Slavery must be as widely taught as Holocaust, says Charles
THE Prince of Wales wants the transAtlantic slave trade taught and understood as widely as the Holocaust.
He believes there is a gap in national awareness of the slave trade, despite Britain’s involvement in it.
A royal source said: “The Prince notes that in the UK, at a national level, we now know and learn at school all about the Holocaust.
“That is not true of the transatlantic slave trade… and there’s an acknowledgment that it needs to happen.” The source stressed that the Prince, who is patron of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, was not trying to dictate education policy but wanted to encourage others to deepen their own understanding, as he was trying to do.
The Prince is in contact with a broad range of experts and world leaders on the subject, and hopes that a charitable organisation will take on the mantle to better educate and inform, as well as to create a mechanism for remembering such an integral part of British history.
An aide said that Prince Charles was “looking for opportunities” to highlight and celebrate diversity in both the UK and the Commonwealth.
Although there is no suggestion he wants to create such an organisation himself, he is said to be keen to find one that will provide a similar focus to that of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust.
It was through the charity that the Prince met Eric Murangwa, a Rwandan footballer who narrowly escaped death during the 1994 genocide, and who urged him to visit memorial sites during his visit to Kigali.
As a result, the Prince and the Duchess of Cornwall last week visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial, later noting “how important it is never to forget the horrors of the past”.
In an effort to raise awareness of the Windrush generation, and mark its “tremendous impact” on the UK, the Prince has commissioned portraits of some of those who travelled from the Caribbean to the UK between 1948 and 1971.
It comes after the Queen officially marked Windrush Day for the first time last week, issuing a personal tribute to the “profound contribution” that the
status on the separatist areas of Donetsk and Luhansk and ceded territory to Mr Putin. “There can be no negotiated settlement which replicates the Minsk Agreement, which came at the expense of Ukraine’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity,” they said.
“Those who propose sacrificing Ukraine’s land are actually proposing paying in Ukrainian blood for the illusion of peace. It will be a mirage unless accompanied by the restitution of Ukrainian territory and the containment of Putin’s imperialism.”
Ms Truss and Mr Kuleba said it was “imperative that the G7 and Nato this week demonstrate that their commitment to Ukraine will never be surpassed by Putin’s determination to seize it”.
“That means increasing and speeding up their supply of heavy weapons, continuing to sanction all those colluding in Putin’s war, and cutting off imports of Russian energy completely,” they said.
Although other world leaders have also visited Mr Zelensky in Kyiv, Mr Johnson has sought to portray Britain as Ukraine’s closest ally.
“The UK, US and other European leaders all want to see the same thing – a democratic, sovereign and thriving Ukraine that is able to defend itself against further aggression,” the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said last night. “The Prime Minister visited Kyiv last week for discussions with President Zelensky, who made clear that Ukraine has no interest in surrendering sovereignty.”
The UK is also pledging to guarantee another £429 million in World Bank loans to Ukraine, amid concerns its government could collapse by the autumn without further support.
The pledge brings Britain’s total commitment to £1.5 billion, including £1.3 billion in loan guarantees and £220million in direct humanitarian aid.
This week will see world leaders converge first on Munich for the G7 summit, then on Madrid for a full conference of Nato members.
Leaders will discuss the war in Ukraine’s impact on the global economy, food security and the future of Western alliances.
Before the summits, Mr Johnson said: “The UK will continue to back Ukraine every step of the way, because we know that their security is our security, and their freedom is our freedom.”