It
is important to stimulate
today's generation on
the importance of documents
and the need to preserve
the Nations rich heritage
of all kind.
This will encourage
our youth go on searching
and researching deep
into the nations history
to re-strengthen our
trust in a better future
linked to a glory past.
The
17th of October
of each year has been
selected to become the
Arab Document day. For
it was in October that
the National Information
Center held its first
National Exhibition
for Documents. In fact,
it was the first exhibition
and International participation.
Thus, the Arab Document
Day will be a real day
of celebration of Arab
Archivists and all those
working in the field
of documents. These
men and women have strived
for years in an endless
effort to draw the attention
of Arab generations
on the peril status
that our documents have
reached.
They
have alerted, all those
concerned, against the
continuous damage and
destruction of our cultural
heritage due to lack
of awareness, lag of
planning or misestimating
of the value of our
cultural heritage. The
Arab Nation engulfs
a unique civilization
that has enriched human
intellect mainly through
its documents and in
most fields. Documents
will forever be the
link that connects man
to his homeland and
history.
Therefore,
the annual mark of Arab
Document Day will reassure
the importance of Documents,
and stimulate efforts
to search for the lost
ones scattered all over
the world and preserve
what we already have.
This day will also help
in guiding our concerned
Institutions and Centers
on the need to preserve
their documents via
up to date methods in
order to catch up with
the well-developed countries.
We should learn from
the experience of those
countries that puts
a lot of effort and
money for the sake of
preserving its document
and expanding their
virtual age.
It
is well known that the
virtual age of documents
is in continuous decrease
due to several reasons
including pollution
and the bad quality
of papers. The 20th
century documents virtual
age is between 30-60
years. Arab Document
Day will also be a day
of cooperation and exchange
among institutions working
in the field of documents
and documentation. It
will be a launching
day for several projects
aiming at protecting
our document treasures,
a day of launch for
innovation and creativity
in the field of Arab
documents.
Arab
Document Day
From a dream to reality
When we speak of the
Arab Document Day, we
remember the difficult
times and tremendous
efforts that was taken
on this day to turn
a dream into reality.
The first of these steps
was the issue of decision
no 479, date 17/10/2000
by NICE to found the
Documentation High Council
with the following tasks:
Discussing the issue
of documentation in
Syria, in specific and
the Arab Nation in general.
Contributing to set
an Arabic strategy that
aims at developing document
work, and give considerable
attention to all forms
of documents.
Discussing
and forming a general
policy for documentation
in the National Information
Center.
Evaluating and monitoring
the status of documents,
taking into consideration
the organizational quality
and qualification sides
according to available
Human and financial
resources.
Setting
the needed bases to
find a mechanism of
sustainable development,
and improving the quality
of work in the field
of documentation, and
integrating this mechanism
in the core organizational
structure of NICE
Discussing
the short and long term
plans in the field of
documents and deciding
on them. Especially
after the issue of decision
no. 15/6284, date 24/9/2000
from the Prime Minister
Cabinet.
The second step came
during the activities
of the 4th National
Documentation Exhibition
NDE. The Head of the
National Information
Center announced on
behalf of NICE, during
the reception held to
honor all those who
have participated in
the 3rd NDE, that a
day in October of each
year will be marked
as the "Arab
Document Day".
The
reception was held at
Damascus International
fair on the 4th of October
2000.
On the 14/11/2000 a
letter was written from
NICE to Arabcin explaining
the initiative of NICE
that was announced at
the end of the activities
of the 4th NDE, the
Arab Document Day, and
it was decided on this
day, upon a decision,
the formation of the
Documentation High Council.
On
the 28/11/2001 the executive
bureau of Arabcin issued
decision No.2 that approved
to all that was decided
on in the first meeting
for the Arab Document
Day.
The timely executing
program for the activities
of this day was decided.
