Panos London

We believe that oral testimony is important because:

• it provides additional understanding and knowledge on complex issues and situations
• its direct and personal nature is powerful in raising awareness and bringing development topics alive, particularly for young people
• it is a means for communities to document their (otherwise unrecorded) history
• it amplifies voices of marginalised individuals and communities
• it can be a more democratic way of collecting information from people compared to other methods of data collection
  

Others agree:

"Oral testimonies greatly enhance the understanding of issues because they are more inclusive and allow for insight into the lives of many different individuals."

"Giving voice is an essential component of the strategies we can develop to better understand and act in the face of issues such as conflict, globalisation, disease, etc."

"Oral testimonies provide 'sound bites' from citizens who would not generally find themselves in front of a microphone or camera. These quotes convey in a direct and often powerful way, the views of ordinary people."

"I find it encouraging that our situation, our culture, our customs and history which are limited to our region, will now become part of an international project with interviews distributed worldwide."

Related links

• Comment | Celebrating the uncelebrated
• Life stories on Panos London