The Museum of Memory

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Oral history and knowledge collection is the recording, preservation and interpretation of historical information based on the personal experiences and opinions of the speaker. Of primary interest are weaker communities from largely non-literate sections of society. In such castes, tribes and communities, information is carried in speech rather than text, and digital media allows the collection of this 'information from below'.

India contains the second largest human diversity on the planet. With increasing modernisation and the spread of school education in these areas, oral language, knowledge and identity are endangered. At first glance, the information in this collection takes the form of eye-witness accounts, personal observations and experiences, folklore, songs and stories. Yet the communities here comprise an information resource too valuable to ignore, especially in this age of far reaching social and environmental change.

Focus areas:

» Social history and personal memories from communities
» Environment and traditional livelihoods
» Food and farming practice
» Medicinal plants and health care
» Art/culture/music and knowledge

To know more about the Museum of Memory, write to jatan.caravan [at] gmail.com