APSIG newsletter no. 58: July 2005

East Timor living memory archive

East Timor's 'living memory' project is seeking an archivist/curator to work in Timor on a six-month program, beginning October 2005.

The project managed by the Australian, Jill Jolliffe, who has been active in Timor for many years, will create a video archive from testimony of former political prisoners. It is partly financed by the recently established Southeast Asia Digital Library, run by a group of U.S. university libraries led by the University of Northern Illinois through a grant from the United States Department of Education.

Archivist/curator needed

'Living memory' is seeking an experienced librarian in the audio-visual field to work in Dili. Tasks involve designing a system of storage in tropical conditions for master tapes, establishing a computerised catalogue, and training an East Timorese counterpart for long-term conservation of the material and the mounting of related exhibitions. Given Dili's status as a hardship posting, we are looking for a dedicated person, preferably with some ability in either the Tetum, Indonesian or Portuguese languages. Employment would be for five months, at a rate of $2000USD per month, plus accommodation and airfares.

Sponsor for the position also needed

The draft project budget described this job as financed 'in-kind', in the belief that an aid organization or library might be prepared to finance it, but to date no partner has stepped forward. One solution would be for a willing library to second a staff member to us on salary for the five months and, ideally, contribute the return air fare.

The 'living memory' team drawn from international and Timorese staff will work with the Association of Former Political Prisoners (ASEPPOL in the Portuguese acronym). The archive will remain in Timor as part of its national heritage. The budget includes provision for casual employment for ex-prisoners as well as full-time Timorese staff. The international digital version will be available in various formats to media and educational institutions for historical research, to advance respect for human rights and to contribute to the international campaign to abolish torture.

'For ex-prisoners and torture victims the recovery and safeguarding of memory is imperative to their well-being. The story of ex-prisoners...is a vital part of East Timor's recent history which is currently ignored and in danger of being lost to the younger generation. The recovery of that collective memory by the living memory project is...part of the healing process' from project outline.

Jill Jolliffe (please remove '.nospam' from address) can be contacted via e-mail. Her postal address is P.O. Box 3952, Darwin, N.T. 0801