FIGHTING THE LEGACY OF SLAVERY THROUGH TRANSFORMATIVE EDUCATION

March 20, 2023 - Washington, DC

Chair of the OAS Permanent Council and Permanent
Representative of Trinidad and Tobago to the OAS, His Excellency Anthony Phillips-Spencer;
Distinguished Permanent and Alternate Representatives; Representatives of Observer States and other members of the diplomatic corps;
Officials of the General Secretariat;
Special Invited Guests;
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning.

On this, the sixth observance of the Inter-American Week for People of African Descent in the Americas, it is my signal honor to extend to you and to those in our virtual audience, a heartfelt welcome to the OAS ---the house of the Americas—to launch this historic Week. Commemorated under the theme, “Fighting slavery’s legacy of racism through transformative education in the Americas”, this year’s commemorative events will be marked by a series of both in-person and virtual activities designed to highlight the immense power of transformative education in addressing historical injustices and promoting meaningful action towards equity and inclusion in our hemisphere.

Nos complace celebrar hoy este lanzamiento en persona en la Sede de la OEA. Nuestra Organización ha regresado gradualmente a las actividades presenciales después de lidiar con el impacto de la pandemia de COVID-19 sobre nuestras funciones cotidianas, que no sólo ha dejado una marca indeleble en nuestra Organización, sino que se refleja en todo nuestro hemisferio y en el mundo. Es innegable que la pandemia provocó un cambio importante en los procesos de pensamiento y las perspectivas tradicionales, trastocando las nociones arraigadas y generando nuevas perspectivas sobre los elementos fundamentales de nuestras sociedades. Uno de estos replanteamientos concierne a la educación y al entorno tradicional de aprendizaje.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) defines transformative education as “teaching and learning geared to motivate and empower learners to take informed decisions and actions at the individual, community, and global levels.” Through instructive simulation exercises, discovery learning methods, and self-examination of preconceived notions and assumptions, transformative education has the potential to exponentially shift how learners perceive the world, leading to more informed and empathetic global citizens, which is essential to cultural, economic, and political advancement.

At the OAS, we are committed to ensuring that our work aligns with the shifting needs of our peoples of the Americas. Through our many program offerings including scholarships, internships, and the Model OAS, it is imperative that our work programmes in education reach a broad population inclusive of the underserved and marginalized, particularly those of Afro-descent community, to foster an indomitable sense of prideful cultural identity and civic engagement. To that end, the OAS Plan of Action for the Decade for People of African Descent in the Americas (2016-2025), which guides the work of the Organization on matters pertaining to Afro-Descendants, speaks directly to the topic of Education within the strategic line of action on Education in terms of equality and awareness. Its objectives include a call for collaboration with international and regional organizations and universities to assist Member States to include in their study programs the history of Africa and the population of African descent in the Americas, the fight against racism, racial discrimination, and intolerance through an intercultural or ethno-educational approach.

En 2016, mi Oficina organizó el primer evento de la OEA en conmemoración del mes de la Historia Negra, evento considerado único. El evento tuvo una gran repercusión, en particular entre los Estados Miembros de la OEA y la sociedad civil que manifestaron un firme deseo de contar con un espacio establecido y dedicado en el calendario de la OEA para debatir temas relativos a la comunidad afrodescendiente. Así tuvo origen la Semana Interamericana para las y los Afrodescendientes, hoy institucionalizada en la Organización. Quienes no habían sido escuchados ni vistos hasta ahora, encontraron un espacio para hablar y hacerse ver. A los Estados Miembros les complacerá saber que, al ampliarse la conmemoración anual, las actividades de este año cuentan con la participación de más áreas de la Secretaría General, que este año incluye a la Secretaría de Acceso a Derechos y Equidad (SADyE); la Secretaría de Desarrollo Integral (SEDI); la Secretaría de Asuntos Hemisféricos (SAH); la Oficina del Consejo Estratégico, y también la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (CIDH). No digo esto como autocomplacencia, sino para enfatizar y subrayar que, como Organización, cuya misión se centra en más derechos para más personas, TODAS y TODOS tenemos un papel que desempeñar para responder a la herencia de la esclavitud y su impacto en las personas afrodescendientes.

