Plenary discussion at the IOHA 2025 Conference. Photo by Maciej Zygmunt.
The 23rd International Oral History Conference brought Voice of Witness to Kraków, Poland!
Hosted by Polskie Towarzystwo Historii Mówionej (Polish Oral History Association), the 2025 conference brought together hundreds of oral historians from around the world.
For the first conference plenary, Dr. Jakub Gałęziowski, President of the Polish Oral History Association, guided six distinguished oral historians in a conversation about the complex challenges facing practitioners worldwide. Drawing on work that spans continents and conflicts, the scholars shared unique insights into preserving the stories of people who have experienced displacement, war, state violence, or global public health crises.
- Fanny Julissa García, VOW’s Editorial Program Manager and Columbia University Oral History MA graduate, shared insights from “Separated: Stories of Injustice and Solidarity,” a project which documents families separated by government policies, focusing on crimmigration and its transnational impact.
- María Bashshur Abunnasr from Beirut presented the “Disrupting Dispossession” project, capturing Palestinian teachers in exile (1970-2000) and their community leadership roles despite statelessness.
- Dr. Ngozika Anthonia Obi-Ani from the University of Nigeria contributed expertise on women’s experiences in conflict and memory’s role in understanding historical trauma.
- Natalia Otrishchenko from Lviv’s Center for Urban History discussed urgently documenting Ukrainian testimonies through “24.02.22, 5 am” since Russia’s invasion.
- Gabriele Proglio from the University of Gastronomic Sciences presented research on Horn of Africa diasporas in Europe.
- Naoko Shimazu from the University of Tokyo shared findings from “Living with Covid-19 in Southeast Asia,” capturing pandemic experiences across ten ASEAN countries.
From left to right: Naoko Shimazu, Natalia Otrishchenko, Maria Bashshur Abunnasr, Fanny Julissa García, Jakub Gałęziowski, Gabriele Proglio, and Ngozika Anthonia Obi-Ani. Photo by Maciej Zygmunt.
Fanny reflected on the impact of being among such an illustrious group of oral historians, archivists, and scholars working with people eager to share and document their stories as public testimony. It was an honor to participate alongside practitioners whose work centers on listening deeply, navigating barriers, and creating meaningful space for narrators.
The panelists addressed critical issues including narrator safety, ethical documentation practices, cross-cultural preservation, and historians’ responsibility to amplify silenced voices while protecting vulnerable communities.
The plenary discussion was streamed live — watch it on YouTube now!
Fanny’s adventures in Kraków: St. Mary’s Basilica, photo with Nompilo Ndlovu and Ngozika Anthonia Obi-Ani, photo with Angela Zusman and Nancy McKay, and Wawel Castle. Photos by Fanny Julissa García and Natalie Milbrodt.
