A/70/309
(e) From 12 to 14 October, she chaired a panel on academics for reparation
as part of the second conference on reparations organized by the Caribbean
Community, held in Antigua and Barbuda;
(f) On 28 October, she delivered the twenty-ninth annual Walter Rodney
memorial lecture, on the theme “War memorials and black liberation: ‘groundings’
with Walter Rodney on history, heritage and activism”, at the University of
Warwick, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland;
(g) On 1 November, she gave a presentation on the theme “Challenges of a
legacy: the continued struggle for rights for Africans in the twenty -first century” as
part of a symposium to celebrate the work of Barry Chevannes and Rex Nettleford,
former member of the Working Group, at the Institute of Ja maica in Kingston;
(h) On 14 November, she delivered a lecture on the theme “The politics of
memory: historicizing Caribbean women’s political activism” at the Institute for
Gender and Development Studies in Barbados.
3.
Submission on the Forum for People of African Descent
30. Following the call for submissions by OHCHR in anticipation of the
discussion by the Human Rights Council on the mandate and modalities of the
Forum for People of African Descent, the Chair, on behalf of the Working Group,
submitted a paper on the Working Group’s vision for the Forum.
31. On 17 April 2015, OHCHR transmitted a compilation of the submissions
received to Member States for consideration during their consultations. 2
E.
Other activities relating to the United Nations
32. At the invitation of the President of the General Assembly, Ms. Shepherd
delivered the keynote address on the occasion of the commemoration of the
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination at Headquarters on
20 March 2015. The theme for the commemorative event was “Learning from
historical tragedies to combat racial discrimination today”.
33. She also participated in the unveiling of the permanent memorial in honour of
the victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade, The Ark of Return, at
Headquarters on 25 March 2015, the International Day of Remembrance of the
Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
34. On 5 March 2015, Sabelo Gumedze gave a presentation on lessons for South
Africa in the elimination of racial discrimination against Africans and people of
African descent during a meeting with mandate holders organized by the South
African Human Rights Commission. The aim of the meeting was to contribute to
shaping the Commission’s strategic engagement in promoting compliance with
international and regional human rights instruments. The meeting was also attended
by a former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay.
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See www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Racism/InternationalDecade/Pages/InternationalDecadeAfrican
Descent.aspx.
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