Rescuing the Memory of our Peoples
Joint IACM-IAMS Documentation and Archives Conference
Sunday 29 September to Sunday 6 October, 2002.

The pictures are of medium resolution and are slow to download on most modems.

The International Association of Catholic Missiologists and International Association for Mission Studies held a joint consultation and workshop at the International Centre for Missionary Animation, CIAM, on the campus of the Pontifical Urban University in Rome in 2002.

The Conference opened at a public welcome gathering on Sunday 29 September. The closing events of the Conference took place on Saturday 5 October.

Archivists, researchers and others were invited from all continents to share experiences, review the impact of changing technology and the effects of globalization on the documentation of the story of the church, particularly in minority situations and where the oral and written history of the memory of the poor is at risk. Together they addressed ways in which the world community can better preserve representative stories of all its peoples. 

Participants were invited on the basis of their ability to contribute to the aims of the Conference, the energy and commitment they have for the continuing work of archives and documentation, and their ability to represent regions and reputable institutions. There was a priority towards the invitation and funding of Third World participants.

As well as expert speakers and workshop leader, there was an emphasis on the participation of all members of the conference in sharing from their experience and working together to plan a more satisfactory agenda and framework for the international support of church archives. All invited were asked to prepare a case study or paper for presentation.

Plenary and regional meetings were held as well as workshops and visits to archives in Rome. Planning Groups included Training Resources (which helped produce the Rescuing the Memory of our Peoples Archives Manual ), Special Interest Groups, and a Futures Group.

New mission history

National Catholic Reporter Cover story, October 18, 2002

Canonization: On Sunday October the 6th, Pope John Paul II canonized Josemaría Escrivá  founder of Opus Dei. The canonization website (which also has useful information about getting around Rome) is :  http://www.escriva-canonization.org/home.asp  This provided an extraordinary backdrop to our departure. See John Allen's columns in the National Catholic Reporter for  analysis.