This project is concerned with the access to and preservation of original archive materials relating to the slave trade. A feasibility study was prepared by the International Council on Archives (ICA) under contract with UNESCO. The project was to run within the framework of the Memory of the World Programme, in collaboration with the International Scientific Committee for the Slave Route Project and with other bodies. The countries foreseen as participating in the project at this stage are: Angola, Benin, Brazil, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haïti, Mozambique, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Senegal, and Togo.

An international trade in slaves is a constant and widespread aspect of human history, which affects fundamentally the experience of most people over most of recorded time. In this project we are not examining the state of slavery as such, nor its economic and political consequences. We are concerned here with the trade in slaves, whereby human beings were brought (by whatever means) from their homes and set down in different geographical locations to continue their lives there under the control of others.

The project is concerned with the original source materials which document this trade, principally those in the form of written documents.

A complete examination of the sources for all aspects of this trade would be a massive enterprise, and it is not the immediate concern of the present project. The first task is therefore to define the areas in which the project would operate.

The consensus of those consulted (both in the planning meeting and at other meetings involving colleagues from most of the countries concerned) is that the present project should concentrate on the original sources for the slave trade operated from Africa across the Atlantic, for the period for which documentary sources are widely available, i.e. during the 18^th and 19^th centuries. It was thus agreed, for example, to exclude for the moment sources for the slave trade across the Indian Ocean, or across the Sahara desert, as well as slave trades in Europe and Asia. We would however point out that these aspects also deserve study.

Original sources for the Atlantic slave trade exist in three geographical regions:

It was agreed that in general the archival resources held in the more developed countries, and which had in many cases already been extensively exploited, did not urgently require assistance from an international project at present. Thus the archives held in European countries which had been involved in the slave trade (principally Britain, France, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands and Denmark) could for the moment be assumed to be in good hands, and mainly accessible to users. However at some point a survey of the materials would be useful in order to establish a full catalogue and database, and to improve accessibility and use. Similarly archival materials held in North America and Brazil could for the moment be assumed to be in good hands. It was noted in particular that the National Archives of Brazil had carried out extensive surveys of sources related to slavery and African culture within its boundaries.

The project should therefore concentrate on archival materials held in the smaller, less developed countries. In these the documents were at some risk from the preservation point of view, and were often not easily available to users. They represented materials which could be expected to give a different perspective on the trade from that presented by archival materials from the northern trading countries. In several cases there is an urgent need to assist the countries concerned with preservation of the materials.

We propose that, subject to budgetary limitations, the number of participating countries should be increased. Which countries are to be chosen to participate will be one of the outcomes of the initial surveys.

The project should therefore not attempt to be comprehensive within the selected period and geographical area, but should concentrate on materials that are immediately at risk and which are not currently easily available for use internationally.

Within these limitations it was strongly felt that a project could be mounted that would act urgently to solve some of the problems involved in preserving and providing access to materials essential to the memory of the world and the common cultural inheritance of all its peoples. The project would however have to be conducted in a closely controlled environment and must concentrate strictly on its stated objectives.

The project should take as its principal aims:

To secure these aims the project would have to find out exactly which materials would fall within its remit and exactly what work would be suitable to support its use and preservation, bearing in mind the local situation. An initial survey would therefore be necessary, in supplementation of the partial surveys already carried out (especially those by Mr Saliou Mbaye, Director of the National Archives of Senegal, in 1998).

The survey stage should be extended to include a careful study of parallel or complementary projects proceeding in the world today. This project should take care not to duplicate work already in progress but should on the contrary seek to work in concert with it.

After the survey stage should come those aspects concerned with preservation and use. It is agreed that the repair and conservation of the original materials themselves, held in a variety of circumstances in many developing countries, would not be possible within the resources likely to be available. Preservation of archival materials, especially in tropical conditions, demands considerable investment in storage accommodation, scientific intervention and management skills. The provision of these, in support of the general cultural work of developing countries is a broad concern of world bodies but could not be brought within the limits of the present project.

For the purposes of this project therefore it is accepted that preservation and access will be assured by means of digitization. The creation of digital copies of both original materials and finding aids relative to them will:

- Provide additional copies of the material to back up the originals;

- Make these copies available remotely through the Internet;

- Make possible educational exploitation of the materials;

The situation in each country is different. In some there has been considerable progress in cataloguing and exploiting their historical archives, while in others there has been little or no progress. Similarly the provision for maintenance and safeguarding (or repair) of these materials varies greatly, though as a generalization it is clear that there is an almost universal need for urgent intervention to secure continued preservation. Older writings in tropical conditions need specialist intervention if they are to survive.

In the first phase therefore we plan to carry out a survey by circulating questionnaires, and through additional personal contacts where possible).

The results of the questionnaires and other survey information should be fully available by February 2001, following which a detailed programme can be drawn up, taking into account the priorities desired by the Regions and by participating countries, and by the relative urgency of their needs.

During the currency of the project there should be a number of short missions by small teams of technically qualified people. Ideally we consider that a team should consist of one or two persons (according to the specific needs of the country to be visited), having qualifications and experience in archives and information management, and in documental digitization and the use of electronic systems appropriate for this.

