaviour, cognition and psychological functioning, but its effects can also be passed on to subsequent generations. In this sense, a traumatic event that we have not directly experienced can still have psychological and social impacts on our lives. Communities carry the history of disastrous events and their consequences in the content of their DNA but also in their representation of life in general and the way they commemorate history.

For the UNESCO "Routes of Enslaved Peoples" Programme, the challenge is to extend this approach, recognize the impacts of postcolonial cognitive dissonance and develop a 'healing map' to better understand how to heal impacted individuals and communities intergenerationally and, in so doing, address structures of socioeconomic inequality based on historical harm. This work on anti-racism is articulated around our initiatives on the gender biases and stereotypes embedded in our cultures, laws and institutions that prevent the empowerment of women and girls, particularly those of Indigenous and African descent, and the full enjoyment of their human rights.

• Read the full report
• See also: Launch of the Report on "Healing the Wounds of Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and Slavery"

How can we understand the major contemporary challenges of the fight against racism and all forms of discrimination without knowing the history and processes that have shaped and legitimized such practices? In order to effectively combat the inequalities suffered by the descendants of enslaved people and Afro-descendants in general, the study of the history of slavery is fundamental, particularly for young audiences. Through the staging of shows and collaboration on books and films, the "Routes of Enslaved Peoples" Programme works to promote and recognize the history of black people with a view to consolidating the values of tolerance and respect in the minds of young people.

International Decade for People of African Descent

There are approximately 200 million people of African descent living in the Americas and several million more in the Indian Ocean, Europe, the Arab world, etc. Whether as descendants of victims of the transatlantic slave trade and slavery or as migrants facing racism, they are much more exposed to social exclusion and inequalities, particularly in terms of access to education, employment, health and justice. This worrying issue is at the heart of the United Nations agenda.

Enslaved people have always resisted, whether by weapon or by thought, that is, through cultural resistance. The enslaved, although far from their native lands, took with them their memory, whether musical, spiritual or of any other kind.

The best known form of this cultural resistance is undoubtedly jazz, the direct heir to the songs called "negro spirituals", in which the pronunciation, rhythm and certain instruments used are reminiscent of African rites. Candomblé, capoeira, and even tango for some are legacies of these enslaved peoples.

These resistances developed wherever the enslaved lived, as in southern Morocco, where the Gnawas are the musical pride of the country. UNESCO is working to preserve and enhance this heritage through publications, debates and other public meetings so that its memory can contribute to the recognition of the cultural contributions of people of African descent.

Furthermore, in keeping with UNESCO's commitment to supporting artists, the "Routes of Enslaved Peoples" Programme seeks to develop and accompany contemporary creations on the themes of slavery, the slave trade and its contemporary consequences.

Marcus Miller, a renowned American jazz musician, composer and producer, was nominated UNESCO Artist for Peace and Spokesperson for the "Routes of Enslaved Peoples" Programme, by UNESCO's Director-General, on 4 July 2013.

Mr. Miller raises awareness about a phenomenon that has had a profound impact on the modern world, from religion and culture to the human rights movement. As an Artist for Peace, he promotes the lessons learnt from the tragedy of slavery and the slave trade, and how they can be used to address many of today’s major issues: national reconciliation, respect for cultural pluralism and the need to construct inclusive and just societies.

Read more

• Marcus Miller: singing freedom
• Marcus Miller celebrates Emancipation at the United Nations
• Jazzman Marcus Miller named UNESCO Artist for Peace
• Marcus Miller: acceptance speech UNESCO Artist for Peace Title