On March 25, 2008, Zalmay Khalilzad, U.S. Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the U.N. said, “Today we solemnly reflect on the history of slavery on this International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. In human history, slavery has been a pervasive evil and one which, to this day, has yet to be entirely rooted out. The practice is a reflection of two of humanity’s worst flaws – greed and hypocrisy. Yet, at the same time, it has also spurred two of humanity’s greatest strengths – the spirit of endurance and resistance, and the will for justice.
Ambassador Khalilzad further noted that, “Today we must stand on the side of those who are struggling to end the misuse of our fellow men and women, and the children, who are the saddest victims of this practice. We must all do what we can to assist these modern-day abolitionists in the fight against human trafficking. As they lead a global effort to eradicate this evil, they can count on the support of United States of America.”
UNESCO's Slave Route Project documents the process through which, prior to the abolition of the slave trade, millions of African slaves were taken from ports along the coast of Africa to be sold and then transported to the New World.
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