SLAFNET will definitely represent a landmark intellectual and social achievement and a future model for successful collaborative projects. Research progressed through the development of field, training and networking activities. The development of teaching modules on slavery in Africa has the potential to impact national curricula, and to transform the way we look at enslaved people, their descendants, and structures of domination.
Expected impacts & results:
-Increase scientific contribution to African slavery studies by exploring the compared histories of transition from slavery to post-slavery across African regions and acknowledging the political significance of these transformations
-Improve dialogue and exchanges between researchers, activists, politicians, and civil society.
-Bring together specialists of slavery in Eastern and Western Africa; Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions; and Francophone, Anglophone and Lusophone countries and historiographies
-Boost dialogue and exchanges between ESR & ER (17 ESR started or are finalizing their PhDs) - PhD were jointly supervised and trained by the ER team members
-Improve dissemination of results to non-specialist
Progress beyond
The project encouraged ESR to develop their professional, social and intercultural skills to increase their employability. SLAFNET paid particular attention to gender equality. The leadership of the WP have been distributed according to regions and gender.
The dissemination of results, analysis and exchanges developed within SLAFNET benefit from various types of publications; books, articles and edited volumes that were submitted to peer-reviewed journals and renowned book collections. The accessibility of some sources (WP4) will allow other colleagues and institutions to benefit from the work produced by SLAFNET. Maps, dictionary, exhibition and documentary films on preparation will provide innovative knowledge and representations of slavery, as well as tools for use by various national and local stakeholders.
A wide impact is still expected ; public presentations and discussions about slavery, social status and human rights contribute to raising social awareness and foster solidarity.
Thanks to the inter-sectoral trade, SLAFNET contributed to formulate new perspectives in policy development related to the preservation, management and social benefit of heritage sites, which represent human and economic potential to be developed.
60 ER, ESR and Staff compose the SLAFNET network. The training of a new generation of European and African scholars, and the career development of the ER involved in SLAFNET will be one of the strongest assets insuring the sustainability of this collaborative work after the completion of the project.The publications, proceedings, reports and other deliverables will be innovative background through which team members will be able to conceptualise and develop new research and innovation programs. Members and participating institutions will represent major references on Slavery Studies in Africa and in Europe.
One of the major concerns of the SLAFNET coordinator, is the sustainability of the network and the perpetuation of the actions initiated during the project. A fund has been allocated by a French Research Institute (CNRS) to promote the work done since 2017, increase the existing collaboration and develop new topics around the issues of race and memory.
