New 'Memoirs of Dictatorship' webportal launched
Much of the content available is interactive, and visitors can make videos with their own accounts about the military rule and publish them on the page.
With a comprehensive archive made up of data, pictures and documentaries on the period of military dictatorship in Brazil, the webportal Memórias da Ditadura (“Memoirs of Dictatorship”) was launched on Friday (Nov 5) by the Special Secretariat of Human Rights. Much of the content available is interactive, and visitors can make videos with their own accounts about the military rule and publish them on the page. A section specially dedicated to teachers was also created, and includes class plans and other teaching materials.
One of the goals of the project is to make information about the dictatorship available to those who do not know much about the period, also referred to as Lead Years. The story is told from a number of perspectives, and encompasses the work of resistance movements, censorship, human rights violations, cultural production and the international scenario.
Minister Eleonora Menicucci, secretary for women policies
The website currently has 50 public accounts, in which their authors share their experiences during the military dictatorship and their perception of it.
Users can also view a timeline with further links and biographies of relevant figures from the period. Produced on the open-source WordPress platform, the portal can be viewed by visitors using computers, tablets, and cellphones. Accessibility options for handicapped people are also available.
Minister Eleonora Menicucci, secretary for women policies, who was arrested and tortured during the military rule, talked about the consequences of the physical and psychological violence to which she was subjected. She highlighted that the violations that took place during the dictatorship must not be forgotten. “We cannot let the past fall into oblivion. We must constantly remember what happened and look into the future so that this never happens again,” Menicucci stated.
The section dedicated to educators includes advice and instructions on teaching strategies and lists with recommended books and films. Education Minister Henrique Paim said the page will be made known at schools in an attempt to encourage educators to use the material and address related issues in class.
Menicucci further mentioned the role of education in the preservation of memories: “It'll be a great asset to the Brazilian educational system, and also to society at large, in that it keeps the memory of what happened during the dictatorship alive.”
Ivo Herzoog, executive director of the Vladimir Herzog Institute
Concerning the cries for a military intervention which arose recently in street demonstrations, Minister Ideli Salvatti, from the Human Rights Secretariat, noted that the archive of memoirs is being published on the web at a rather opportune moment. “We need to provide tools to those who lack the knowledge so they learn what a dictatorship stands for and this never happens again in the country,” she said.
The website was designed by the Vladimir Herzog Institute, with the collaboration of advisors and professionals from the fields of education and journalism.
Translated by Fabrício Ferreira
Fonte: New 'Memoirs of Dictatorship' webportal launched
