The Ministry of Education, Heritage & Arts (MEHA) recognises and honours professionals and institutions involved in audiovisual preservation that safeguard our heritage for future generations during this World Day for Audiovisual Heritage (WDAH).
Archives around the world come together annually on 27 October to celebrate audiovisual archives with activities that highlight the vulnerability of this heritage, as well as celebrate the work of the heritage institutions that protect it.
This year, the theme is “Your Window to the World”. MEHA joins Archives around the globe to encourage and protect the collective memory and valuable sources of knowledge that reflect the cultural, social and linguistic diversity of our communities.
WDAH is a tribute to the adoption of the Recommendation for the Safeguarding and Preservation of Moving Images in 1980 by the 21st UNESCO General Conference. This was the first international instrument to declare the cultural and historical importance of film and television recordings.
Consequently, in 2005, the UNESCO General Assembly approved the commemoration day and initiated it in 2006 as part of its mission to raise public consciousness on the importance of the preservation of sound recordings, moving images and other audiovisual material.
Minister for Education, Heritage and Arts, Premila Kumar said, “the day provides a platform to raise general awareness of the need for urgent measures to be taken to preserve audiovisual documentaries of heritage as these are irreplaceable assets.”
The recommendation by UNESCO recommits all of us to safeguard and take care of the materials which reflect our past for the enlightenment of our future generations.
Minister Kumar highlighted that the impact of global warming is not new to us and natural disasters such as floods, storms, cyclones and earthquakes can erase such heritage overnight. Additionally, war, theft, vandalism and simple human negligence have destroyed many collections. The humidity, heat, dust and salt-laden atmospheres also threaten its preservation and losses are further triggered by technical defects.
The safeguarding of audiovisual heritage is a complex process requiring a range of legal, institutional, technical, and financial solutions. Not taking action will result in the loss of entire chapters of this heritage in the future.
Minister Kumar asserted that the Ministry of Education, Heritage and Arts and, the National Archives of Fiji have created a supportive environment for the protection of documentary of heritage.
She said, “we have two thousand hours of video footage and more than 70,000 pictorial evidences in the category of heritage material. These audiovisual heritage documentary materials are properly collated, cleaned and digitised for quality purposes. Also, the current work on the mapping of cultural resources, both tangible and intangible, on the islands of Rabi and Kioa by MEHA is being undertaken to continuously create audiovisual heritage.”
In light of the World Day of Audiovisual Heritage, the Ministry of Education, Heritage and Arts shares some insights on the roles of the National Archives of Fiji (NAF) in the preservation of audiovisual heritage.
This institution was established in 1954 as the Central Archives of Fiji. After Fiji’s Independence, the NAF formally came into being with an amendment to the Public Records Ordinance in July 1971. In addition, the 1969 Library Order Act also supports the implementation of the Fijian Government’s role in the preservation of heritage documentary through the NAF.
The NAF is responsible for the acquisition, care, preservation and administration of the permanent public records of Fiji, ensuring that these records are available to Government and the public at large for information and research purposes.
The NAF collects and preserves Fiji’s heritage documentaries and makes these available to the public through exhibitions and research services. There are around a million documents in this collection dating from the early 1800s. These records constitute a large portion of the nation’s collective memory which also includes audiovisual records and provides a bridge for citizens to reach back in time to find vital information for present day issues such as pension entitlements, family genealogies and property cases.
These NAF documentary records capture the development of Fiji through time - a valuable tool for researchers and for decision makers who consult the archives to determine precedents, understand their obligations, and formulate policies that are beneficial for the citizens of Fiji.
MEHA has remained committed to supporting the role of NAF as being the guardian of Fiji’s documentary heritage and aims to raise awareness amongst the general public and decision-makers on the importance of maintaining archives, improving the understanding of the necessity of long-term archival preservation and showcasing its vast collection of unique and rare documents.
Minister Kumar reiterated that “WDAH reminds us of the incredible role to preserve the audiovisual heritage documentary of Fiji. These heritage documentaries tell us the stories about people's lives and cultures from all over Fiji and the region. NAF endeavours to preserve our priceless heritage and will continue to safeguard our legacy for a sustainable future”.