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Introduction to Oral History and Justice

This workshop will explore the diverse ways oral history can be used in response to injustice and oppression through interactive work.

About this event

This workshop will explore the diverse ways oral history can be used in response to injustice and oppression. Through interactive exercises, participants will be introduced to concepts & practices that can guide our work in the following areas:

  • Deep listening & difficult stories

  • Accountability & power

  • Collaboration & relationship

Using case studies of different projects, we will delve into key considerations for different stages of a justice-oriented oral history project — planning & design, interviewing, and curation.

This event will be recorded and the recording will be made available to registered attendees.

Zoë West is an anthropologist and oral historian whose work centers on labor, migration, and human rights. Her current research explores the promises and challenges of alternative labor organizing models for marginalized workers. Zoë positions herself at the intersection of grassroots and academic work, rooted in the commitment to helping social movements use research and documentation to fuel and strengthen their work. Zoë is an adjunct faculty at OHMA and teaches the interdisciplinary Human Rights & Oral History: Testimony, Memory, and Trauma course.

As a founding member of Rhiza Collective, Zoë develops frameworks for implementing collaborative research, transformative leadership development, narrative and healing work, and political education. She edited and compiled the oral history collection Nowhere to Be Home: Narratives from Survivors of Burma’s Military Regime (McSweeney’s/Voice of Witness, 2011), which was recently published in Burmese (NDSP Books, 2016). Zoë received her PhD in social anthropology from the University of Oxford.

Image Description: A blue poster with a photo of Zoë West wearing a black shirt looking into the camera against a white background. On the top right corner, in bold and italic letters, says ‘Introduction to Oral History and Justice.’ In smaller but same style letters, on the bottom left corner says ‘Zoë West Sat, February 11 1:00pm-4:00pm EST - online’ in three lines. On the bottom right corner is OHMA’s logo.

These events are open to all. You can use this quick survey to let us know how we could make these events more accessible for you. Note that we are able to provide ASL interpretation for any event, but need two weeks' notice. Please contact Rebecca McGilveray at rlm2203@columbia.edu with specific access requests or questions.