Representative of the Ministry of Culture for Cultural Affairs, Dr. Fadel Mohamed Al-Badrani, and Director General of the National Library and Archives, Mr. Barak Raad Alawi

Iraq’s National Library and Archive and TARII held a discussion on the challenges that Iraqi and international scholars face working to preserve the modern history and art history of Iraq, and the significance of such efforts. Archives are an essential depository for the cultural memory of a nation and its people. Common legal access to archival evidence is an essential condition for Iraq and its uniquely diverse population to level the playing field for a fair, democratic, and pluralist negotiation of a shared past, present, and future.  

TARII President, Dr. Peter Wien

For more than a century, scholars and artists have played a key role as Guardians of Memory in Iraqi society. The critical engagement with archival sources by trained academics, with the help of skilled archivists, archival administrators and specialists in archival preservation, helps to preserve the record of the past in all its complexity, safeguarding the nation against empty promises and the bending of facts to serve an agenda.

In our conversation, we discussed the history of Iraqi archives before and after 2003. We will explore the potentials of various archival collections in Iraq for research, and the possibilities of collaboration between Iraqi and Western researchers. We will examine the pressing challenges that Iraqi archives are facing today, we will look at measures that are already being taken to meet them, and we will discuss what still needs to be done. We will consider the role of state institutions and public universities in safeguarding fair and equal access to archives as heritage institutions

Dr. Nada Shabout, TARII Executive Committee member, gives remarks during the panel

The panel discussion was followed by an engaging discussion with the attendees.