Missions to participating countries should follow a pattern established at the planning stage. The plan for each country should take full account of the local conditions there, particularly:

- The nature and status of the local development plan for archives;

- The existence or otherwise of local resources;

- The nature and bulk of the materials to be included in the project;

- The availability or otherwise of staff in need of specialist training.

Participating countries should enter into a specific contract with the project management before there is any commitment.

Before the arrival of the visiting team, a participating country would be provided with the means to buy a package of technical equipment, which should include a computer with sufficient hard disk capacity, a scanner with at least 600 bpi capability, a CD writing extension, a UPC electricity power, modem and capacity to link with the Internet for communication; appropriate software should also be provided. Wherever possible this equipment should be purchased locally, so as to ensure the possibility of future maintenance.

After the installation of this equipment, a visit by the project team will be arranged. The project team will consist of one or two experts, according to circumstances and to the terms of the contract agreed with that country. The visitors will supply, according to need, (a) expertise in the installation, management and use of computers in the context of digitization programmes, connection with the Internet and email systems, the making and use of CDs and connected matters; (b) expertise in the management uses of websites and Internet connection; (c) assistance with preservation programmes.

On arriving at a destination country the visiting expert or team would, in consultation with the appropriate authorities there, establish which archival materials should be covered, and make contact with professional colleagues who have been assigned to cover the responsibilities entailed by the project. The mission team, together with the local assigned staff, should:

• Arrange for the digitized data to be copied to CD. [One such CD should remain with the host country, another two copies should be sent by approved channels to the project headquarters. One of these will then be used to create a web site for the country concerned (using UNESCO or ICA gateways), the other will be deposited at an agreed site, perhaps the Library of Alexandria. A full set will be put at disposition of each of the participating countries].

We consider that this proposal is feasible, because Mr Saliou Mbaye’s 1998 survey in Benin and Mr Michael Cook’s 1976 survey in Ghana show that the extent of the material likely to be identified is not too great for a project with limited delivery times. In each case the extent of the material was estimated at about 10 metres of shelving. The documents form part of larger series (e.g. of despatches to senior colonial administrators); in this project care should be taken to preserve the archival context of the material. However, it is likely that enquiries will discover more relevant material in scattered holdings, and it is probable that the project will have ongoing consequences in the discovery and putting to use of further materials.

On return to base, the mission expert or team would ensure that the data, including digitised images, was processed to an acceptable archival standard. Copies would be sent to the country of origin and to other participating countries and to Alexandria as agreed in the project documents and in the contract agreed with the country concerned. The CD would then be used as material for the digitization/access part of the project.

It is appreciated that there are difficulties in proposing this type of operation. Developing countries may feel that primary source material that is part of their cultural heritage is partly removed from their control by persons representing metropolitan or global interests. We are concerned that this view should be rebutted. The sources of slavery are of consequence to every nation and every individual (even those whose cultural history is not intimately bound up with the history of the slave trade). The aim of the project is not to acquire materials by depriving others of them but rather to ensure (a) that they are preserved in their home sites – many are in active danger at present; and (b) that they are made available as widely and rapidly as possible. This project is a way of ensuring these aims. In addition, the archives services of developing countries will be enabled to start or expand their presence on the World Wide Web, and to develop appropriate management responses to the new demands brought by the electronic channels.

It is particularly important that all parties, including the national archives staff of participating countries, should feel that they share ownership of the project and its outcomes. To ensure that there is this feeling it is important to include as much joint consultation and planning as possible. We propose therefore that the consultation structures and events of the ICA’s regular programmes should be used, in accordance with the timetable given in Appendix B.

Materials should be made available through the Internet as rapidly as possible. The project team will ensure that the archives services of the countries of origin are given appropriate web sites (or that existing web sites are extended and linked) and that these should contain both the catalogue material and the images or text of original documents where appropriate. Web sites should be set up within the UNESCO system or directly linked to it unless otherwise decided.

These digitized materials will form a database that will be available for future research, in collaboration with the national archives services involved. The database should be as detailed as possible, even down to the inclusion of individual names.

The outcomes of the project will be:

The project should take special care to ensure that it works in collaboration with all parallel and complementary work. This particularly applies, of course, to the Memory of the World Programme and to the Slave Route Project. Other appropriate projects (of which there are several) should be identified and means taken to liaise with them at an early stage.

We propose that the regular programmes and structures of the ICA and its Regions should be used as channels for discussion, decision-making and reporting. Data collection will be reported at the Round Table on Archives meeting in September 2001. In March 2002 the Pan African Congress on Archives meeting in Senegal will present findings, including full-screen presentation of images from CDs, and a more extensive report will be given to the Round Table on Archives at its meeting in September 2002 in France. Finally the Round Table on Archives meeting of 2003 in South Africa may be the scene of a formal launch on a world-wide stage. Details of the timetable appear in Appendix A.

It is important that the project should proceed in full consultation with the archives services of all the countries involved. This is particularly important because if there should be a perception (however false) that this project was receiving its main impetus from metropolitan countries and carried on in a manner that seemed to disregard the views of the source countries, there would inevitably be a serious loss of confidence in it. Therefore every effort should be made to establish a full dialogue between all parties and to consolidate this in structures of democratic control.

