For the Minister in charge of culture who presided over the ceremonies, it is a moment of contemplation but also and above all of reflection to draw from the pain of this tragedy, the energy necessary to build utopias, which help to make effective exceptional ambitions. And it is precisely for this reason that the commemoration of JISTNA 2023, beyond the international theme under the seal of which it was adopted, is entitled in Benin “from pain to greatness”.
“Realizing this bet means rehabilitating the memory of the slave, through the sites where the events took root and developed. The Portuguese Fort, the Auction Square, the Zoungbodji Memorial, the Slave Route and the Gate of No Return, whose restoration and resizing are in progress, constitute strong symbols”, explained Minister Jean- Michel ABIMBOLA. Infrastructures that bear witness to the Government’s vision of making these places of memory and their animation a link between Benin and Afro-descendants. It is also, according to the Minister, to bear witness to this history and to offer successive generations the effective tools of transmission.
The House of Memory and Slavery (MAME), the Departure Boat illustrate this approach. The Executive also intends, from now on, to make JISTNA a space for the rehabilitation of the memory of Afro-descendants and an instrument for promoting Benin as a destination.
On behalf of Afro descendants, the President of the General Council of Guadeloupe, Mr. Guy LOSBAR, wished that the commemoration of JISTNA be the symbol of a reinforced solidarity between peoples and a common commitment in favor of justice and reconciliation. . “Together, we can transform the painful memory of slavery into an engine of peace, mutual respect and progress,” he said.
A memorial walk from the Portuguese Fort of Ouidah to the Auction Square, followed by the laying of wreaths and conference debates put an end to the celebration of this day.
