AGENDA. Monday, 24 October :30 a.m. Formal opening ceremony

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1 Minutes of the 17 th Meeting of MOWLAC Regional Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean UNESCO Memory of the World Program Mar del Plata, Argentina, October 2016 The Regional Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean of UNESCO s Memory of the World Program (MOWLAC) held its seventeenth Annual Meeting, from October 24 to 26, 2016, in Mar del Plata, Argentina, with collaboration by the UNESCO Office in Montevideo and the National University of Mar del Plata, for the purpose of evaluating and determining the document collections to be registered as Documentary Heritage of Latin America and el Caribbean, granted by MOWLAC. AGENDA Formal opening ceremony (p. 1) Preparatory meeting (p. 2) Analysis of proposalss (pp. 3-9) Parallel agenda to the 2016 Annual MOWLAC Meeting open to the public (p. 9) Activities (pp ) Monday, 24 October :30 a.m. Formal opening ceremony The Meeting was held in the Hermitage Hotel and attended by municipal, provincial and national authorities of the host country and authorities of the University of Mar de Plata, which sponsored the meeting. The panel of authorities comprised the Rector of Mar del Plata University, Mr. Francisco Antonio Morea; the Secretary of Communication and Institutional Relations of Mar del Plata University, Mr. Alberto Fabián Rodríguez, MSc; the MOWLAC Regional Committee Secretary, Mr. Guilherme Canela, MSc; a representative of the Mar del Plata Municipality, and MOWLAC s two Vice Presidents, Carlos Ditadii and Alfonso Blijden. 1

2 11:45 a.m. Preparatory meeting All Committee members were present, except the President, Rita Tjien Fooh, and Gabriel Saldivia (of Venezuela). Members attending: Carlos Augusto Silva Ditadi (of Brazil, First Vice President), Alfonso Rolando Blijden (of St. Martin, Second Vice President), Alfredo Boccia-Paz (Paraguay), Luis Oporto-Ordóñez (Bolivia), Yolia Tortolero-Cervantes (Mexico), Christopher Varlack (British Virgin Islands), Elizabeth F. Watson (Barbados), Carlos Henríquez-Consalvi (El Salvador). Also present are Guilherme Canela de Souza Godoi (Communication and Information Advisor), and Advisors Lourdes Blanco De Arroyo and Rosa María Fernández De Zamora, The Vice President, Carlos Augusto Ditadi, chairs the meeting and Alfredo Bocciathe President, Rita Paz is the Rapporteur. Guilherme Canela reports the reasons for members absences: Tjien Fooh, due to family illness, and Gabriel Saldivia (Venezuela) due to difficulties with the planned flight. Some general issues are discussed prior to analyzing the submissions: - All nominations must be circulated in PDF format to be read with less difficulty. - Filenames and attachment names must be according to a uniform coding for greater clarity. - Very large or heavy files must be avoided. - The agenda must include discussion of the number of submissions from a single entity, since the International Committee has no such limit. - Study reformulation of the 2017 Call for Submissions. - Contact the applicant from Costa Rica, explaining the impasse created by the two submissions, and request that she choose which one to submit. It is decided to come back to this points and study them after analyzing the proposals. 3:10 p.m. Analysis of proposals 1. Military Junta Records. Proposal originating with the National Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Directorate of the Defense Ministry of Argentina. (Preliminary evaluation by Yolia Tortolero) 2

3 Approved unanimously with the observation that the title should include the dates covered by the documentation ( ). 2. Volumes of grammatical and lexicographical studies attributed to Father Ignacio Chomé - Chiquita Language Vocabulary. Presented by the Central University Library of the Major University of San Andrés, Bolivia. The regional importance of the Chiquita language is discussed, and these documents transcendence, being about a language no longer spoken. It is recommended to clarify in a footnote the meaning of the term Reducción and to highlight that this language has been declared intangible heritage by Unesco. 3. Collection of radio-plays from the National Radio Station of Colombia, Proposal by the National Radio and Television of Colombia. Not approved. It is recommended to submit it to the National Committee of Colombia, due to its lack of sufficient regional impact. 4. Central American Court of Justice. Proposal by the General Archives of Costa Rica. It is not considered, because Guilherme Canela reports that the Director of Costa Rica s General Archives has asked him to withdraw this submission because of the conflict discussed in the preliminary meeting, to be presented next year. 5. Immigration by Jews and Israelis to Bolivia during the Second World War, fostered by Mining Industrialist Mauricio Hochschild. Proposal by the Historical Archive of National Mining of the Bolivian Mining Corporation. Approved unanimously, with the observation that presenters should make the title more specific because of the confusion created by interpreting the terms Jews and Israelís. It is recommended to submit it to the International Register, associating it with similar archives from other countries. 6. Legal and notarial documents of Córdoba during colonial times ( ). Proposal by the Historical Archive of Córdoba, Argentina. and independent the Province of 7. Manuel María Mosquera Fond. Proposal by La Sabana University, Cipriano Rodríguez Santa María Historical Archive, Colombia. 3

