October 6, 2020 (232News)
FREETOWN – A project for the digitization of the records of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and the Special Court for Sierra Leone, respectively, has been commenced by the Campaign for Human Rights and Development International (CHRDI). The project seeks to digitize the country’s war history by using new technology and transforming majority of the TRC records and Special Court audios into digital format. The funding organisation, African Transitional Justice Fund (ATJLF) has already provided Forty Thousand US Dollars ($ 40,000 US) to the CHRDI to implement the project.
After receiving the funding, the implementing Organisation, Campaign for Human Rights and Development International (CHRDI), secured the services of a Sierra Leonean Information Technology firm, Fix Solution, who won the contract to carry out the digitization work, on behalf of CHRDI. The work is expected to be completed by the end of 2020.
Speaking to this reporter, the CHRDI Chief Executive, Abdul M. Fatoma, stated that some of the taped versions of the work of the TRC and Special Court are rapidly deteriorating, which is why it is important to have them in a more secured and digitized format for easy access by members of the public who may need them in the future.
“As we speak, the work is ongoing at the Peace Museum. We are digitizing this information so that they will remain fresh and ready for use at any given time in the history of this country,” he said.
“This project is a bid to activate and preserve the records of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) as well as some of the audio archives of the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL), to prevent total loss of the country’s war and peace history. The need to digitize the records is to prevent wiping away an important political history in Sierra Leone” Abdul Fatoma continued.
Mr. Fatorma went on to say that they are very aware that there have been ‘mysterious’ fires in public institutions that all too often have destroyed sensitive documents. He assured that even when all the records would have been fully digitized, they wouldn’t be kept in one location, in order to reduce the chances of intentional attempts by unscrupulous citizens to destroy them.
“This project is priceless because with fully digitized TRC records and some of the special court trials audio visual records, the government and people of Sierra Leone will have easy access to user-friendly and relatively cheap information relating to our war which can be harnessed for many purposes including but not limited to development planning and research” Abdul Fatoma opined.
Mr. Fatoma also revealed that they are working in partnership with strategic partners, including the Human Rights Commission, Peace Museum and the Residual Special Court in the implementation of the project.
