OHA of Iran Outlines Future Plans
30 November 2014
A conference was held at Isfahan University in assessment of the activities and achievements of the Oral History Association of Iran in the past ten years with an eye on its future activities.
The conference was held in the presence of senior historians and oral history scholars across the country, and the association's plans and agendas, as well as its setbacks and concerns were discussed.
Speeches were delivered on the association's activities since its establishment in 2004, like mounting periodical gatherings and conferences in different parts of the country.
"Just like the University of Colombia that pioneers oral history in the US, Isfahan University pioneers the practice in Iran," said secretary of the conference Kazemi addressing the audience.
"In the beginning, oral history was regarded as a sensational and nonprofessional activity which has transformed into a discipline in the current era requiring adept practitioners for its interviews," said Kamari, another keynote speaker in the conference. He said since the victory of the Islamic Revolution, there are magnificent topics to be covered by oral historians like the Sacred Defense and lives of veterans and their families.
The problems facing oral history projects were also discussed during the conference and its was announced that a 900-page book will be published in the near future about the oral history of Division 8 of Najaf Ashraf Operation during the Sacred Defense.
Furthermore, it was suggested during the conference that interviews should be arranged with Iraqi commanders and servicemen who served the Iraqi army during the war for understanding the hidden and underlying aspects of the war from the viewpoints of the enemy. Formation of branches of the OHA in parts of the country and expansion of its activities in all parts of the country were also discussed during the session.
The OHA will also launch an oral history website to mirror its activities and upload articles about the practice for the public to get a grasp of what oral history is all about and what areas it covers.
Translated by: Abbas Hajihashemi
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