4 Not approved. It is recommended to resubmit it next year, after correcting existing ambiguities regarding timing and scope of the documentary fond. 8. Archives of the Registry of Victims of Political Violence in Peru ( ) of the Reparations Council. Submitted by the Reparations Council of Peru s Ministry of Justice and Human Rights. Approved by majority vote (six yea votes). It is recommended to request presenters to correct some inconsistencies in the text. It is suggested for them to submit it to the International Register, combining their proposal with the Truth and Justice Commission s (proposal 25). 9. Bolivian Army Field Diary during the War of the Pacific. Presented by the Simón I. Patiño Pedagogical and Cultural Center and by the Municipal Secretariat of Culture of the Autonomous Municipal Government of Cochabamba, Bolivia. 10. Reply of a South American to a gentleman of this island. (The Jamaica Letter, Simón Bolívar, 1815). Presented by Ecuador s Ministry of Culture and Heritage. 11. Archives of Salvador Salazar-Arrué, Salarrué. Proposed by the Museum of Words and Images, El Salvador. 12. Patent for Nanny of the Maroons, Jamaica: August 5, Presented by Jamaica Archives and Records Department. Not considered, because there is no version in Spanish. 13. Petrus Donders Fond. Submitted by the Diocese of Paramaribo, Surinam Years of History of the Mayan City of Quirigua Written in Stone. Presented by the Ministry of Culture and Sports through Guatemala s Vice- Ministry of Cultural and Natural Heritage. 4

5 The session adjourned at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, 25 October :30 a.m. The analysis of proposals continues. 15. Indigenous rebellion in republican Ecuador, Presented by Ecuador s National Cultural Heritage Institute. Not approved. Returned with recommendations to further develop the regional significance and include the signatures of the custodians of the proposed material. It is also recommended for the resubmission to include an independent expert s opinion. It would be advisable to submit a joint proposal with the Leibniz Archive, of Leipzig, Germany, wheree the original photographs are located. 16. Gazofiliacio Real of Peru (Gazophilatij Regis Perubici. Madrid, 1647). Presented by the Library and Historical Archive of the Pluri-national Legislative Assembly of the Pluri-national State of Bolivia. 17. Román Piña Chan Archive: Meso-American cultural tradition and the archaeologist s intellectual legacy through his manuscripts and photographs Submitted by the Autonomous University of Campeche, Mexico. It is recommended for them to submit it to the International Register with certain adjustments, such as including on the form (and not in the attachment) the opinion of independent experts and expanding on the relations between Román Piña and other foreign archaeologists. 18. Guatemala Peacee Agreements. Presented by Guatemala s General Archives of Central America. 19. Treaty Prohibiting Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean, (Treaty of Tlatelolco). Submitted by Mexico s Foreign Affairs Secretariat. Approved unanimously International Register. with the recommendation to submit the proposal to the 20. Estate Maps of Jamaica, Submitted by the National Library of Jamaica. 5

