Supporting CSOs in Digital Archiving
Digital archiving is crucial to the work of civil society organizations (CSOs) in helping them to document past and ongoing human rights violations and better utilize information to support transitional justice mechanisms and community-based truth, justice and memory initiatives. However, many organizations with the potential to create and sustain significant digital archives are unable to do so. Due to a lack of capacity and resources, CSOs may be unable to effectively archive, store and share their documentation, resulting in a risk that this valuable information could be lost or simply rendered ineffective in pursuing larger goals related to truth-telling, accountability and remembrance.
The role of digital archiving continues to increase in its importance, as the work of civil society organizations (CSOs) in the last decade has become dependent on their ability to successfully utilize and facilitate controlled access to gathered documentation in support of transitional justice mechanisms and community-based truth, justice and memory initiatives. Many organizations possess significant documentation and continue to collect new statements and sources of information that could be of use to future transitional justice mechanisms, but they are either unsure of how to begin or are in the early stages of building their digital archives. While there have been efforts to increase the digital archiving capacity of CSOs in specific contexts, many CSOs have not yet benefited from this support, and they continue to lack the basic conditions, resources, knowledge, and security systems to successfully develop and maintain digital archives of their own.
In order to meet this capacity-building need, Consortium partners, developed the “Supporting CSOs in Digital Archiving” project, designed to aid civil society actors in creating and utilizing digital archives to support transitional justice mechanisms and advance the broader transitional justice goals of truth-telling, justice and accountability, memorialization and non-recurrence. As part of the project, Consortium partners developed a comprehensive, illustrated manual, written in accessible language, on digital archiving, designed to be useful to both community and survivor organizations embarking on this process and CSOs looking to maintain and strengthen existing archives. In addition, through Phase II of the project, partners offered select CSOs an opportunity to pilot the manual through the development of subgrant projects to support innovation in their efforts and ensure that the manual that is developed is useful to organizations from a variety of different contexts.
Giving Life to Memory
Released in 2023, this publication aims to support civil society actors in creating and utilizing digital archives to support transitional justice mechanisms and advance the broader transitional justice goals of truth-telling, justice and accountability, memorialization and non-recurrence. The manual combines learnings and recommendations from a two-year project on digital archiving, as well as input and expertise generously shared by over 60 civil society organizations who participated in this initiative.
Dar Vida a la Memoria
Manual sobre la creación y preservación de archivos digitales para organizaciones de derechos humanos de la sociedad civil
Donner vie à la mémoire
Manuel pour les Organisations de la Société Civile de Défense des Droits de l'Homme sur la Création et la Préservation d'Archives Numériques
As part of this project, GIJTR supported four civil society organizations to carry out innovative digital archiving projects based on pressing transitional justice needs in their contexts. The following videos highlight the work of the four local partner organizations in Colombia, Guatemala and Guinea.
AVIPA
The following video highlights the work of L’Association des Victimes Parents et Amis du 28 Septembre 2009 (AVIPA), a civil society organization based in Guinea.
CONAVIGUA
The following video highlights the work of La Coordinadora Nacional de Viudas de Guatemala (CONAVIGUA), a civil society organization based in Guatemala.
Comisión Colombiana de Juristas
The following video highlights the work of La Comisión Colombiana de Juristas (CCJ), a civil society organization based in Colombia.
FAMDEGUA
The following video highlights the work of La Asociación de Familiares de Detenidos-Desaparecidos de Guatemala (FAMDEGUA), a civil society organization based in Guatemala.
Click the following link to access tailored resources and guides that provide practitioners, academics and activists with concrete strategies and tools to support the development of digital archives while seeking truth, justice and accountability in periods after conflict.
Project Partners Photo Gallery
