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| UNFINISHED BUSINESS – Slavery: then and now. |
| Wednesday, 09 May 2007 |
The most significant International Slavery Conference of the year, ‘Unfinished Business’, will be hosted by the University of Hull’s WISE Institute (Wilberforce Institute for the study of Slavery and Emancipation) and will take place at the University on 16-19 May.
Two hundred years after the slave trade was abolished, world-class academics and several very high profile political figures will discuss research findings on the historical slave trade, the plight of slaves in today’s world and campaigns to end slavery.
As part of the conference, WISE’s patron, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, will deliver the Wilberforce Emancipation lecture, ‘Emancipation, Reconciliation and Reparations’, on Thursday, May 17th. Archbishop Tutu is best known for his tireless campaign against apartheid in the 1980s, for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984, and for establishing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa.
Other keynote addresses will be delivered by David Lammy MP, Minister for Culture, Professor Kevin Bales, President of Free the Slaves, and by other high profile political speakers.
Being the home and former parliamentary constituency of the abolitionist, William Wilberforce, Hull has a strong affinity with debates about slavery issues. WISE is home to academics that specialise in both historical and contemporary slavery. Indeed, the research of WISE’s experts was instrumental in enabling the recent expose on GangMasters carrying out illegal working practices in the Humberside area.
Associate Director of WISE and Professor of Social Justice, Gary Craig said, “We are delighted that several extremely high profile and knowledgeable figures are speaking at this conference and are helping to raise awareness about slavery and human rights. Through conferences like this, WISE continues to bring slavery issues to the fore and influence decision makers about ways to eradicate the various forms of slavery, such as debt bondage, child labour and human trafficking.”
Notes to Editors:
The name of the Keynote Speaker on 17 May will not be disclosed until 16 May. Information about interviews will be communicated then.
Desmond Tutu’s lecture will be held on Thursday, 17 May at City Hall. Tickets are free and can be ordered from Hull City Council Box Office on 01482 226655. The event will start at 6.30pm and the audience should be seated by 6.15pm.
Delegate rates are £110 (£70 concessions) for three days (including lunch, evening buffet and entertainment on Thursday, 17 May, and Conference Dinner with Desmond Tutu on Friday, 18 May).
A special day delegate rate of £30 is available for people living in the region (this includes lunch).
For more information about the conference, visit: www.hull.ac.uk/wise.
About WISE:
WISE is an inter-disciplinary institute of the University of Hull, dedicated to the pursuit of world-class research in the areas of slavery, emancipation, human rights and social justice, historically and in the contemporary world. It seeks to provide a forum for academic knowledge and public understanding of historical and contemporary debates, to inform policy change and the campaigns of activists, and to work with others to generate knowledge transfer.
The Wilberforce Institute for the study of Slavery and Emancipation (WISE) is located in a listed Victorian building in the historic Old Town in Hull’s city centre. It is next to the Wilberforce House Museum, formerly Wilberforce’s home.
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