6 Approved unanimously, with the recommendation to submit the proposal to the International Register. 21. Pablo Neruda s Canto General. First edition from Submitted by the Ibero-American University of Mexico City, the UNAM Institute of Bibliographical Research, the Secretariat of Culture, the Puebla State Council for Culture and the Arts and Honorable Autonomous University of Puebla. Break at 12:40. The analyses resumed at 3:20 p.m. 22. UNAM Filmotheque. Submitted by the Autonomous National University of Mexico Filmoteca. Not approved. The proponent must be informed about the need to follow the MOWLAC form. This proposal is very interesting and it is suggested to submit it next year, with formal corrections and a more functional technical support. They should emphasize its importance in a regional context and include the opinion of scholars who are from other countries than just Mexico. 23. Visit to the Lands of Jerónimo Luis de Cabrera and Juan Segura Dávalos de Ayala ( ). Submitted by the Historical Archive of La Paz, Bolivia. 24. Abolition of the Army in Costa Rica. Proposal by the National Archives of Costa Rica. Approved unanimously, with the clarification that only Article 12 is considered, not the whole Constitution of Costa Rica. 25. Archives of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which bear witness to the political violence that occurred in Peru between 1980 and Proposal by Peru s Ministry of Culture. The same suggestion as for Proposal The Khipu Database (or Khipu Archives). Proposal by Professor Gary Urton, Department of Anthropology, Harvard University. 6

7 27. Mexican Council Photography Fond. Presented by Mexico s Center of the Image. In summary, 21 of the 27 proposals submitted were approved. The session continues with general reports: - Guilherme Canela reports that the minutes in Spanish from last year have been received and will be forwarded to all members for approval in the next few days. - Regarding renewal of MOWLAC membership, which must happen next year, the members are requested to submit nominations to Guilherme Canela. - Next year s meeting should be in a country in the Caribbean. - The way to contribute to the guide and questionnaire proposed by the Unesco secretariat is discussed. It is decided that Rita should take the proposals to Paris that have been gathered from the different committees up to 30 October. - Questions regarding changes in the 2017 Call for Submissions and the mechanism to evaluatee submissions are discussed. The President and Vice Presidents will compile the suggestions that are received. - It is decided that the deadline for submitting proposals will close on 31 July. This way, members can receive the submissions prior to the annual meeting. It is suggested for Committee members to share their analyses of proposals fifteen days before the annual meeting. - Elizabeth Watson s suggestion is accepted, to require submissions only in PDF format and establish rules limiting the size and format of audio files (for example, 200 MB in WAV or MP3) and video files (for example, 200MB in MPG4 or AVI). - The essential requirement is reaffirmed that it is mandatory for proposals to be submitted in both languages in order to be accepted. - In the case of joint submissions, the proposal must be presented in a single PDF document, with the respective signatures and clear identification of the proponents. - A sub-group must be created to draft a document with adjustments in the Call for Submissions and circulate it soon among the other members. Christofer Varlack, Yolia Tortolero and Luis Oporto will comprise this sub-group. 7

8 - FAQs frequently asked questions and answers: must be published with the Call for Submissions (at the same time). - Lourdes Blanco explains the current status of the project for The Regional Memory in a Book, about MOWLAC. - Luis Oporto reports on the creation and activities of Bolivia s Committee, which presented five proposals for this meeting. National Memory Wednesday, 26 October 10: 00 a.m. Parallel agenda to the 2016 Annual MOWLAC Meeting open to the public Round table: Access to public information (Communications Secretary of Mar del Plata University; epresentative of the Mar del Plata Ombudsman, and Guilherme Canela, MOWLAC Secretary). Panel: Experiences of Dr. Lourdes Blanco de Oporto-Ordoñez, MSc). Closing of the Meeting. Rapporteur: Alfredo Boccia-Paz. the Memory of the World Program (MOWLAC Experts, Arroyo, Dr. Rosa María Fernández de Zamora and Luis 8

9 ACTIVITIES Memory of the World regional training workshop on preserving and promoting Central-American documentary heritage From May 11th to May 13th, 2016 MOWLAC member Mrs. Yolia Tortolero took part in the Memory of the World regional training workshop on preserving and promoting Central American documentary heritage, which took place in Antigua, Guatemala. This sub-regional training workshop contributed to strengthening national capacities of Member States from Central America, to engage more effectively at national, regional and international level with the MOW Programme. It helped to better identify holdings and collections for potential inscription on the MoW international or regional registers, and better manage their documentary heritage with improved cooperation among national heritage institutions. The instructors for this workshop were Mrs. Iskra Panevska, Programme Specialist (Memory of the World UNESCO, Communication and Information Sector), Abdel Aziz Abid, founding member of Memory of the World Programme, Yolia Tortolero, current MOWLAC member, and Guilherme Canela, Adviser in Communication and Information for MERCOSUR (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) and Chile, current Secretary of the MOWLAC Regional Committee. The participants represented different institutions from Central America: Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Costa Rica. An article about the abovementioned workshop was included in the Magazine 'Fuentes' (Bolivia). MOWLAC EC Member, who is the editor of this Magazine, offered to devote a page for MOWLAC articles submitted by Members. General Assembly of the Latin American Archives Association (ALA), held June 26 & 27 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic ALA approved an agreement to reinforce synergies with the Memory of the World (MOW). This agreement is included in the General Assembly conclusions, which are already published on the National Archives of Mexico website: raordinaria-de-la- ala?idiom=es During the ALA General Assembly, instead of giving a workshop or lecture about the Memory of the World (as originally planned), MOWLAC member Mrs. Yolia Tortolero participated during the Assembly sessions to share specific proposals, 9

