[Responsible-digital-futures] Fwd: 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 21:42, 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
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.nottingham.ac.uk/pipermail/responsible-digital-futures/attachments/20260826/cdb300b6/attachment-0001.htm>