30 November 2010

The struggle against forgetting: launch of the Truth Commission Special Report multimedia product and exhibition

In recognition of the ongoing struggles for justice in post-apartheid South Africa, the South African History Archive (SAHA) remains committed to facilitating the completion of the unfinished work of the TRC, which remains a collective responsibility for all South Africans.

To commemorate both International Human Rights Day and fifteen years since the opening of the offices of the TRC in December 1995, the South African History Archive (SAHA), in conjunction with the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), has produced a multimedia product featuring the Truth Commission Special Report television series, which has been brought out of the archives and repackaged as an interactive product to make the work of the TRC more accessible. The product is aimed at supporting history, heritage and reconciliation education, outreach initiatives, as well as the emerging field of transitional justice, in the wake of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).

The show, which documented the testimonies being heard at TRC hearings across South Africa, provided context, perspective and analysis of what emerged during these proceedings. The audio-visual records provide users with a powerful window into the conflicts of the past and ongoing challenges for reconciliation. This project has received financial support from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.

Learn more about the Truth Commission Special Report Multimedia Product.

'Revealing is Healing', Poster commissioned by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), SAHA Poster Collection, AL2446_4830The battle against forgetting: human rights and the unfinished business of the TRC

An accompanying exhibition, drawing on SAHA's archival collections, to reflect on the unfinished business of the TRC, will be on display in the Ramparts at Constitution Hill from 9 December 2010, until the end of Human Rights Month in March 2011.

SAHA and the TRC

Materials produced and collected around the South African TRC constitute a rich resource for social memory, both in South Africa and internationally.This includes

Visit SAHA's TRC Archives Project.

SAHA Collections and the TRC

Reflecting SAHA's commitment to justice and accountability in South Africa, SAHA has actively collected archival materials relating to the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).

Visit SAHA's Collections related to the TRC.

Contact us

To mark fifteen years since the TRC came into operation, this unique resource will be launched and distributed, free of charge, in December 2010, to South African university libraries and non-profit organisations working in the transitional justice field.

If you would like to request a copy of the product for your university library or for your organisation, please email info@saha.org.za with the relevant contact details, and information on how the product would be used to support education and outreach at your organisation.