Today, the University of Washington Center for Human Rights (UWCHR))is proud to release the Unfinished Sentences Testimony Archive, an online library of oral histories by survivors of El Salvador’s armed conflict. Developed in partnership with the Human Rights Institute of the Central American University (IDHUCA), the Testimony Archive presents more than 7 hours of interviews with 48 residents of the community of Arcatao, Chalatenango, along with a growing collection of supplementary information including historical context and resources for students and educators.
The mountainous countryside around Arcatao, in the north-central department of Chalatenango, was a flashpoint of organizing for workers’ rights and, eventually, revolutionary change in El Salvador. Brutal repression by government forces escalated into a U.S.-backed counterinsurgency campaign against guerrilla groups during the 1980s. Residents of Arcatao, and communities like it across the country, were subjected to indiscriminate violence during military operations targeting unarmed civilians and insurgents alike. In the Unfinished Sentences Testimony Archive, survivors relate eyewitness accounts of these atrocities, as well as their experiences of daily life before, during, and after the war. They also offer invaluable insights into the history of El Salvador, dynamics of social change and political struggle, and ongoing movements for justice.
UWCHR and IDHUCA hope that the Unfinished Sentences Testimony Archive will serve as an educational tool for future generations seeking to learn about Central American history and grassroots experiences of war. The Testimony Archive is already being incorporated into lesson plans by instructors at Seattle-area high schools and community colleges, and was presented to participants and community members in Arcatao in July 2015.
Testimonies included in the Archive were collected during 2012-2013 by IDHUCA and UWCHR students and staff. All interviews were conducted with the consent of interviewees, and accompanied by a trained psychologist. Interview excerpts published in the online archive were individually reviewed and approved by participants. Some names have been changed and images have been obscured at the request of the participants for their privacy and security. No private information relating to the Testimony Archive was compromised in the October 2015 break-in at the UWCHR.
The development of the Unfinished Sentences Testimony Archive has been a collective effort from start to finish. We are grateful for the extensive contributions of staff at IDHUCA during every phase of the project; for student volunteers at the UW and UCA who transcribed interviews and subtitled videos; and faculty and students at the University of Michigan for the design of the online archive. Finally, this project would not have been possible without the trust and collaboration of the Historical Memory Committee of Arcatao. We hope that the result does justice to the people of Arcatao and the memory of their loved ones.