Online meeting 02^nd February 2021

On 02^nd February 2021, DsporA Tamil archive organised its first online meeting about archive for Tamil society in Norway. We had 4 speeches representing six preservation institutions in Norway. The archives and library of the labour movement (Arbeiderbevegelsens Arkiv og Bibliotek – ArbArk), City archive of Bergen (Bergen Byarkiv), City archive of Oslo (Oslo Byarkiv), The museums in Akershus (Museene i Akershus – MiA), National Library of Norway (Nasjonalbiblioteket) and Memoar.

• Martin Ellingsrud from the archives and library of the labour movement (Arbeiderbevegelsens Arkiv og Bibliotek – ArbArk) talked about record-keeping and record management.
• Terje Haram from City archive of Bergen (Bergen Byarkiv) talked about the historical archive.
• Kjersti Rustad from the National Library of Norway (Nasjonalbiblioteket) talked about published materials.
• Bjørn Enes from Memoar talked about oral history.

Members from six Tamil organisations were presented. Tamil Youth Organisation, Tamil Resource- and Counselling Center, Tamil women organisation (Oslo), Tamil women organisation (Ulsteinvik), Radio tamil Bergen/Then tamil oosai and Norwegian Council of Eelam Tamils (NCET). In addition, we had 7 Tamil individual participants who are or were involved in different Tamil organisations from the 1970s in Bergen and Oslo. For instance, Bergen Tamil School (Bergen Tamilske Barneskole) and Eela Tamilar Sangam (Tamil Association in Bergen), Aktive Kvinner (Active women – physical training for minority women, Oslo) and Tamil political organisation.

Interest of the Tamil community

The archive and preservation institutions were surprised by the number of participants from the Tamil society. This shows how much importance Tamil society pays for the preservation of their history. Archives of diaspora organisations and individuals are fragmented and destroyed because of various factors such as migration, displacement, lack of permanent office, lack of knowledge, resources, economy and manpower. Even under such factors, DsporA Tamil Archive got familiar with presented Tamil organisations and individuals who are doing basic archive activities. It gives us strength, hope and motivation to support, help and facilitate these activities for the benefit of the future society. So the process of documenting social documents is a process that requires two-way communication and cooperation.

This meeting was mutual and two-way learning for both preservation institutions and the Tamil organisational society about the field of archive and the Tamil organisational lifestyle. Tamil organisations are more than welcomed by the archive institutions to contact for advice, guidelines and discussion. As well as DsporA Tamil Archive are more than happy to provide information and guidance in Tamil. It is noteworthy to emphasize that contacting any archive institution does not mean that you are committed to giving away your archive.

The preservation institutions offered collaboration and support. The museums in Akershus opened up for collaboration for a possible exhibition of archival materials of Tamil society. Memoar offered their possibility to give course and workshops in documenting oral history.

Online meeting 09^th February 2021

The next online meeting about the archive is scheduled on Tuesday 09^th February 2021 at 3pm Norwegian time. The meeting will have the same content and will be organised in Norwegian. The online meeting on 09th February will take place based on sign-ups by interested organisations and individuals. The National Library (Nasjonalbiblioteket) contributes with TEAMS technical support for this online meeting. Please send an e-mail to the National Library and they will send you a TEAMS link:

Michelle Tidsel
michelle.tisdel@nb.no

Please include the following information in your email:

• Name of organization or person
• Place in Norway
• Day (Tuesday 09.02.2021 (15-16: 30))
• Name and email id of the participants

Online discussion/ meeting in Tamil

Please contact DsporA Tamil Archive for information about archive in Tamil. We are planning to organise an online discussion/ meeting in Tamil.

Baheerathy Kumarendiran
dspora.tamilarchive@hotmail.com

Please include the following information in your email:

• Name of organization or person
• Country, place
• Name and email id of the participants
• What do you want to know about archives?

Interview to Utrop Newspaper

Thanks to Michelle Tidsel and Utrop – Norges første flerkultruelle avis (Utrop – Norway’s first multicultural newspaper) for an interview about Tamil archive sources and history in Norway.

Part 1:
https://www.utrop.no/plenum/ytringer/243778/
Part 2:
https://www.utrop.no/plenum/ytringer/244730/

“Tamil organisations have the organisational function that generates social documentation of Tamil society. Their archive is social documentation of the past for the future.”

DsporA Tamil Archive

^{Reproduction of this article is allowed when used without any alterations to the contents and the source, DsporA Tamil Archive, is mentioned.}

Updated: 11.02.2021