10 opinions and issues with ALA members concerning the relationship between the Association and the Memory of the World. The following seek to reinforce synergies between ALA and Memory of the World (MOW): 1. The Association proposed to strength common efforts with Memory of the World, to share information about their respective recommendations, standards, networks, projects, activities and directory of experts. 2. ALA approved to define a procedure to register nominations to Memory of the World when there are two or more countries involved. 3. The members of ALA reviewed and accepted the current procedure to register nominations to the Memory of the World, based on technical (not political) resolutions, adopted by experts in documentary heritage through their respective National or Regional Committees. Renewing the membership of UNESCO s MOW International Advisory Committee / (IAC). On 21 June 2016, MOWLAC President, Mrs. Rita Tjien Fooh, received a letter from UNESCO Headquarters of the Memory of the World Programme with the request to identify and submit appropriate CVs of experts from the Latin-American and Caribbean Region, with regard to the upcoming renewal of the UNESCO Memory of the World International Advisory Committee (IAC) membership in September The MOWLAC President after receiving this request wrote to the MOWLAC members to elicit their proposals containing experts names. The following countries submitted a proposal: Mexico, Bolivia, Brazil, Barbados and Suriname. Invitation to participate in the Conference organized to commemorate the First Anniversary of the Inscription of CONFUCIAN PRINTING WOODBLOCKS on the UNESCO Memory of the World register, 7-11 November 2016, Andong, Korea The President of MOWLAC, Mrs. Rita Tjien Fooh, received an invitation from the Advanced Center for Korean Studies, to participate in a Conference organized to commemorate the First Anniversary of the Inscription of CONFUCIAN PRINTING WOODBLOCKS on the UNESCO Memory of the World register, 7-11 November 2016, Andong, Korea. The conference theme was 'Memories, Documents and Archives'. Mrs. Rita Tjien Fooh submitted a paper on the 'Current statuss and the Task of safeguarding documentary heritage in the Latin American and Caribbean Region', 10

11 but due to personal circumstances, she was not able to participate in the Conference. Efforts to publish the book 'Preservation for All' In October, the President of MOWLAC contacted Mrs. Lourdes de Arroyo to discuss the possibilities to seek funding in order to publish the book on 'Preservación para todos'. Since the President was planning to participate in a Conference held in Korea in November, she suggested to approach the Advanced Center for Korean Studies to fund the book s publication. However, due to certain circumstances, the President was not able to travel to Korea and discuss this matter personally with the Advanced Centre. Memory of the World regional training workshop in Havana, Cuba, November, 2016 Memory of the World Regional training Workshop Regional Workshop to build capacity to formulate submissions to the UNESCO Memory of the World Program Register organized by the UNESCO Office in Havana, Cuba, November 21 to 23. The workshop included representatives from the UNESCO National Commissions in Aruba, Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The workshop explained the origin and results of the Memory of the World Program. Participants were trained to present proposals to the Memory of the World Register at the national, regional or international level. At the same time, they were trained to give this same kind of workshops in their own institutions or countries. As part of the agenda, each participant had the opportunity to explain which kind of pieces, collections, fonds, archives or bibliographic collections, located in their institutions, could be proposed to the Memory of the World Register. They also were divided into six groups for an exercise in which they had to fill in the format, to discuss and write a concrete Memory of the World proposal. At the end of the workshop, the UNESCO representatives in Aruba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and the representative of the Memory of the World National Committee in Cuba, discussedd their experience and results promoting the Memory of the World in their respectivee countries. 11