UNESCO to create permanent memorial on slavery in US - The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Permanent Memorial Committee have launched an international competition to create a permanent memorial at the headquarters of United Nations, New York, in memory of victims of slavery and the trans-Atlantic slave trade, said a statement of the organization PANA received.

The contest is part of the International Year of People of African Descent in 2011 and is intended for artists, designers, sculptors and other visual arts professionals on the theme 'Recognizing the tragedy, being aware of the heritage, not forgetting'.

The call for proposals is an opportunity to take part in a unique experience to put this tragedy in the collective memory of humanity and raise awareness on the contributions of the victims of slavery and the slave trade in the construction of the modern world, the statement said. 'The winning work crowned at the end of this competition will be erected in a prestigious public space at the United Nations headquarters in New York, on the banks of the East River,' the statement said. The work, which will be released in spring 2012, will be endowed with a US$50,000 prize.

Pana 06/11/2011