The Permanent Mission of Jamaica to the United Nations, along with Permanent Memorial Committee, unveiled www.unslaverymemorial.org – an online community developed to foster the committee’s effort to raise awareness and funds for the design, construction and erection of a permanent memorial to and in remembrance of the victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade.

The website will serve as an interactive platform through which the general public, committee members and other interested parties can keep abreast of the Fund’s schedule of events, keep abreast of issues, history and impact of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and make donations.

The Permanent Memorial will serve as a reminder of the legacy of the slave trade. It will provide future generations an understanding of the history and consequences of slavery and serves as an educational tool to raise awareness about the current dangers of racism, prejudice and the lingering consequences that continue to impact the descendants of the victims today.

To date, the committee has raised just under $1 million dollars, with the bulk of the donations coming from member countries such as Australia ($100,000), India ($260,000) and Finland ($50,000). Future fundraising events include a series of music concerts featuring high profile artists in various music genres – Reggae, Pop, Gospel, R&B, Hip Hop and Jazz.