The vital role of archives for reconciliation

Archives serve as repositories of our collective memory, housing documents, artefacts, and other historical materials that help societies understand their past. In a recent panel discussion, experts from various fields came together to discuss the significance of archives in reconciliation processes, including how community voices, especially those of victims and marginalised groups, are represented in these records. The participants included Ruth Murray, Eliza McKee, Kate Manning, Sam McBride, Caoili O’Doherty, and Nicholas Cole. The event was at Hillsborough Castle, hosted by the Quill Project with support from the Government of Ireland Reconciliation Fund.

The challenges and opportunities of archival research

Ruth Murray (Deputy Director of the Quill Project) began the discussion by highlighting the complexity of archives and the vast resources they contain. “One of the issues we identified through this project was the difficulty of just knowing what resources are available in archives,” she remarked. This challenge underscores the importance of efforts to create accessible indexes and digital archives, which can provide insight into otherwise obscure collections.

Eliza McKee (Principal Researcher Northern Ireland Records at The National Archives) then introduced the panel, which focused on promoting the role of archives in documenting conflict and facilitating reconciliation. “Archives play a crucial role in reconciliation and in documenting conflicts by providing access to historical records, fostering dialogue, and supporting truth-seeking processes,” she explained.

The blinding absence of light

Kate Manning (Principal Archivist at UCD Archives) referenced two books to illustrate how she thought archives play a role in reconciliation processes. She liked the translated title of the book, The Blinding Absence of Light, to describe “scattering the darkness by opening up and revealing truths”.

Another book, The War is Dead: Long Live the War, is about the UN International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) [particularly in Bosnia]. She said that what the author found most enriching about that process was victims telling him how much it meant to them to have a written record of their testimony of what happened to them. “They’re the roots of why I think archives are important in the reconciliation process,” Manning concluded.

Journalistic use of archives for current affairs and historical perspectives

Sam McBride, a journalist, shared his perspective on the use of archives in reporting and legal investigations. “Often the archives are not these dry, old, dusty things that are just interesting to historians,” he said. “But they’re also relevant to the current day.” McBride recounted how he used historical documents to uncover ongoing issues, such as the failure to implement environmental legislation in Northern Ireland. This real-world impact demonstrates the continuing relevance of archival research.

Meanwhile, McBride also said that we can be very much in the moment and can lose track of the true significance of where we are today. “I see Daphne Trimble and Martin Mansergh… I’m sure there’s lots of other people here who were involved back then [in the Northern Ireland peace process]… The archive is a really healthy reminder of where we came from.”

Community voices in archives

Caoili O’Doherty (Digital Outreach Officer at the Bloody Sunday Trust) highlighted the emotional impact of personal artefacts, such as a blood-stained babygro garment used to stem the blood of a Bloody Sunday victim. “This item is still part of our permanent collection… it’s an opportunity to commemorate victims and direct people to the ongoing struggle for justice,” she explained.

She discussed how community-based archives can ensure that marginalised voices are represented. “Our museum wouldn’t exist without community contribution,” she stated. By involving local communities in the curation and interpretation of collections, these archives create a more inclusive and accurate historical record.

O’Doherty put this importance of community voices in the context of a larger network of community-based as well as larger, government-based museums, through the Conflict and Legacy Interpretive Network, of which her organisation is one of 19 members:

“We want to, through the network, show a more inclusive account of history, so it’s not just trying to present one museum or one collection as like a sanitised or apolitical retelling of the Troubles. We want everyone to be represented. Whether there’s conflicting voices or not, everybody within the network respects each other’s individuality within the network and their narrative, with the hope that they will also be respected in theirs. And so having communities represented that way is also really important to us.”

Archives reveal crucial role of trust building

Dr Nicholas Cole (Director of the Quill Project) remarked how we live in an age when it’s easier to publish and to read, yet people’s understanding of their institutions is low. He continued by saying that young people have not really grown up learning about the history of the Northern Ireland peace process:

“They look at the current institutions that are all the product of compromises, over a long period of time, and they see only compromised institutions. They don’t understand the compromises that went into making them. And that’s very serious because that undermines trust in the institutions that have been built.”

Cole used an example of reviewing archives of the writing of the constitution of the American state of Washington, showing that factionalism and prolonged wrangling over seemingly mundane, procedural matters are not unique to the Irish case but can be an important part of building confidence in a negotiation process.  For Cole, archives reveal how you can’t predict compromises that will need to be made in negotiations. “You can’t short circuit the trust building that is necessary,” Cole argued.

Fostering public understanding and dialogue

In conclusion, the panel underscored the indispensable role of archives in reconciliation and historical understanding. By preserving both official records and personal artefacts, archives provide a multifaceted view of historical events and processes. As O’Doherty eloquently put it, “These artefacts are not just in the past; they’re active, living parts of our collections.” The ongoing efforts to digitise and make archival materials accessible will continue to foster public understanding and dialogue, ultimately contributing to a more informed and empathetic society.

Cross-published at Mr Ulster.