The Intercontinental Slavery Museum (ISM) Mauritius Ltd held a ceremony, today, at its headquarters in Port Louis, to commemorate, in the Republic of Mauritius, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition.
The institution of the International Day stems from UNESCO’s initiative to highlight the beginning of the uprising in Santo Domingo, now Haiti and the Dominican Republic, in the night of 22 to 23 August 1791, that is deemed crucial in the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade. The Day is commemorated each year on 23 August since 1997.
A Declaration by the ISM was presented on that occasion detailing its pledge to remember the past, heal the present and prepare the future by starting with an inventory of all sites linked to slave and slave trade in the country. The presentation was followed by the symbolic tossing of flowers at the Port Louis Waterfront in memory of the enslaved persons from Africa, Madagascar, India and South East Asia who were deported to Mauritius, Rodrigues, Agalega, the Chagos Archipelagos, La Reunion, and the Seychelles.
Several personalities were present at the event including the Minister of Arts and Cultural Heritage, Mr Avinash Teeluck; the Minister of Energy and Public Utilities, Mr Georges Pierre Lesjongard; the Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sports and Recreation, Mr Jean Christophe Stephan Toussaint; the Chairperson of ISM Mauritius Ltd, Mr Jean Maxy Simonet; the President of the International Scientific Committee of UNESCO’s Slave Route Project, Dr Vijaya Teelock; and members of the diplomatic corps.
In his address, Minister Teeluck stated that Government was committed to raise awareness on historical and cultural factors of the nation through research and other endeavours. Stressing the importance of remembrance, he talked of the contribution of slaves to the development of the country as well as their resilience. “We must acknowledge our common painful past and this dark chapter in our history”, he said. The Minister added that Japan and the United States of America have expressed their interest in assisting in the establishment of the ISM.
For his part, the Chairperson of ISM Mauritius Ltd underlined the historical dimensions of marking the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition. He affirmed that this celebration will be one of the Museum’s flagship annual events. A series of events and initiatives are in the pipeline, he averred. Mr Simonet also announced that a French expert team of museum professionals would be in Mauritius as from October 2021 to help in fitting out the ISM so that it can play an active role in education and outreach regarding the history of slavery and its consequences in Mauritius.