The project should also receive the benefit of professional, technical and expert advice at every stage. It is also important that it should be managed efficiently and in an accountable manner. There should therefore be an administrative and management structure that will allow this.

a) The Project General Committee

There should be a Project General Committee responsible for the general planning, programme operations and evaluation of the project. Members of the Committee should be:

Detailed management of the project should be assured by the establishment of a small Steering Committee, which should meet at every appropriate event over the period 2000-2003, and additionally as needed.

The Steering Committee will adopt a plan and timetable by which the programme will be implemented, and will be responsible for the execution of this plan by the mission staff.

It is expected that the various international meetings at which reports will be made will make recommendations for the continuation and extension of the project after 2003. The ultimate objective would be the compilation of a database, available on the Internet, covering all primary source materials (including oral sources) for the slave trade world-wide.

Costings are offered under the following headings:

- Project participation;

• Staffing and administration;
• Data capture and communication.

The process of consultation is essential to the success of this project, which otherwise might look to the field-work countries as something run for the benefit of more developed countries. There must therefore be a system for bringing the major participants together to participate in the project’s planning, operation, outcomes and evaluation. This will be done by using the programme of meetings envisaged in the ICA’s annual programme for the period 2000-2003. An outline timetable is provided in Appendix B.

Most participating countries will normally expect to be represented at the principal meetings of the ICA, including Regional Branch meetings at the Congress and less formal meetings annually at the Round Table on Archives. Some provision may have to be made to assist some of the less developed countries to send a representative.

The initial programme period is envisaged as extending over the years 2000-2003. Missions to participating countries should be planned for each of these four years.

The ICA will contract a project manager and it will provide secretarial and administrative support.

Mission teams will consist at the maximum of two experts:

In addition, there will be a need centrally for short-time consultancies covering the design of web pages and the services connected with these.

The project will work by providing information and communication technology equipment and specific training where necessary to each of the participating countries. The situation of each participating country will be assessed individually and a specific plan made for it. A contract will be drawn up between the project managers and each participating country in turn, which will specify the services to be rendered and the outcomes expected.

In the case of a developing country which has opted to participate, which has a quantity of relevant archives, and which does not have the necessary equipment, resources and expertise to manage their preservation and use, the contract will allow for:

- A preliminary assessment of needs and situation;

Mission teams of two specialists (one concerned with archival management and preservation, the other with the use of information and communication technology equipment, hardware and software, in the context of digitisation programmes) should make up to 15 visits, average two weeks, to participating countries over 3 years. One week follow-up visits by one expert may be needed, this should make up to 30 visits to participating countries over 3 years. Participating countries are expected to reciprocate by allocating staff time and general assistance, but will not be asked to undertake any work which has important budgetary significance. The number and length of stay of the visiting team should be negotiated in the light of the local situation and the needs of that particular participating country.

Missions should be short and business-like. Preliminary planning is the key to their success. Ideally the information and communication technology equipment will be installed before the arrival of the team. The visiting team of two should carry with them all remaining necessary equipment and consumables. Working with local staff, the visiting experts will help to identify the material they should deal with (both catalogues and original documents), starting up the digitisation programme, and should provide a formal training programme for local staff, including practice in relevant standards. The local staff should then be left to complete the digitisation programme in accordance with the contract agreed with their country at the start. The visit should not exceed two weeks in duration, but some budgetary provision should be made to cover contingencies.

The information and communication technology package provided to participating countries should be sufficient to allow them to start and complete a digitisation programme to fulfil the contract they have entered into, and also to continue a similar programme of their own on its completion. This means:

- A scanner capable of 600 bpi or better;

- A simple printer for local management purposes;

- CD writer extension;

- Modem and communication connections;

- Manuals and manufacturers’ instructional material;

- Software to support scanning, image management and Desk Top Publishing;

- Any further instructional material to support the training to be given.

The contract with each participating country will include provision for maintenance and future upkeep of the equipment over a period of 5 years. Maintenance includes the provision of proper working space with a suitable environment, including chairs, desks and lighting for staff working the equipment.

The full package will only be provided to those countries whose initial state of development is such that they do not have any comparable facilities at the start of the project. In the case of countries that can contribute some or all of the equipment, the preferred option is to use it. The project would still be ready to provide whatever training might be necessary.

When the data is received at base on CDs, the project will arrange for the microfilmed images to be used for the construction and extension of web sites, probably under the aegis of UNESCO. This will involve employing a web designer for a short period (3 months), and an IT specialist for 18 months.

Grouping in priority order :

Angola

Benin

Cameroon

Democratic Republic of Congo

Republic of Congo

Gabon

The Gambia

Ghana

Guinea

Guinea-Bissau

Ivory Coast

Mozambique

Nigeria

Senegal

Togo

Haïti

Brazil

Mali

Cape Verde

Sao Tomé

Equatorial Guinea

Burkina Fasso

Mauritania

Niger

Chad

Namibia

Central African Republic

Sierra Leone

Liberia