Routes to Freedom: Reflections on the Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade

http://www.commonlaw.uottawa.ca/

More details about the conference can be found at the conference website:

www.abolition1807-2007.uottawa.ca

Topics: This multi-disciplinary conference explored the reality and impact of the transatlantic slave trade, anti-slavery movements and their link to contemporary relationships between the peoples of Africa and the world. Several themes pertaining to slavery in Canada and the wider Black Atlantic have been identified but are not limited to:

• The Impact and Legacy of Transatlantic Enslavement.
• The Political Economy of Slavery. Slavery and the Antebellum South.
• The Trajectory of Slavery in Canada.
• Slavery, Colonialism and the Roots of International Law.
• The Haitian Revolution and its Impact on the Freedom Movement in the Americas.
• From Property to Personhood: Transmuting the Law.
• The Impact of Abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade on other Regions/Nation.
• The Black Abolitionists: Transnational Human Rights Activists.
• Innocence Denied: Children and the Slave Trade.
• Slavery, anti-Slavery and Faith.
• Feminist Analyses of the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
• Slavery, Memory and Literary Production.
• Slavery, Migration and Diasporas.
• The Evolution of Creole Languages and the Slave Trade.
• Contemporary Forms of Slavery and the Transatlantic Legacy.
• The Challenge of Community and State-Based Restitution Models.
• Theoretical Limits When Analyzing the Slave Trade.

Symposium highlights: In addition, to 2.5 days of stimulating panels and discussions, the conference featured: Friday Evening, March 14, 2008. On the evening of Friday the 14th of March, the conference featured a reception hosted by the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers and The Black Law Students Association of Canada at the Ottawa Court House. Saturday Morning, March 15, 2008. On Saturday morning, the Symposium featured a Literary Presentation and discussion with Lawrence Hill, author of Book of Negroes (Nobody Knows my Name- US release). Mr. Hill’s book is a Canadian National best seller and has been long-listed for the Giller Prize. Saturday Evening, March 15, 2008.

A fundraising gala dinner was held on Saturday the 15th of March. The proceeds went to a fund for undergraduate entrance scholarships and graduate fellowships to assist young scholars from and/or engaged in pursuing legal studies related to social justice and international human rights and development law. An art exhibit was held for two weeks, from March 7th to 22nd in a local gallery featuring artists whose work celebrates the survival, resilience and creativity of diasporic peoples. General inquires should be sent to: [email protected]

The University of Ottawa, Canada’s largest law school, is (a) bijuridical and bilingual law school in our nation’s capital. We are the only law school in the world where students can elect to pursue their studies in English, French or both languages. Our areas of specialization include Dispute Resolution, Environmental Law, International Trade, Social Justice and Technology Law.