UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Danny Glover delivering a message on the Decade for People of African Descent
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Danny Glover's video message for the 18th session of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent (11- 15 April 2016)
The Siddis: A Forgotten People
Gujarat in western India is home to more than 20,000 Siddis, an ethnic group of African descent. But today, many live on the fringes of society, in poverty. One young man is fighting to protect their unique heritage – as well as their close ties with the remaining Asiatic lions of the neighbouring Gir forest - by raising awareness of their culture through dance.
Irina Bokova message on the Decade for People of African Descent
UNESCO Director-General message at the UN General Assembly on the launch the International Decade on People of African Descent (2015-2024)
Brazil: The Story of Slavery
More than four million slaves were shipped to Brazil from the coast of Africa during the 16th century and onward. But the practice of slavery was abolished in 1888 when abolitionists brought the issue to the forefront. Today, descendants in Danda community – a quilombo – fight for their right to land that their ancestors once lived and worked on for generations.
Message of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein hails the launch of the United Nations Decade for People of Africa Descent.
Descendants of slaves: Ancestral land
The decade focuses on protecting the rights of people of African heritage, recognizing their contributions and preserving their rich cultural heritage. This also includes the descendants of slaves - the Gullah Geechee people - who live in South Carolina and Georgia in the United States.
General Assembly Special Event
Launch of the International Decade for People of African Descent. The main objective of the International Decade is to promote respect, protection and fulfilment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for people of African descent, as recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Integrating people of African descent in Bolivian society
Bolivians of African descent still find themselves living on the sidelines of society. While for many of them racism remains a part of their daily lives, the election of Jorge Medina, the first black deputy in the Bolivian parliament, offers a glimpse of hope.
United Nations honours Maya Angelou video
On 19 October 2011, American poet and author Maya Angelou was honoured at the United Nations as one of the elders of the community of literary greats and a strong voice for human and civil rights. Ms. Angelou displayed a poem entitled a "Brave and Startling Truth" that she wrote for the organization's 50th anniversary.
Slave Routes: A Global Vision
“Slave Routes: A Global Vision” is an educational and informative documentary supported and produced by UNESCO. It presents the diverse histories and heritages stemming from the global tragedy of the slave trade and slavery. It provides an overview of the massive deportation of African populations to different parts of the world including the Americas, Europe, the Indian Ocean, the Middle East, and Asia.
Slaves Routes: The Soul of Resistance
Slavery is told through its materiality under the guise of slaves voices but also of those called the master or slave trader. Each one tells his experience (similar to that of some others) : from deportation to the plantations, from daily life to abolitions... The slave system from the inside.
Ark of Return
The United Nations will unveil the "Ark of Return" at its headquarters in New York on 25th March. The "Ark of Return" is the Permanent Memorial in Honour of Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Rodney Leon, an architect living and working in New York is the creator and designer.