
For nomination submission details, go to https://www.mowcapunesco.org/core-activities/mowcap-regional-register-2024/
For nomination submission details, go to https://www.mowcapunesco.org/core-activities/mowcap-regional-register-2024/
The MOWCAP Bureau wishes to extend its heartfelt thanks to Roslyn Russell, who has recently stepped down from her role as Chair of the Australian Memory of the World Committee, which she co-founded in 2000 and has been chairing since 2013. She spearheaded the Australian Memory of the World Committee into becoming a thriving and active programme with 78 inscriptions on its national register to date. Regionally, she has been participating in workshops across Asia and the Pacific as an expert to promote and build capacity in documentary heritage since 2007.
Roslyn has also been an active player in the global Memory of the World community as a member of the programme’s International Advisory Committee between 2005 and 2013, first acting as Chair of the Register Sub-Committee, then as Chair of the committee itself. More recently, in 2021 she helped to launch the children’s book Let’s Explore the Memory of the World, a publication she enjoyed sharing with her family, and in 2022 supported nomination teams in developing their dossiers for the MOWCAP Regional Register and promoting Indigenous collections.
Roslyn will continue to be involved in the Australian Memory of the World Committee as its Treasurer, leaving her previous role in the good hands of her successor, Shayne Breynard. We at MOWCAP hope to continue benefiting from Roslyn’s expertise, warmth, and her positive and nurturing personality in its future activities, and welcome Shayne to his new role.
Nine Inscriptions were added to the MOWCAP Register at the General Meeting held in Andong, Republic of Korea from 24 -26 November. The General Meeting was hosted by the Korean Studies Institute.
More information on the General Meeting and on the successful nominations will be posted in coming weeks.
Singapore Asian Children’s Literature
Republic of Korea Naebang-gasa (Songs of the Inner Chambers)
Republic of Korea Taean Oil Spill
Republic of Korea Samguk-yusa (Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms)
Vietnam Sino-Nom Documents in Truong Luu Village, Ha Tinh Province (1689-1943)
Vietnam Ma Nhai (Inscriptions) on the Marble Mountains, Danang City
Indonesia Dr Soeharso Rehabilitation Centre
China Shui Character Documents, Guizhou Province
China Archives of the Initial Dasheng Spinning Factory (1896-1907)
The 9th MOWCAP General Meeting will be held from 24-26 November 2022. The meeting is generously hosted by the Korean Studies Institute (KSI), Andong, Republic of Korea.
The event will be hybrid and delegates can attend in person or online.
A draft agenda for the General Meeting is available. Please note that this agenda may be subject to minor changes before the meeting.
For any enquiries or questions please contact MOWCAP Secretariat at: gm2022@mowcap.org
The UNESCO Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific (MOWCAP) is pleased to share the results of the 2022 round of the Asia Culture Centre (ACC)-MOWCAP Grants Program.
In 2022, thirteen applications were assessed against the application criteria (outlined in the Grant Guidelines), with four organizations from eight countries in the Asia-Pacific region awarded grants. These grantees are from Australia, Mongolia, Kyrgyz Republic and Republic of Tajikistan, and Vietnam. They will undertake projects to preserve and make documentary heritage collections accessible. The ACC-MOWCAP Small Grants Programme is made possible through the generous financial support of the Asia Culture Center (ACC). $20,000 USD was awarded under the 2022 grants cycle.
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Following the call for nominations for the UNESCO Memory of the World Asia Pacific Regional Register (15 February-15 June 2022), we are pleased to share that thirteen (13) nominations have been deemed admissible for assessment by the MOWCAP Register Sub-Committee (RSC) as outlined under Section D of the UNESCO Memory of the World Asia Pacific Regional Register Process.
The title and a summary for each nomination form that has been accepted for assessment can be found in the table below. The summary is based on the information provided by nominators in Section 2 of the nomination form. A full text of nominations accepted for assessment will be provided on request to interested parties (a request can be submitted to the MOWCAP Secretary-General via email to mowcapinfo@gmail.com)
MOWCAP invites comments on these accepted nominations from National MoW
Committees and National Commissions or from any interested individual or organisations, to be submitted to the MOWCAP Secretary-General by 15 August 2022.
Comments that support or provide other information relevant to aspects of any current nomination are welcome, for instance, the sender may wish to provide information to supplement the nominator’s case. All comments received shall be transmitted forthwith to the Chair of the RSC for consideration by the RSC in the process of its assessment.
Any contestations must be made using the specified form and process outlined under
Section N of the UNESCO Memory of the World Asia Pacific Regional Register Process.
1. Australia
The Australian Academy of Science received a grant for the Fenner Collection Digitisation and Digital Access Project.
