Annual Special Topics Seminars - Archive Forum
We have become attached to our elders who are the most vulnerable to this virus. The generations who have witnessed the titanic socio-political shifts that created the contemporary world that we know today; in their memories are events of colonization, occupation, coups, rebellions, gender liberation, civil wars, the destruction and rebuilding of cities, the redefinition of our nations and their borders, economic collapse, environmental collapse and now this global pandemic. We believe that with the loss of these generations of “witnesses of history” we lose chunks of our history, and power that comes with knowing one’s history.
For its 3 consecutive years Karama HRFF continues to host Annual Special Topics Seminars with the aim of investing in propelling discussion based knowledge in the region. These Seminars are held as roundtable discussions intersecting with each year’s chosen theme.
In conversation with our theme this year, The Memory of Being - we have a special focus on Archival material, oral history and anthropological research as our primary medium of inquiry and our departure point. We will hold a collection of discussions following the film screening in a semi-academic facilitated format.
PROCESS of the archive:
- Archive as a colonial artifact/oppression.
Discussion on prevalent archiving systems in the Region.
colonialism as a system of analysis and documentation
Discussion on their historical origins, evolution over time and the problematics that were born thereof.
- Archive as a tool for governance / centralization of power
- Archives as a tool of identity/ resistance:
The movement of archive Repatriation
the creation of indigenous archives
The power of the digital archive. (Physical anthropology)
Ethics Finding, collecting and Preserving archives
Oral history
advocacy and solidarity: movements through archives – and its evolution
A discussion on institutional and non-institutional elements of the “the archival process” – speakers from different schools of thought and different approaches.
PROCESS of the archive:
institutional inquiry
- collecting - focus on: the archival process –
- preserving and tan: Hawal: sent his life collection and moving his archive- and lost many of them to damage —> then he found 35mm archive & rediscovery and saving it
- ICA archiving systems, how we process, how we work on archives, advice and recommendations
- colonialism as a system of analysis and documentation- - spread geographically - authentication systemic
- Archiving - the image as a tool for resistance
open discussion
The workshop was held via the Zoom app at 1:00 pm Amman time on January 5th 2021 (12:00 pm Netherlands and Belgium time)
The director of the Karama Festival, director Sawsan Darwaza, the artistic director of the festival, director Ihab Al-Khatib, and researcher Jude Swerky participated in the workshop, while director Ayed Nabaa from the Karama team participated in the workshop.