Message from Ms. Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, on the Occasion of the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Its Abolition
教科文組織總干事奧德蕾·阿祖萊廢除奴隸貿(mào)易國(guó)際紀(jì)念日致辭
23 August 2023
2023年8月23日
Between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries, around 27 million Africans were captured from their homes. Forced into ships and transported across the Atlantic, only 7.4 million made it to their destination. Those who did were enslaved: objectified, exploited, abused, the fruit of their labour given greater value than their lives.
在十六世紀(jì)至十九世紀(jì)期間，約有2700萬(wàn)非洲人被從家中擄走，背井離鄉(xiāng)。他們被逼乘船，被運(yùn)送到大西洋另一岸，最終只有740萬(wàn)人到達(dá)目的地。那些到達(dá)大洋彼岸的人淪為了奴隸：他們被物化、剝削和虐待，他們的勞動(dòng)成果都比他們的生命更有價(jià)值。
This is what enslavement is all about: denying certain people their dignity and fundamental rights, refusing to consider them as human. And, although the slave trade has officially been abolished, its pernicious legacy lives on today, perpetuating discrimination, social exclusion and inequalities worldwide.
這就是奴隸制的本質(zhì)所在：剝奪某些人的尊嚴(yán)和基本權(quán)利，拒絕將他們視為人類(lèi)。雖然奴隸貿(mào)易已被正式廢除，但其流毒于今猶在，在世界范圍延續(xù)著歧視、社會(huì)排斥和不平等。
To break the silence surrounding the history of enslavement and address its enduring consequences, UNESCO commemorates the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition every year. Taking place on 23 August, this day honours the enslaved men and women in Saint-Domingue, present-day Haiti, who rose up to claim their freedom in 1791, ultimately founding the first independent Black nation in 1804.
為了打破圍繞奴隸制歷史問(wèn)題的沉默，并應(yīng)對(duì)其持續(xù)的影響，教科文組織每年都開(kāi)展廢除奴隸貿(mào)易國(guó)際紀(jì)念日活動(dòng)。這一國(guó)際日定于8月23日，是為了向圣多明各（今海地）被奴役的人民致敬，他們?cè)?791年為爭(zhēng)取自由揭竿而起，最終在1804年建立了第一個(gè)獨(dú)立的黑人國(guó)家。
Indeed, remembering and understanding these traumatic events are the first steps towards healing the deep wounds they have caused. This is the conviction that drives the UNESCO Routes of Enslaved Peoples project, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2024.
事實(shí)上，銘記并理解這些創(chuàng)傷性事件，是治愈由它們?cè)斐傻纳羁虅?chuàng)傷的第一步。這正是驅(qū)動(dòng)教科文組織“被奴役人民之路”（原“奴隸之路”）項(xiàng)目的信念，該項(xiàng)目將于2024年迎來(lái)30周年紀(jì)念。
For nearly three decades, this project has carried out research to understand the contemporary legacy of enslavement and the slave trade, such as racism and discrimination. And, working with communities, it has taken steps to revitalize places of history and memory to support dialogue within the African diaspora, and beyond.
近三十年來(lái)，該項(xiàng)目開(kāi)展研究工作，以理解奴隸制和奴隸貿(mào)易所造成的當(dāng)代后果，如種族主義和歧視現(xiàn)象。該項(xiàng)目還與相關(guān)社區(qū)合作，采取措施復(fù)原重現(xiàn)一些歷史和記憶場(chǎng)所，以促進(jìn)非洲僑民群體之間及其與其他群體的對(duì)話(huà)。
In this way, the project has highlighted the contributions made by enslaved peoples and their descendants to contemporary societies across the globe. This not only means preserving and promoting cultural practices such as jazz, tango, the Maroon heritage and the Garifuna language. It also includes telling the history of the African continent from an African perspective, through our General History of Africa. The content of this ambitious corpus is now being integrated into curricula and teacher training in Africa and worldwide.
通過(guò)這種方式，該項(xiàng)目突顯了被奴役人民及其后代對(duì)全球當(dāng)代社會(huì)的貢獻(xiàn)。這不僅意味著保護(hù)和促進(jìn)爵士樂(lè)、探戈、馬龍遺產(chǎn)和加里富納語(yǔ)等文化實(shí)踐，也包括通過(guò)我們編寫(xiě)的《非洲通史》以非洲視角述說(shuō)非洲歷史。這套巨著的內(nèi)容目前正在被納入非洲和全世界的課程和教師培訓(xùn)當(dāng)中。
UNESCO also works to address the legacy of enslavement by fighting all forms of racism and discrimination. For example, our Global Forum against Racism and Discrimination gives Member States the opportunity to make ambitious commitments to inclusiveness and equality. Our International Coalition of Inclusive and Sustainable Cities supports local authorities in implementing anti-discriminatory actions, facilitating the exchange of best practices.
教科文組織還努力通過(guò)打擊一切形式的種族主義和歧視來(lái)應(yīng)對(duì)奴隸制的遺留問(wèn)題。例如，我們的反對(duì)種族主義和歧視全球論壇，就使會(huì)員國(guó)有機(jī)會(huì)為實(shí)現(xiàn)包容和平等作出雄心勃勃的承諾。我們的國(guó)際包容和可持續(xù)城市聯(lián)盟，也支持地方政府落實(shí)反歧視行動(dòng)，促進(jìn)最佳做法方面的交流。
Finally, UNESCO is taking steps to tackle racial biases that have emerged in the digital era. The Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence seeks to ensure that this technology respects and promotes human rights and dignity, guiding Member States to develop appropriate legislation in this domain.
此外，教科文組織還在采取行動(dòng)，以應(yīng)對(duì)數(shù)字時(shí)代出現(xiàn)的種族偏見(jiàn)?！度斯ぶ悄軅惱韱?wèn)題建議書(shū)》力求確保這項(xiàng)技術(shù)尊重并促進(jìn)人權(quán)和尊嚴(yán)，為會(huì)員國(guó)在這一領(lǐng)域制定適當(dāng)立法提供指導(dǎo)。
So, on this International Day, let us pay tribute to the victims of the slave trade and the freedom fighters by renewing our collective commitment to eradicating all forms of racism and discrimination. In the words of the American sociologist and civil rights activist W.E.B Du Bois: “Now is the accepted time, not tomorrow, not some more convenient season.”
因此，值此國(guó)際日之際，讓我們?cè)俅渭w承諾消除一切形式的種族主義和歧視，以此向那些奴隸貿(mào)易的受害者和自由戰(zhàn)士們致敬。正如美國(guó)社會(huì)學(xué)家、民權(quán)活動(dòng)家 W. E. B.·杜波依斯所說(shuō)：“現(xiàn)在就適于行動(dòng)，不是明天，也不是某個(gè)更方便的時(shí)節(jié)。”
