ICCROM has joined an Italian initiative aimed at sensitizing the wider society on the need to preserve archives and invest resources in protecting a kind of heritage that is increasingly at risk from natural and manmade disasters and human negligence.
Archives are a part of cultural heritage, and are a valuable resource for keeping alive our history and sustaining our identity. Citizens’ rights are protected through records, as they guarantee factual evidence.
From 14 to 19 March 2016, a series of events will be organized by Italian archives and cultural institutions which hold them, giving voice to thousands of kilometres of records, both analogue and digital. These archives need to be preserved and shared in order to receive the recognition they deserve.
This initiative, promoted by the Italian National Association of Archivists (ANAI), has elaborated a manifesto which clearly expresses the importance of archives in our society:
“Without law archives, trials couldn’t be carried out, and cases couldn’t be reopened when new evidence arises. Without archives, important work-related lawsuits couldn’t be held before a court, such as asbestos-related trials. Without case studies and data preserved in scientific archives, research couldn’t move forward and we couldn’t have made many fundamental discoveries. Doctors couldn’t study diseases, and find and experiment with new therapies. Without hospital archives, our clinical life couldn’t be reconstructed, and doctors wouldn’t have the documents they need to take care of us. Without the documents that give us data about weather conditions through the centuries, we couldn’t study climate change. Without historical cartography and documents that describe landscape evolution, we couldn’t study the environment and prevent floods and landslides. We couldn’t plan territorial actions such as evaluating seismic risk. (And, unfortunately we’re not doing enough of this!) Without archives, we couldn’t recognize the violence of dictatorships, or analyse politics over the years. We couldn’t investigate terrorism, massacres, or the mafia.”
Many institutions and individuals have adhered and subscribed the initiative, among them Andrea Camilleri, a renowned Italian writer, who presents his relationship with archives in a conversation made to support “Get Inspired by Archives” The video of the interview (in Italian) is visible here.
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