A panel discussion to introduce”Wathiqat Watan” Foundation and Oman’s National Documents and Archives Authority

Damascus (ST): The Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Damascus University held a symposium on introducing the “Wathiqat Watan” (Homeland Document) Foundation in Syria, and the National Documents and Archives Authority in the Sultanate of Oman.

The Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Dr. Adnan Musallam, underlined  in his speech the importance of the memorandum of understanding signed between the Homeland Document Foundation, the University of Damascus, and the National Union of Syrian Students, to enable the culture of oral documentation in the sectors of society and educational curricula.

Researcher, Dr. Muhammad Al-Taghous, presented an introductory presentation of oral history because it is a knowledge product, based on investigations and unwritten narratives, according to a specific scientific methodology, and an approach that falls within a temporal and spatial context, stressing the importance of this concept because it is an added value compared to traditional forms of history, especially as it reinterprets the historical event and expands its contents and fills the gaps in the historical and written sources.

In his turn, Musa Al-Khoury, Projects Director of the Homeland Document Foundation, reviewed the importance of the institution for being “a national, non-governmental, non-profit knowledge organization concerned with oral history, collecting and documenting testimonies and oral narrations, and preserving them according to research and scientific methodologies.

Al-Khoury referred to the most important projects of the Foundation, such as documenting the biography of the media, the Syrian church heritage, the Syriac language and heritage, and handicrafts, in addition to documenting the war on Syria during the past years.

The Chairman of the National Records and Archives Authority, Dr. Hamad bin Muhammad Al-Duwayani, presented a documentary film in which he talked about the management of documents and archives in the Sultanate of Oman, and what it had achieved during the past years. He also talked about the integrated project for the document management system and the objectives that the authority seeks to achieve.

Dr. Hamad gave a historical overview of the development of the documents and archives project, to establish a modern documentary system, work on the development and technical supervision of organizing current and intermediate public documents, protect the national heritage and improve the exploitation, collection and preservation of archives.

Dr. Hamad underlined the importance of studying and controlling the legislative and legal code in the field of documents and archives and diagnosing reality, in addition to managing public documents and human resources in the Authority.

In a statement to journalists, Dr. Buthaina Shaaban, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Homeland Document Foundation, referred to the importance of the symposium and Dr. Hamad’s presentation of the achievements of the Sultanate of Oman in managing archives at the state level, adding: “ We will have joint upcoming tours through which the two countries and the two brotherly peoples will be served.”

K.Q.