劳氏船级社(Lloyd’s Register)是世界上最古老、最受尊敬的英国海事服务公司之一,为其参与跨大西洋奴隶贸易道歉。
2022年的一项调查显示,该公司在18世纪和19世纪参与了非洲奴隶贸易,随后该公司做出了道歉。
劳氏船级社成立于1760年,是世界上第一个船级社。它的工作是检查和认证船舶的安全。
然而,该公司最近委托进行的一项研究发现,它检查的许多船只都被用来运送被奴役的非洲人横渡大西洋。
该公司还帮助这些船只的销售和保险。
这项调查是由赫尔大学的威尔伯福斯研究所进行的,该研究所发现劳氏船级社在支持奴隶贸易体系方面发挥了关键作用。
该报告还透露,该公司早期管理委员会的一些成员直接参与了奴役或贩卖非洲人。
此后,劳氏船级社为其行为道歉。该公司在一份声明中表示:“我们对这段历史深感抱歉。”
该公司承认,认识到这一痛苦的遗产不仅对公司,而且对受影响者的后代和整个社会都很重要。
劳氏船级社(Lloyd 's Register)的首席执行官尼克·布朗(Nick Brown)表示了这个问题对他和公司的深刻影响。
他告诉《贸易风》杂志,“奴隶制和人口贩卖与英国经济有着内在的联系,而《登记册》是该体系的一部分。这是一个令人痛苦的事实,深深地影响着我和劳氏船级社。”
劳氏船级社已采取措施解决过去的问题,并为了解奴隶贸易做出贡献。该公司已承诺提供100万英镑(123万美元)的赠款,以支持帮助人们了解奴隶制历史的项目。
这笔资金将用于发展加勒比和西非地区的档案、奖学金和公共教育项目。
该公司还宣布了与利物浦国际奴隶制博物馆合作的计划,以提高人们对这一贸易的认识和了解。
该公司还支持这些地区的当地社区,帮助他们对奴隶贸易的影响进行自己的研究。劳氏船级社还计划与国家档案馆合作,为奴隶制教育创造资源。
2020年,劳合社保险市场(Lloyd’s Insurance Market)也就其参与该交易发表了道歉声明。剑桥大学(Cambridge University)和英格兰银行(Bank of England)等其他机构也同样承认了自己在奴隶制中扮演的角色。
许多倡导者认为,赔偿对于解决奴隶制造成的持续的种族不平等是必要的,而另一些人则认为,现代机构不应该对历史错误负责。
一些英联邦领导人呼吁英国道歉并提供赔偿,一名联合国法官表示,英国欠下超过18万亿英镑的赔偿。
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英文原文
Lloyd’s Register, one of the oldest and most respected British maritime services companies in the world, has apologised for its involvement in the transatlantic slave trade.
The apology was made after a 2022 investigation revealed the company’s involvement in the trade of enslaved Africans during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Founded in 1760, Lloyd’s Register was the first classification society in the world. Its job was to inspect and certify the safety of ships.
However, the recent research commissioned by the company found that many of the ships it inspected were used to transport enslaved Africans across the Atlantic.
The company also helped in the sale and insurance of these ships.
The investigation was carried out by the Wilberforce Institute at the University of Hull, which found that Lloyd’s Register played a key role in supporting a system that enabled the slave trade.
The report also revealed that some members of the company’s early governing committee were directly involved in enslaving or trafficking Africans.
Lloyd’s Register has since apologised for its actions. In a statement, the company said, “We are deeply sorry for this part of our history.”
The company acknowledged that it was important to recognise this painful legacy, not only for the company but also for the descendants of those affected and for society as a whole.
Nick Brown, the CEO of Lloyd’s Register, expressed how deeply the issue affected him and the company.
He told TradeWinds, “Slavery and human trafficking were intrinsically tied to Britain’s economy, and The Registers were part of that system. It is a painful truth, one that deeply affects me and Lloyd’s Register.”
Lloyd’s Register has taken steps to address the past and contribute to the understanding of the slave trade. The company has pledged a £1 million ($1.23 million) grant to support projects that will help educate people about the history of slavery.
The funding will go toward developing archives, scholarships, and public education programs in the Caribbean and West Africa.
The company has also announced plans to work with the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool to increase awareness and understanding of the trade.
The company is also supporting local communities in these regions by helping them carry out their own research on the impact of the slave trade. Lloyd’s Register also plans to partner with the National Archives to create resources for education on slavery.
In 2020, Lloyd’s Insurance Market also issued an apology for its involvement in the trade. Other institutions, like Cambridge University and the Bank of England, have similarly admitted their roles in slavery.
Many advocates argue that reparations are necessary to address the ongoing racial inequalities caused by slavery, while others believe that modern institutions should not be held responsible for historical wrongs.
Some Commonwealth leaders have called on the UK to apologise and provide reparations, with one United Nations judge suggesting that Britain owes more than £18 trillion in reparations.
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