SPORT AND THE INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE REMEMBRANCE OF THE SLAVE TRADE AND ITS ABOLITION

On the celebration of the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition, SIGA acknowledges Sport still has a long way to go in terms of securing equal and fair treatment for all involved in the industry.

On this very important day, Brian Lewis, Chair, SIGA Gender Race Inclusion and Diversity Standing Committee (SIGA GRID), and President, Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC) leaves an important message for all Sport Integrity friends.

“As we celebrate the International Day for the remembrance of the slave trade and its abolition, it seems as a celebration of the freedom of enslaved people and the celebration of human rights.

It is an important acknowledgement For SIGA and Gender Race Inclusion and Diversity (GRID) Standing Committee because the slave trade and its remembrance provide very important historical lessons. It is said those who don’t learn from History will repeat it.

The pillars of the international slave trade, mass human trafficking, degrading economic transactions and unspeakable and horrific human rights violations serve as a timely reminder. SIGA currently battles and wages advocacy to eliminate human trafficking, illegal gambling and modern versions of economic slavery that have been manifesting itself in the world of sport.

It is very important that, from the perspective of SIGA and its’ GRID Committee, we constantly look in the mirror and learn from the history of the slave trade and its abolition.

On the night of the 22nd to the 23rd of August 1791 in Saint Dominic today, the Republic of Haiti, an uprising began, which set forth events which were a major factor in the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade.

The road to a world free from racism, prejudice, and a path to equal and just societies begins with the recognition of the consequences of the end of the slave trade and it’s impact, on Africa, Europe, the Americas and the Caribbean.

The most enduring legacy of the transatlantic slave trade is racism, and the political, economic and structural benefits that were earned and gained by the colonial powers of Western Europe from slavery and colonialism. And if we want to strive for a world that is just and equal, and that is rooted in dignity for all, we must recognise and embrace the reality that Sport does not exist in a vacuum and that Sport is a reflection and a microcosm of our societies.”