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About the Project
Argentinean Human Rights Digital Library of Periodical and Non-Periodical Publications
Project Grant
Memoria Abierta is an alliance of nine Argentinean human rights organizations, most of which were created during the last dictatorship (1976-1983) to denounce violations of that time and to support victims and relatives. The Argentinean human rights movement, with innovative strategies to fight oblivion and achieve justice, is known worldwide and referenced by other countries in which human rights crimes have been or are being committed. Therefore, it is important that history and documentation of the movement be publicly accessible. The project will digitize publications written by the organizations present a unique perspective detailing the trajectory of each organization.
Project Lead
- María Celina Flores
- Maria Alejandra Pavicich
Host Institution
Memoria Abierta
More Information
Collection Details
From 1976 to 1983, military dictatorship in Argentina overran the population with politically-charged attacks and threats of imprisonment against citizens. In response to this regime, various human rights organizations (HROs) were created. Memoria Abierta is a collective alliance of nine of these HROs that aimed to denounce social injustice and support victims of repression.
Memoria Abierta’s project with MEAP focuses on written works from these groups. The materials selected for the archive cover (1) the history of the HROs and their members, (2) forms of organization and intervention, and (3) the roles that these groups played in a sociopolitical context. The printed materials include magazines, booklets, newsletters, and newspapers-- making up approximately 1,600 publications that date from the 1970’s to present times.
Publications in the collection include but are not limited to Magazine of the Permanent Assembly for Human Rights (a newspaper covering politics, human rights, and justice advocacy), Bulletin of Relatives of the Disappeared and Detainees for Political Reasons (a periodic publication on missing persons, human rights violations, and HRO activities), and “Paz y Justicia” (a periodic bulletin on human rights in Argentina and Latin America).
These publications allow users to explore the history of the human rights movement as well as the sociopolitical context of organizations and interventions within the movement. The materials contextualize the HRO’s within their foundation histories, the challenges that they faced, and the actions they carried out against injustice.
Memoria Abierta has selected materials that reflect Argentina’s dictatorial state and its consequences that led to organized resistance. The content is especially significant in light of modern-day right-wing governments regaining presence within and surrounding the country. This political climate has created some set-backs in making accessible Argentina’s grim, repressive history. However, this archive takes a huge step towards highlighting the voices of those that advocated for a more democratic and inclusive system-- an ideology that echoes into the present day.