Internationally known speakers and panelists will arrive at the University of Oregon on Thursday, Oct. 24 to kick off “From Silence to Memory: Archives and Human Rights in Guatemala and Beyond.” This symposium is dedicated to ending human rights abuse in Guatemala.
Several human rights issues will be discussed, but the emphasis of the symposium is improving the future for Guatemalan citizens. There will be three different events around campus, including speakers, a book discussion and a documentary viewing.
The first of the three begins at 3 p.m. and will be located in the Knight Library Browsing Room. “From Silence to Memory: Revelations of the National Police Historical Archive” will be presented and then discussed by a panel shortly after. The panel consists of Stephanie Wood as chair of the panel from the UO, as well as representatives from Columbia University, the National Police Historical Archive in Guatemala and Austin Texas University.
The book describes the treatment of Guatemalan citizens and a report from the National Police Historical Archive in Guatemala. The book also discusses citizens acts to try and overcome human rights violations in their country. The panel will discuss how the book is correlated to the human rights movement.
At 4 p.m., also in the Knight Library Browsing Room, will be a lecture on “The Role of Archives in Strengthening Democracy and Promoting Human Rights” by Trudy Peterson. She has extended experience as an active archivist from the United States. This lecture will discuss the importance of documents and artifacts of archives and how they can help citizens and their communities deal with and overcome injustices.
The last of the three events will be located in 221 Allen Hall, at 6 p.m. The documentary “Keep Your Eyes on Guatemala” by Gabriela Martinez will be open for public viewing. Martinez is an associate professor at the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communication.
The film uses interviews from several citizens who have experienced human rights violations in Guatemala. The film will also display the role of human rights activists, archivists and several others who have played a role in expanding human rights in Guatemala.