Columbia University
Oral History Research Office

ORAL HISTORY, ADVOCACY, AND THE LAW

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Welcome Reception: 6-8 p.m., 90 Morningside Drive, Apartment 3A at the home of Ronald Grele

Special Thanks for the Welcome Reception goes to Dr. Michael Ryan, Director of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Library

The Institute will meet in 203 Butler, Columbia University Libraries (vs. upper campus).

Monday, June 9

9:00 – 12:00 Introductions: Faculty and Fellows

12:00 – 1:30 Lunch

1:30 – 2:45 Ronald Grele, The History of Oral History

3:00 – 5:00 Panel: Oral History, Advocacy, and the Law:  Mary Marshall Clark, Alessandro Portelli, TBD

Tuesday, June 10

9:00 – 11:00 Alessandro Portelli, The April 7 Case: Oral History and the Law.  Respondent: Manning Marable

11:15 – 12:30 Discussion

12:30 – 2:00 Themed Lunch Groups.

1:30 -3:30 Oral History as an Interdisciplinary Research Methodology: Documentation and Interpretation Peter Bearman, Alessandro Portelli, Mary Marshall Clark, Ronald Grele

3:45 – 5:00 Discussion

Wednesday, June 11

9:00 – 12:00 Fellows’ Presentations

12:00 – 1:30 Lunch Appointments with Faculty

1:30 – 5:00 Narrative and Culture in the Struggle for Human Rights: John Grele and Scharlette Holdman

Thursday, June 12

9:00 – 11:00 Life Histories as Evidence in Trials and Tribunals:  John Grele, Peter Maguire, Scharlette Holdman

11:15 – 12:00 Discussion in Small Groups

12:00 – 1:30 Lunch Appointments with Faculty

1:30 - 3:00 Interviews with John Grele and Scharlette Holdman, by Alessandro Portelli

3:15 – 4:00 Discussion of Interviews

7:00 - 8:30 Public lecture by Alessandro Portelli, Globalization in Steel: the Evolution of Working-class Culture and the ThyssenKrupp strikes, 2004-2008

Friday, June 13

9:00-12:00Fellows’ Presentations

12:00-1:30 Lunch

1:30-3:30 Roxsana Patel, Tracing the Development of Public Interest Law in South Africa Through Oral Histories with Legal Activists

4:00-5:00 Discussion

Saturday, June 14

9:00 – 12:00 Audio Recording Workshop with Steve Rowland

12:00 - 1:00 Lunch

1:00 - 4:00 Choice of workshops:

Steve Rowland, Editing Oral History for Radio

Linda Shopes, Editing Oral History for Publication

Sunday, June 15   FREE DAY

Monday, June 16

9:00 – 10:15 Linda Shopes, Community Oral History and Public History, An Introduction

10:30 – 12:00 Ron Grele, Amy Starecheski & Linda Shopes (break-out groups): Creating and Managing Oral History Projects: Design to Dissemination

12:00 – 1:30 Lunch (working groups continue)

1:30 – 3:30 Interview with Michael Ratner, by Mary Marshall Clark

4:00 -5:00 Discussion of Interview

7:30 - 9:00 Public lecture by Michael Ratner, War on Democracy: Civil and Human Rights Post-9/11

Tuesday, June 17  

9:00 – 10:45 Oral History, Fieldwork, and Indigenous Communities, a Dialogue: Winona Wheeler and Gerry Albarelli

11:00 -12:00 Group Discussion

12:00 – 2:00 Lunch in Shared Interest Groups

2:00 – 5:30 Fellows’ Presentations

7:30 – 9:00 p.m. Public Lecture by Winona Wheeler, Indigenous Oral Histories under the Gun: Bamboozled Methodologies

Wednesday, June 18

9:00 – 10:30 Interview with Winona Wheeler, by Amy Starecheski

11:00 – 12:00 Discussion of Interview

12:00 - 1:30 Lunch

Thursday, June 19

9:00 – 12:00 Fellows’ Presentations

12:00 – 1:30 p.m. Lunch

1:30 - 2:30 Fellows’ presentations

2:45 - 3:30 Small Group Discussions Synthesizing the Institute

3:45 - 5:00 Large Group Discussion Synthesizing the Institute

Closing Picnic:  6-8 p.m. 

Friday, June 20

9:00 – 11:30 Final Discussion of Projects & Evaluations

11:30 – 12:30 CHECK OUT

12:30 – 2:00 Farewell Brownbag Lunch