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The process of our journey as a collective. 

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Memoria Abierta Facebook Page

Memoria Abierta reúne, preserva, organiza y difunde el acervo documental de organizaciones de...

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Upcoming Events

Fundraising Bake Sale on March 3rd @ Central Square (York University) from 10:00am - 2:00pm

Anything from cupcakes to samosas will be sold, please be sure to come out and support a great cause! All proceeds raised will be donated to the Memoria Abierta organization. 

Be there or be square! 

Let's go York U!

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"Memoria Abierta" translates to, "Open Memory"  which happens to be an external Argentinean organization that continues to carry the work of past and original truth commissions like "Les Madres de Plaza de Mayo". Their works look to expose the truth about the Argentinean dirty war, bringing awareness as well as justice to those whom have been harmed. Their hope is to carry on the memory of the disappeared along with the disappeared's mothers and grandmothers.

(Their website is written in Spanish, however can easily be translated to the preferred language of your choice)

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"Memoria Abierta"/"Open Memory": External organization carrying on the work the original Truth Commission

"Open Memory was created in 1999 by Argentine human rights organizations for coordinated participation in local and national initiatives for the collective memory of Argentina 's recent past .

The challenge was to enrich the process of construction of collective memory from a strong commitment to the task and the contribution of different professional disciplines , in continuity with the work done by the agencies since its founding. It was to address urgent tasks in a planned way , favoring public access to information and promoting debate about the period to enrich democratic culture .

The initial bet of Memoria Abierta was gathering scattered material , recover damaged documents and organize for public access , create new recording oral testimonies of actors and witnesses, and further research on the deployment plan illegal repression in the country through identification and study of numerous buildings and sites that may be found traces of the period.

We made our first activities with the organization of the Symposium "The Museum we want" , which resulted in a publication that records the initial discussion of the characteristics and forms of organization of the future museum .

In late 1999 we present our ideas and goals at the First International Conference of Museums of Conscience . At that time , along with other museums that address similar societies of the past issues , founded the Coalition of Museums of Conscience Historic Places. In March 2000, we signed a cooperation agreement that established the framework for our activities. The first grant , received in April 2001 , allowed us to start the development of various projects and establish our offices.

Throughout these years Memoria Abierta has made ​​progress and exceed the goals set at the time of its foundation. In the initial work to organize documents through the Documentary Heritage area and the creation of the Oral Archive A Photographic Archive and area Topography of Memory was created. The result of this task is multiple : on one hand educational materials , parts distribution , training workshops and workshops around the recent history and forms of representation of the period and visible progress on the public agenda in both these actions contributed to placed on the key issues for discussion by the memory work : files and access to, use of public places and sites that are emblematic for use during the plan illegal repression and fundamental dilemmas facing the when designing a museum." (Memoria Abierta, 2011)

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Les Madres de Plaza de Mayo: the mothers marching around the plaza in protest.

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Photos of "Les Madres des Plaza de Mayo" and the disappeared.

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My Child Is Your Child

This website goes into further detail in regards to "Les Madres des Plaza de Mayo", also consisting of a variety of interviews with certain mothers of the disappeared. 

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Les Madres de Plaza de Mayo: Past Truth Commission

The year of 1977 is the year in which the mothers of the disappeared were officially recognized for taking a stand in the search of those whom have vanished during the dirty war. Approximately 15 women attended the first protest; these women marched around the centre of the Plaza de Mayo, at first not attracting much attention however eventually more mothers of the disappeared had joined them and thus began to attract large crowds. Their marches were weekly, usually taken place ever Thursday.

The mothers wore white scarves tied around their heads embroidered with the names of their missing children, this became their trademark. Their numbers grew drastically; soon enough others began to march with them with the support and hope to raise awareness.

The mothers faced many struggles during their march, with having to endure certain threats and violence that were directed towards their campaign.

● By the end of the year, more than 10 mothers were taken and detained by the Argentinean government – there women were never heard from ever again.

● By the end of 1978, the Plaza was sealed off by the military in the attempt to withhold the mothers from their weekly march.

● Having left their original marching location, the mothers decided to return in the beginning of 1980 some were tortured and killed due to their defensive act.

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"Madres Des La Plaza De Mayo" a spanish documentary containing information based on the mother's truth commission. 

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“People & Power - Interrogating a torturer”, the interrogation of a torturer in the Argentinean dirty war concentration camps. (video contains some disturbing scenes)

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“The Search for Identity – Excerpt” a brief history of the dirty war and the disappeared grandchildren of Argentina.

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"Lost and Found” a video about the disappeared grandchildren of the Argentinean dirty war.