Archivists without Borders (AwB) is a non-profit organisation created in Barcelona in 1998. Formed by archivists who collaborate on a volunteer basis, the ONG develops cooperative projects in the field of documentary heritage and archiving in several parts of the world. Its members are strongly committed to common values such as identity, memory, freedom, the right to information and the protection of human rights.

The major goal of Archivists without Borders is to work with communities that have been exposed to political, social and cultural conflicts or have suffered from natural disasters. They also work with citizens that have been persecuted for their political ideologies to defend their rights, their beliefs, and their identities. Archivists without Borders considers that the dignity of the victims must be restored and the truth about past events publicized. Therefore, the preservation of and access to the historical memory of the communities is vital.

Archivists without Borders has actively been working on different projects in Europe, Central and South America and in Africa for the last ten years. It is in the process of creating an international solidarity network from Archivists without Borders sections from other countries, such as France and some Central American nations. More than helping with training, technology, equipment, material and other needs, archivists from AwB make an effort to share knowledge, to exchange experiences with the local communities and, in addition, to promote mutual cooperation between countries.

Recently, Archivists without Borders has undergone an internal reorganization that will enable and encourage professionals in other regions of the world to set up the same type of organisation and develop collaborative projects respecting the same international regulation. The new working model is intended to establish a new platform for international cooperation in the future.

At the moment, Archivists without Borders is actively involved in different initiatives. Two of the most important projects include a training program for archivists in Fez, Morocco by the French section and recovery actions of archives and records created during military dictatorships in Latin America. Furthermore, the first international congress on “Archives and Human Rights. Access to and Declassification of Documents” will be held in Sarrià de Ter (Gironès county), Spain on 2, 3 and 4 October 2008.

Fina Solà, Vice-President of AwB international, is one of the most active voices. This Flying Reporter will be interviewing her to get a sense of the strategic directions she wants to take in order to strengthen the network among Archivists without Borders sections, to raise awareness, and to promote the creation of new AwB sections in other countries.

For further information about Archivists without Borders please visit the websites at:

http://www.arxivers.org/ca/index.php (AwB International – Spain)

http://archivistessansfrontieres.org/ (AwB – France)

Daniel Oliveira