Jersey and the Slave Trade (P.78/2020): Second Amendment [P.78/2020.Amd.(2)]

STATES OF JERSEY

JERSEY AND THE SLAVE TRADE (P.78/2020): SECOND AMENDMENT

Lodged au Greffe on 13th October 2020 by Deputy M. Tadier of St. Brelade

STATES GREFFE

2020  P.78 Amd.(2)

JERSEY AND THE SLAVE TRADE (P.78/2020): SECOND AMENDMENT ____________

1  PAGE 2, PARAGRAPH (c) –

After paragraph (c) insert the following new paragraph –

"(d) to agree that every year, the Government should mark 23rd August as

International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition; and to request the Council of Ministers to provide members of  Jersey's  black  community  with  such  assistance  as  they  may reasonably require to lead and organise events on that day.".

DEPUTY M. TADIER OF ST. BRELADE

Note:  After this amendment, the proposition would read as follows –

THE STATES are asked to decide whether they are of opinion

1. to request the Minister for Treasury and Resources, as shareholder representative, to request the States of Jersey Development Company to rename Trenton Square as Benin Square;
2. to request the Chief Minister to commission a report into establishing a permanent memorial which acknowledges Jersey's part in the Slave Trade, to be presented to the States no later than 23rd August 2021;
3. to request the Chief Minister to commission, in conjunction with Jersey Heritage, the Jersey Community Relations Trust, Black Lives Matter Jersey and other potential stakeholders, an audit of all place names and memorials relating to former slave traders in Jersey, in order to inform work on understanding and explaining the full contribution of the slave trade to Jersey's history, with the outcome of the audit to be presented to the States no later than 23rd August 2021;
4. to agree that every year, the Government should mark 23rd August as International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition; and to request the Council of Ministers to provide members of  Jersey's  black  community  with  such  assistance  as  they  may reasonably require to lead and organise events on that day.

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P.78/2020 Amd.(2)

REPORT

"The night of 22 to 23 August 1791, in Santo Domingo (today Haiti and the Dominican Republic) saw the beginning of the uprising that would play a crucial role in the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade.

It is against this background that the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition is commemorated on 23 August each year."

The above excerpt is taken from UNESCO website. It goes on to deliver the following message from the Organisation's Director-General, Audrey Azoulay, on the occasion of the International Day for Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition:

"On 23 August this year, we honour the memory of the men and women who, in Saint- Domingue in 1791, revolted and paved the way for the end of slavery and dehumanization. We honour their memory and that of all the other victims of the slave trade and slavery, for whom they stand. (...) Once and for all, it is time to abolish human exploitation and to recognize the equal and unconditional dignity of each and every individual on Earth. Today, let us remember the victims  and  freedom  fighters  of  the  past  so  that  they  may  inspire  future generations to build just societies."

We may be geographically many miles away from modern day Haiti, however, the world is interconnected, and these events, now over 200 years ago, still form a basis for some of the same struggles today.  

It is important that Jersey talks openly about its links with the International Slave Trade; that we recognise and teach it as part of our local history.

In  the  same  way  that  Jersey  commemorates  Holocaust  Memorial  Day  and Slave Workers Memorial Day annually, I believe we should also mark International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its abolition.

These 2 events are official events, but are organised by stakeholders themselves, for whom the memorials also tell a personal family story. But they are, nonetheless, poignant and important events for the many others who attend, and for our community as a whole, to make sure that we don't simply learn about the events of the past, but that we learn from them.

Financial and Manpower implications

There  are  no  additional  financial  and  manpower  implications  arising  from  this proposition. It is envisaged that any budget for related events will come from existing departmental budgets for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture.

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