The
United Nations General Assembly declared the year 2011 as International Year for People of African Descent (in UN resolution A/RES/64/169).[1] That year also marked the 10th anniversary of the
World Conference Against Racism (also known as the Durban Conference),[2] which approved a resolution stating that slavery along with the colonization that sustained it were
crimes against humanity.[3]
Selected related initiatives
The
United Nations High Commission for Human Rights coordinated activities surrounding the Year, and encouraged other parties, both UN agencies as well as member states, to carry out similar initiatives.[4][2] These included:[5]
February: Islands as Crossroads: Sustaining Cultural Diversity in Small Island Developing States (publication)[6]
February 4–24: Exhibition on Arts and Poetry by artist Hilda Zagaglia, Alta Garcia,
Argentina
March 21–23: SEPHIS Workshop "Equity, Justice, Development: People of African Descent in Latin America in comparative Perspective",
University of Cartagena,
Colombia[7]
April: Launching of the international Year for People of African Descent in
Brazil, UNESCO
Brasilia
May 4–11: Black International Cinema Festival, Fountainhead Tanz Theatre,
Berlin,
Germany
May 10: Commemorating the Slave Trade and Slavery as a Crime against Humanity, France
Angola: Conference "Escravos angolanos povoaram tambem as Antilhas Neerlandesas" ("Angolan slaves also populated the
Netherlands Antilles"), organized by the Eduardo dos Santos Foundation, at the
Agostinho Neto University in
Luanda
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): Workshop on achievements of the Slave Route Project in the DRC, with presentation of The Slave Trade, Slavery and Colonial Violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (published 2010)
Ghana: Workshop on the slave trade for educators from three regions of the world,
Accra[9]
Grenada: exhibition and commemorative activities organized by National Commission for UNESCO and the National Museum of Grenada,
St. George's
October 29: Celebration of the International Year for People of African Descent and Promotion of the General History of Africa, UNESCO,
Paris
November 2 (–June 24, 2012): Itinerant photographic exhibition: "Women in Africa - No Color One Color", Italian Institute of Culture,
Nairobi, Kenya; Sheraton Hotel,
Milan Malpensa Airport, Italy; and other venues[14]
November 9: Celebration – International Year for People of African Descent; Africa, Mère de tous les peuples. Palais des Nations,
Geneva, Switzerland[15]
Brazil-Africa: Crossed Histories Programme in the 36th UNESCO General Conference