Abstract
The article examines an archival component of a larger research initiative. Surviving Memory in Postwar El Salvador is a multidisciplinary, cross-sector partnership. The overall methodology of the project is participatory and survivor-centered. It aims to document and commemorate the history of the Salvadoran Civil War (1980-1992) and prevent future violence. The component of the Surviving Memory partnership the authors describe in this article elucidates the crucial importance of community archival practices undertaken to support memory, healing, and justice in El Salvador. The authors are co-investigators and collaborators who have supported the work of community archivists in El Salvador through a series of in-person and online workshops and needs assessments. The authors begin with a review of the literature surrounding community archives, trauma, and historical memory work in El Salvador. The main part of the article is a case study of the Centro Arte para la Paz (CAP) and its efforts to implement trauma-informed practice and move toward healing and justice.
Recommended Citation
Ferrucci, Giada; Oliver, Amanda; Belton, Tom; and Chacon, Fernando
(2026)
"Toward Healing and Justice: Building Equitable Relationships with Community Archives in El Salvador,"
Journal of Contemporary Archival Studies: Vol. 13, Article 12.
Available at:
https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/jcas/vol13/iss1/12