International Council of Archives

Bula Colleagues,

My name is Opeta Alefaio, I have been here at the National Archives of Fiji (NAF) since 2004, which isn’t very long, but there have been very many things to learn in that time. Archives and recordkeeping work in Fiji is extremely challenging.

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 Our major complaints are pretty similar to those from other parts of the world; mainly that we are under-staffed, under-resourced, and training opportunities are extremely rare. For our profession this may be “par for course” but the degree to which it occurs in Fiji and other developing countries can be quite demoralising.

However its not all bad news, opportunities do present themselves, and when they appear we must be prepared to make the most of them. It has been our experience that taking a collaborative and consensus building approach are key to maximising these opportunities. One such opportunity for NAF has been the UNESCO Memory of the World programme.

The Memory of the World programme seeks to identify and highlight significant documents that are important nationally, regionally, and globally as accounts of significant developments throughout the world which collectively amount to the recorded “memory of the world.”

If you are un-aware, it is my pleasure to report that NAF has successfully led a multi-country nomination (Fiji, Guyana, Surinam, and Trinidad & Tobago) for the inscription of “Indian Indenture Records” on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register.

While the Pacific was already well represented on the world register through the inscriptions of Australia and New Zealand, it is significant that one of the smaller PARBICA members make an impression on the world stage to let others know that it can be done. Fiji’s success therefore becomes a shared Pacific (PARBICA) success, and stands as a source of encouragement for all small and underdeveloped archives.

A scanned image of a “Man’s Immigration Pass” part of the Indian Indentured Records in Fiji

The PARBICA family have played a big role in making the inscription happen. It was at PARBICA XII (New Caledonia 2007) where the idea was first hatched in a conversation with the then UNESCO desk officer. Further investigation when we returned home verified that the “Indian Indenture Records” were indeed records which had the potential to be inscribed on the World Register, and with advice and encouragement from PARBICA colleagues, the then President of PARBICA Mr Setareki Tale was able to use ICA meetings to find suitable partners to strengthen our submission as a multi-country exercise.

PARBICA provided the environment for the sharing of this idea, it also provided the much needed technical and strategic feedback on how best to proceed, and finally the PARBICA model of team work and building consensus was utilised at the international arena to form partnerships which is what ultimately brought success.

The spirit of collaboration continues to guide the work of the Fiji Memory of the World Committee (FMOWC) who have partnered with the Ministry of Education’s curriculum development unit to begin a pilot project for the inclusion of a “Family Tree” content into the formal school syllabus. The “Family Tree” content will encourage students to conduct research on family history and utilise archival materials (among others) under the broader “Identity” and “Society” areas of the formal Fiji school syllabus.

FMOWC has identified a number of other initiatives which it hopes to take forward in this same manner.

PACIFIC’S PRESENCE ON THE MOW REGISTER (Alphabetically)

• Australia

The Mabo Case Manuscripts [2001]
The Endeavour Journal of James Cook [2001]
The Story of the Kelly Gang[2007]
The Convict Records of Australia [2007]
Manifesto of the Queensland Party to the people of Queensland [2009])

• Fiji (Joint Submission – Guyana, Surinam, Trinidad & Tobago)

Indian Indentured Records [2010]

• New Zealand

The Treaty of Waitangi [1997]
The 1893 Women’s Suffrage Petition [1997]