When downtown Seattle was shut down by World Trade Organization protests last November, it was big news. But over time, the details are starting to get a bit fuzzy.

That’s where the WTO History Project comes in. The project—a collaboration between the Center for Labor Studies, the UW Libraries, and the the Center for Communication and Civic Engagement—was developed to ensure that events surrounding the WTO conference are remembered accurately. Arts and Sciences provided seed money for the project, with the Center for Labor Studies providing additional funds.

Written materials and other paraphenalia from WTO events, ranging from posters to placards to turtle costumes to digital images, are being collected for the UW Libraries’ archives. And about 30 WTO protesters are being interviewed by a UW team including senior Monica Ghosh, alumnus Jeremy Simer, sociology graduate student Gillian Murphy, and sociology professor Steve Pfaff.

“We wanted to collect stories and turn them into a narrative of day-to-day events to ensure that the history of that week includes all the diverse voices involved, ” explains Margaret Levi, Harry Bridges Chair of Labor Studies and professor of political science. “Lots of histories written of strikes and social movements tend to be biased, for no other reason than certain types of material are available. We would like to get as complete a picture as possible. ”

Collected materials will be available for use by researchers and classes in a variety of ways. One example: an interactive website will allow users to view transcripts of the WTO interviews and add their own stories. “We want the website not only to enrich our sense of the story but also to facilitate and encourage civic engagement, ” says Levi.

[Summer 2000 - Table of Contents]