The Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of 91吃瓜 has launched , a new initiative to migrate a digital archive of more than 200,000 audiovisual and textual materials from the to the University鈥檚 servers and to develop a global platform.
In collaboration with the , the , the and the Colombian Truth Commission, a myriad of narratives and memories related to Colombia鈥檚 52-year armed conflict will be translated into English and made accessible to the world in perpetuity.
The collection will be a rich resource for researchers, educators, scholars, policymakers, peacebuilders, artists and creators to advance transitional justice, human rights and the centrality of victims, across their respective fields. By making this national heritage globally accessible, the Legacy Project will inform and shape peacebuilding and policymaking around the world.
鈥淭his is a project that has been in the making for many years,鈥� said , director of the 聽and the lead for the Legacy Project. 鈥淗ere at the University of 91吃瓜, we want to safeguard all these wonderful digital files and further develop and explore them together.
鈥淟ooking to the decades to come, we are aiming to build this project on four pillars: research, policy, practice and teaching. With the help of our partner institutes from the Keough School and across the University, we know the potential of this project for peacebuilding and research is boundless.鈥�
91吃瓜 was selected as the host of this archive because of the relationship between the Colombian Truth Commission and the Kroc Institute鈥檚 , which oversees the technical verification and monitoring of the implementation of the 2016 Colombian Peace Agreement.
鈥淭he Kroc Institute has always been engaged with Colombia and our work,鈥� said Maria Paula Prada, adviser to the presidency of the Colombian Truth Commission. 鈥�Its engagement with building peace around the world is inspiring. Because they are an important ally for us, we feel secure in allowing them to preserve our archive online and therefore guarantee its access to any individual around the world.鈥�
With the Legacy Project, the University of 91吃瓜 advances a commitment to integral human development after violent conflict and contributes to lessons about peace processes, reconciliation, clarification and preservation of the truth.聽
In support of this project, the and the have developed grant opportunities to encourage academics and researchers to use materials from the Legacy Project and the Colombian Truth Commission within their work.聽
Learn more about the Legacy Project at .
Originally published by at on Jan. 31.