The manuscript collection of Professor Frank Fenner in the archives of the Australian Academy of Science covers the life and work of a distinguished Australian scientist and was added to the UNESCO Australian Memory of the World Register in 2019.
Professor Fenner is widely known for his significant contribution to global public health as Chairman of
the World Health Organisation Global Commission for the Certification of Smallpox Eradication. He has made major contributions to the understanding of viruses and the literature of microbiology and has stated that his proudest achievement was announcing on 8 May 1980 that smallpox was gone from the earth.
The collection records Professor Frank Fenner’s enormous contribution to scientific research and communication over more than eight decades. It is also an unexpectedly rich personal archive documenting Professor Fenner’s experience of his work, his broad-ranging intellectual interests, the history and development of the Australian National University, and his contribution to the broader community.
Applications for the 2022 round of the ACC-MOWCAP Small Grants Programme are now open, with grants of up to $5000 USD available for documentary heritage related projects in the Asia-Pacific. Applications close on the 15 June 2022.
The Asia Culture Center (ACC) and the UNESCO Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific (MOWCAP) launched the ACC-MOWCAP Small Grants Programme to support archives, museums and libraries in the Asia-Pacific to undertake innovative projects and initiatives to preserve and provide access to their collections. The grants support the overall aim of the UNESCO Memory of the World to enhance preservation of and access to humanity’s documentary heritage.
Information on how to apply for a grant is available here.
The Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific (MOWCAP) invites nominations for the UNESCO Memory of the World Asia Pacific Regional Register (MOWCAP Register). Nominations should be sent by email to MOWCAPinfo@gmail.com and must be received by 15 June 2022 for assessment in this round.
Before deciding to submit a nomination you need to read the UNESCO Memory of the World Asia Pacific Regional Register Process. This document provides detailed information on all aspects of nomination to the MOWCAP Register and includes a list of the type of documents that may be inadmissible for nomination (section D) and the criteria against which your nomination will be assessed (section E).
A MOWCAP register nomination form has been developed to take account of the revised MOWCAP Register nomination process. Only nominations submitted on this form will be accepted.
Other documents that may be useful as you prepare your nomination are The International General Guidelines of the Memory of the World Programme and the International Memory of the World Register Companion.
Please email mowcapinfo@gmail.com if you need clarification on any aspects of the MOWCAP Register Process or Nomination Form. We will share any general questions and answers on our website if they are considered helpful to other nominators. The person who asked the question will not be identified.
Note: Process and structures for managing the MOWCAP Register Process, as far as possible, parallel those for the International Register. The Register Process has been developed to take account of regional variations and is consistent with but not the same as the register nomination process in section 8 of the General Guidelines of the Memory of the World Programme, which were approved by the UNESCO Executive Board during its 211th session in April 2021.
We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of our beloved friend, colleague and mentor Dr Rujaya Abhakorn. Rujaya made a significant contribution to the development of the Memory of the World Programme in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.
In 2005 Rujaya was appointed a MOWCAP “Goodwill Patron“ and took every opportunity to promote the work of MOWCAP. By 2010 he had travelled to all the ASEAN countries to promote the Memory of the World Programme and encourage the establishment of National Memory of the World Committees.
He was the chair of the Register Sub-committee from its inception until the latest MOWCAP General Meeting in 2018. In this role he demonstrated a focussed dedication to researching nominations and identifying those that met the criteria for insciption on the MOWCAP register.
Rujaya was a sought after speaker on the Memory of the World programme and its importance for contributing to the preservation of and access to documentary heritage. He also contributed his knowledge to international Memory of the World workshops held to increase understanding of the register nomination process.
Ray Edmondson who has known Rujaya for many years described the respect all those associated with MOWCAP had for Rujaya and his contribution to MOWCAP. “Rujaya was a good friend and colleague and we will miss him, his gentle ways, his knowledge, his wisdom and – not least – his sense of humour. He had the great gift of transcending cultural boundaries and his contribution to MoW and MOWCAP was immense. We have all been enriched by his presence among us over the years.”
After Rujaya retired from his MOWCAP roles he summed up so well what we all feel about the achievements of MOWCAP from its beginnings until now – “I think we would all agree that working with MOWCAP has been a unique experience because we had the privilege of building it up and live long enough to see it flourish and the happiness that successful nominations bring to so many countries and communities in the region.”
We will always remember Rujaya’s infectious smile, his dry humour, witty remarks, strength, wisdom and kindness as well as his passion for the preservation of documentary heritage and ensuring that its value was shared and understood by all. He has been an integral part of the success of MOWCAP and he leaves a rich legacy for those that follow him.