Archives and Dealing with the Past Project
Preserving archives relating to human rights violations is one of the key factors for the assurance of the right to know, the right to justice, the right to reparation and the guarantee of non recurrence enshrined in the Joinet/Orentlicher Principles.
The project Archives and Dealing with the Past is a joint venture between the Political Division IV Human Security (PD IV) of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) with the Swiss Federal Archives in cooperation with swisspeace. The Project started in May 2011.
The aim of the project Archives and Dealing with the Past is to provide a support to governments, international organizations and NGOs related to the protection of archives which document human rights violations. The project is conceived as a hub; it offers a platform of contact between actors who need support and experts in this field, as well as a platform of exchange of best practices and lessons learned, for practitioners and experts in both archival and dealing with the past / transitional justice fields.
Our goals
- To make a significant contribution to preserving, securing and making accessible archives and records of past human rights violations in countries that have experienced gross human rights violations and serious violations of international humanitarian law.
- To raise awareness on the importance of archives and data collections of human rights violations within a broader understanding of Dealing with the Past initiatives.
What we do
Upon request, the project "Archives and Dealing with the Past", undertakes an assessment to identify specific needs with local actors and then supports them in designing and implementing tailor made responses. For this purpose, the project relies upon a broad network of experts in archival issues, data collection, management, and analysis.
With the participation of the most pertinent experts for each local need, the project will also offer training, analysis and counseling. We are currently supporting such processes through projects in the Great Lakes, Former Yugoslavia and in Guatemala. The project also supports local actors to find some funding for these purposes.
