Memòria Democràtica

La Jornada Arxius, Drets Humans i Transparència té l’objectiu de plantejar una reflexió conjunta sobre tres conceptes que, més enllà del cercle d’experts en aquestes disciplines, es llegeixen sovint de manera excloent per part de la ciutadania. Per altra banda, l’anàlisi de la realitat mostra la necessitat ineludible d’articular aquests conceptes per propiciar resultats altament satisfactoris en l’àmbit dels drets humans, la memòria històrica i el retiment de comptes.

En aquesta jornada, es pretén mostrar, mitjançant casos concrets, a voltes emblemàtics, que els ideals de veritat, justícia i lluita contra la impunitat i la desmemòria, present a les agendes dels governs i les organitzacions més avançades a escala nacional i internacional, s’assoliran en tota la seva plenitud en la mesura que es produeixi un encaix que aglutini el potencial informatiu i testimonial dels documents d’arxiu amb les accions encaminades a resoldre els conflictes polítics —sovint, dirimits en l’àmbit militar— en el marc d’unes administracions que entenguin la transparència com una política de portes obertes pel que fa a l’accés als documents i a la informació.

A banda de la necessària reflexió teòrica, la jornada vol fer evident la necessitat de treball conjunt mitjançant l’anàlisi de casos com el conflicte armat colombià, la destrucció intencionada del patrimoni documental en la guerra dels Balcans o l’ús reparador dels arxius en les transicions de dictadures militars a règims democràtics al con sud, entre altres. En síntesi, una jornada que vol visualitzar el repte de fomentar la integració de disciplines i, també, la ineludible interdisciplinarietat entre professions compromeses a treballar conjuntament, com ara els arxivers, gestors de documents, historiadors, juristes, antropòlegs, periodistes i experts en drets humans, amb l’objectiu prioritari de respondre a la reivindicació col·lectiva de dignitat i justícia universal.

Programme

• 3:45 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Welcome participants

• 4:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.
Opening speech by Ricard Vinyes, Commissioner for Memory Programmes, Barcelona City Council

• 4:15 p.m. – 4:35 p.m.
Barcelona Municipal Archives: from Parchment to the Digital Stratosphere

Joaquim Borràs, Chief Archivist at Barcelona City Council
Summary: Brief review of the history of the City Archives from the Middle Ages to the great events of contemporary Barcelona. Also, a brief outline of their document collections will be displayed (parchments, books of privileges, plans, maps, photographs) that are enormously rich and varied. This makes the City Archives one of the largest centres in Europe, alongside those of the Vatican, the Crown of Aragon, Paris, London, etc. Work is currently being done on making this rich heritage, covering every period, available and ensuring democratic access to the records by means of digital platforms.

• 4:35 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Archives and Human Rights: Secrets, Spies and Dictatorships

Ramon Alberch, President of the NGO Archivists without Borders International
Summary: We want to demonstrate the need to organise and preserve the most important archives and make them accessible for the defence of human rights, especially those produced by the military, intelligence services and political police. There are lots of examples in this area, such as the destruction of the Southern Cone archives, the discovery of the Operation Condor terror archives in Paraguay and the intentional destruction of archives and libraries in the Balkans War.

• 5:00 – 5:25 p.m.
Archives without Borders: Archival Cooperation for a Fairer Society

Ramon Alberch, President of the NGO Archivists without Borders
Summary: Archives, as testimony of human activity, have a key role with regard to the individual and collective rights of people. The NGO Archivist without Borders (AsF) was set up in Barcelona in 1998, by a group of archivists who were convinced of the need to cooperate in solidarity, especially in developing countries that need help in establishing operational archives, or which have been affected by military conflicts or natural disasters, as well as those that have been the victims of dictatorial regimes. In all these cases the creation, treatment and preservation of archives are basic elements in ensuring people’s rights, holding guilty parties to account, where applicable, and preserving a historical memory without any gaps.

• 5:25 p.m. – 5:50 p.m.
From Jerusalem to Wikileaks: Secret Agreements and Massive Leaks. What do archives contribute to transparency?

Joan Pérez Ventayol, Archive and Document Management Specialist at the Consell Comarcal del Vallès Occidental
Summary: A commentary on the main agreements signed by Europe’s chancelleries during WW1 and WW2, with their secret clauses, and some references to the massive data leaks of the 21st century, such as the Wikileaks case, will provide the basis for reflection on what is and what is not transparency. Leading on from that, an attempt will be made to explain what archives and archival methodology contribute to making access to information and transparency of public actions real and effective.

• 5:50 p.m. – 6:50 p.m.
Debate
Moderated by: Montserrat Beltran, Director of the Barcelona Contemporary Municipal Archive (AMCB)

• 6:50 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Close