[Geo4All] International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition

[Suchith Anand]

Dear colleagues,

I would like to bring to your attention the following statement issued by Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice-Chancellor of The University of the West Indies (UWI) on the death of Professor Arday.

“The public destruction of the living and life of this young, accomplished scholar has resonated globally as a gruesome, networked catastrophe. It comes in the aftermath of the United Nations General Assembly’s resolution that deemed chattelisation of enslaved Africans the ‘gravest crime against humanity’. It is impossible to separate the loss of Professor Jason Arday’s life from the truth embedded in the resolution. Anti-black racism at its most inhumane and life-destroying intensity has always been implemented by the minds and mostly invisible hands within public institutions.” 

Full statement at  https://sta.uwi.edu/news/releases/release.asp?id=23177

The organisers of the Reimagining Higher Education as Accountable Partners in Repair and Transformation International Conference announced in May 2026 that Professor Arday will be the chair of the session on Epistemic Justice and Curriculum Transformation on 18th May 2026 in Bristol. I was invited as one the panel speakers to contribute to this session. I was looking forward to the opportunity to meet Professor Arday and discuss ideas. Unfortunately, Professor Arday was not able to participate at this conference at the last minute.

https://agm.wun.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Reparative-Futures_Conference_Programme_18-May_v1.pdf

From the start of his appointment at the University of Cambridge, Prof. Jason Arday was subject to bullying and harassment. The University of Cambridge has failed in its duty of care. I strongly believe that there needs to be a thorough investigation into the institutional failure of duty of care at Cambridge University, as well as the role of the press in the distress experienced by Professor Arday.

All British Commonwealth Countries should raise the need for anti-racism in UK universities at the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) and at the Voice of Global South Summits  to discuss and jointly work to implement anti-racism policies. 

Open Letter on the need for anti-racism in UK universities at  
https://lists.osgeo.org/pipermail/geoforall/2026-August/006696.html
https://lists.osgeo.org/pipermail/geoforall/2026-August/006697.html

I am requesting all Governments whose citizens and students are affected by racial discrimination in the UK , to please raise this at the governmental level with the United Nations and with the UK Government to discuss and jointly work to implement anti-racism policies.

Let’s build a world beyond racism and discrimination, where we all exercise our human rights. Be a human rights champion!

Best wishes

Suchith

> On 23 Aug 2026, at 21:40, Suchith Anand <suchithanand1976 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> 
> Dear colleagues,
> 
> Deepening our understanding of major historical events can help foster greater respect and tolerance. Sunday's International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition is an opportunity to reflect on one of the darkest chapters in human history and learn from it. This year, officially declared by the UN as the gravest crime against humanity, recognising we are still experiencing its legacies.
> 
> For centuries, millions of people were captured, forcibly displaced, subjected to violence and exploitation, and enslaved across regions and continents. On 23 August, we remember the victims and survivors of slavery and acknowledge its enduring legacies.
> 
> https://www.unesco.org/en/days/slave-trade-remembrance
> 
> Reimagining Higher Education as Accountable Partners in Repair and Transformation International Conference was organised as part of the Worldwide Universities Network. This international conference brings together scholars, civil society organisations,  students and community knowledge holders to explore how higher education institutions can act as accountable partners in reparatory transformation, addressing historical harms rooted in enslavement and colonialism and advancing justice, dignity, collective responsibility and equitable partnership.
> 
> The event featured academics from the University of Exeter and was hosted by the University of Bristol’s Reparative Futures programme. Launched in February 2024 and running through to 2034, the Reparative Futures programme <https://www.bristol.ac.uk/university/anti-racism-at-bristol/reparative-futures-programme/> seeks to address systemic injustices rooted in historic enslavement while confronting ongoing anti-Black racism within the University and wider society.  Held alongside the World University Network <https://wun.ac.uk/> (WUN) Annual General Meeting, the conference brought together speakers and delegates from across all six continents impacted by the histories of chattel slavery and colonialism.
> 
> https://news.exeter.ac.uk/staff-news/beyond-the-rhetoric-global-leaders-demand-accountability-at-reparative-futures-conference/
> https://lists.osgeo.org/pipermail/geoforall/2026-June/006681.html
> 
> Remembering is an act of collective responsibility and dignity. Through education, research and dialogue,  we help build a more just, inclusive and peaceful world.
> 
> Best wishes
> 
> Suchith
> 
> Professor Suchith Anand
> Professor of Practice in Science Policy | Senior Adviser to Governments and International Organisations | Scientist | Global Citizen | Science Diplomacy |  SDG Volunteer and Advocate
> https://spspa.exeter.ac.uk/people/profile/index.php?username=sa1131 
> https://ethicaldatainitiative.org <https://ethicaldatainitiative.org/>
> 

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