Mientras haya todavía un problema que enfrenten las personas afrodescendientes, que estén directamente relacionados con la herencia de la esclavitud y la historia del colonialismo, nuestro trabajo aquí AÚN NO TERMINA.

In that context, the activities of this year’s Inter-American Week seek to not only inform its audience about the atrocities of slavery and its negative impact on the growth of Afro-descendant communities, but also highlight the various ways in which Afro-descendant communities can capitalize on existing economic opportunities and forge a path towards socio-economic success and prosperity.

Among this Week’s activities include:

1. A private guided tour of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture which will take place tomorrow. I take this opportunity to recognize the presence of our partners from the Smithsonian who have joined us here today and to thank you for your collaboration over the years and allowing me to host this tour for the OAS diplomats.

2. On Wednesday there will be a special Session of the Permanent Council to commemorate the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade which will be observed under the Week’s theme.

3. On Thursday, a webinar organized by the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development (SEDI) and the Secretariat for Access to Rights and Equity (SARE) will be held and will feature a panel discussion on the topic, Best practices in the Incorporation of Ethno-education in Curricular Programs.

4. On Friday, there will be A Special Edition of a Chat with the OAS, a virtual, live event organized by Representatives in OAS National Offices, which will feature panelists addressing the theme, Decolonizing Education in the Americas: Mainstreaming policies and practices that engender pride in African heritage and identity.

5. The Secretariat for Hemispheric Affairs is collaborating with my office in organizing a podcast series on “Blockchain technology: a transformative technology for persons of African descent” which will analyze the possibilities for inclusion and wealth-creation which transformative technologies such as blockchain present. That Secretariat is also collaborating with us on a literary exhibition of the works of fiction or non-fiction of Afro-descendant authors and this exhibition is currently on display here in the Hall of Heroes.

Additionally, the Organization’s Country Offices will hold activities in the respective Member States, including a lecture series featuring interviews with prominent individuals in the field of education as well as national authorities on salient sub-themes pertaining to the Week.

No olvidemos dónde empieza la educación: las semillas que se siembren en las mentes de niñas y niños, germinarán y florecerán en los adultos del mañana. Como dice un proverbio africano, "el conocimiento es como un jardín: si no se cultiva, no se puede cosechar". Por lo tanto, tenemos la responsabilidad colectiva de cultivar esas mentes con los principios de igualdad, equidad y respeto hacia todos los seres humanos. Con esto en mente, también hemos creado el Rincón de Lectura Infantil y Juvenil, una recopilación en línea de varios títulos de libros de todo el hemisferio que destacan las historias de las y los afrodescendientes e inspiran el pensamiento crítico. Esperamos poder colaborar con las bibliotecas del área metropolitana de Washington compartiendo con ellas esta lista con la esperanza de ampliar la exposición de las y los jóvenes lectores a una mayor variedad de literatura.

It is our hope that the Week’s events will shed light on the importance of transformative education in addressing the deep-rooted historical legacy of slavery and engender new perspectives and action items on raising awareness of the subject matter.

Before concluding, I wish to thank all the Member States for their constant support in the planning and execution of the Week. As these events are not budgeted in the Regular Fund, please allow me to give special recognition to the Permanent Missions of Canada, Colombia, and the United States for their financial contributions without which, several of the activities of this week would not have been possible. My thanks to all the Secretariats of the General Secretariat who have collaborated with my office. We value your steadfast support and commitment. Lastly, I would like to recognize the staff in my office who worked tirelessly to prepare for the Week’s activities and to acknowledge our Representatives in the National Offices for their laudable efforts to organize activities in their respective Member States.

With that said, it is my great honor to open the 2023 Inter-American Week for People of African Descent in the Americas in the hope that it will serve to edify and inspire you to become a catalyst for transformational learning and impactful change within your community. I thank you for joining us today in-person and virtually, and I invite you to continue to support our activities.

THANK YOU.