Red de Archivos de Memoria y Derechos Humanos RAMDH

Overview

The Red de Archivos de Memoria y Derechos Humanos (RAMDH) is a Chilean network of archives and documentary institutions dedicated to preserving and making accessible the historical memory and human rights records of Chile, with a focus on the period of military dictatorship (1973–1990). The network brings together diverse civil society, academic, and state organizations that hold collections documenting state repression, resistance, and the struggle for democratic rights.

History and Founding

RAMDH was formally established on 10 December 2015, coinciding with International Human Rights Day. The network emerged from collaborative meetings among archivists and institutions working on human rights materials in Chile, with the first significant activities—including forums on archival access and transparency law—taking place in 2013. Its founding statement emphasized the urgent need to identify, rescue, organize, and guarantee free access to archival information in the custody of state agencies and civil society organizations concerning systematic human rights violations during the dictatorship.

Member Institutions and Collections

RAMDH comprises a diverse set of member institutions whose archives together document the full range of civil society response to Chile's authoritarian period. Members include the Archivo de la Federación de Estudiantes de la Universidad de Chile (AFECH), the Archivo de Documentación Gráfica y Audiovisual de la Universidad de Santiago de Chile (ArchivoDGA), the Archivo del Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos, Fundación de Ayuda Social de las Iglesias Cristianas (FASIC), Villa Grimaldi, Londres 38, the Archivo Nacional de Chile, the Fundación Víctor Jara, Fundación de Documentación y Archivo de la Vicaría de la Solidaridad (FUNVISOL), and the Fundación de Protección a la Infancia Dañada por los Estados de Emergencia (PIDEE), among others. Collections include photographs, audiovisual materials, correspondence, legal documents, posters, and testimonies.

Access and Usage

Each member institution maintains its own access protocols, varying from in-person consultations to online catalogs and digitized collections. RAMDH's network website at ramdh.cl provides information on member archives and activities. The network also provides technical archival assistance to civil society organizations seeking to establish their own documentary archives.