Digitizing the CERLAC Solidarity Collections

As part of the Surviving Memory in Postwar El Salvador project, a research team of 7 undergrad students coordinated by Western University Postdoctoral fellow Giada Ferrucci has been undertaking a long-term initiative to scan, digitize, and catalogue archival materials documenting North American solidarity with El Salvador during the 1980s and 1990s. Working with the collections held at the Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean (CERLAC) at York University, the team is carrying out the systematic scanning of documents, photographs, posters, and campaign materials, while also developing detailed metadata to facilitate future research and public access. 

At this stage, the digitized collection includes 14 boxes, 262 folders, and approximately 6,216 documents across the 14 boxes that have been scanned.

A collaborative workshop held in Toronto on January 31, 2025 brought together researchers, students, and community members to explore these materials collectively and reflect on the histories they document. Participants reviewed archival items produced by solidarity organizations that mobilized support for human rights during the Salvadoran Civil War and discussed the ongoing importance of preserving these records. This digitization effort ensures that the histories of international solidarity remain accessible and continue to inform contemporary movements for justice and human rights.

The Surviving Memory in Postwar El Salvador research initiative is supported in part by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Western University, the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, and the Ontario Research Fund.