Afterward, Arabcin sent
letters on 17/2/2001
to all concerned Arab
Institutions calling
on them to adopt and
approve on the issue
and diffusing it to
all institutions and
centers working in the
field of documents in
the Arab Nation. On
the 12th of May 2001
the ALESCO agreed on
marking the 17th of
October as the Arab
Document Day.
On
the 10th of July 2001,
the Prime Minister Cabinet
in Syria issued a circulation
on the same issue, and
on the 21/7/2001 NICE
issued a decision to
form the General Central
Bureau responsible for
celebrating Arab Document
Day.
Celebrating
Arab Document Day 17/10/2001
Arabcin has adopted
a new initiative in
which he called for
the celebration of Arab
Document Day each 17th
of October. It connected
and wrote to all Arab
institutions member
in the Club. There are
106 members from universities,
libraries and centers
in the following 15
Arab countries Egypt,
United Arab Emirates,
Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon,
Saudi Arabia, Algeria,
Yemen, Libya, Morocco,
Sudan, Tunisia, Iraq,
Palestine and Syria.
Arabcin
also connected and wrote
to Arab National Organizations.
Up till now, it received
the approval and backing
several Arab Regional
Organizations and Information
& Document Centers including
*
The Arab Organization
for Education, Culture
and Science - Tunisia.
* The Union of Arab
Scientific Research
Councils - Iraq.
* The Arab Center for
the Study of Dry Area
ACSAD - Damascus.
These are the
regional organizations.
In addition to communicating
with and writing to
tens of centers and
National institutions,
and securing their approval
to mark the 17th of
October as the National
Day of Arab Document.
The
aims The launch
of the Arab Document
Day aims to achieve
the following :
* Highlighting the importance
of Arab Document and
drawing attention to
the need to preserve
the National Cultural
Heritage.
* Search for Arab Historic
Document and the whereabouts
of original copies in
both the Arab Nation
and abroad.
* Establishing a common
index to show the places
where Arab Documents
could be found both
in the Arab World and
abroad. This index is
to be distributed via
the Arab Net for Information.
* Set needed plan for
retrieving our Arab
Documents from abroad,
or at least obtaining
a copy.
* Attempt to make the
Arab Document Day a
day of cooperation and
exchange among institutions
working in the field
of Arab Documents, and
the field of Information.
Also, marking this day
as the starting point
for national projects
that aims to protect
our document treasures
and invest in it as
best as possible.
* To reassure the importance
of documents in organizing
our modern societies
in the Age of Documents.
In other words, the
Arab Document Day will
be a day of work and
creativity and a day
of active cooperation
in the field of Arab
Documents.
To
achieve the wanted aims,
the Arab Club for Information
wants to include all
institutions and centers
working in the field
of documents, libraries
and archives in the
events of this celebrated
day. In this frame,
Arabcin suggested identifying
the word Document. This
definition will be handed
out to all relevant
sections.
Document
: any container of Information
of any kind or form.
This includes paper
documents right up to
electronic documents.
We all hope to be able
to work together to
make "The
Arab Document Day"
a day of cooperation
and exchange among institutions
working in the field
of information and documents
in an aim to preserve
our document treasures
and invest in it as
best as possible.
Due
to the importance of
document in preserving
and studying history,
organizing modern societies
and reviving the memory
of the nation to keep
it alive into the future.
We therefore hope to
be able to work together
to make the Arab Document
Day a launch towards
activating media in
this field to remind
us of our rights towards
Documents and what we
must do, and the programs
to be prepared for this
special day.
This day will not be
a mere official celebrating
day, but rather an active
day, a real national
celebration for all
Arabs working in the
field of Documents.
Declaration
of Arab Document Day
2001
We at the Arab Club
for Information are
convinced that documents
are the main tools that
guarantee the preservation
of Human knowledge and
secure its distribution.
We also believe that
we could enforce documents
via adopting appropriate
policies that encourages
the use of the printed
word as best as possible.
We bring to mind the
declarations of the
United States and its
organizations, and the
declarations of the
league of Arab States
and its organizations.
They all call on the
right to develop all
sources of free thinking
and distribute it via
documents, and the cooperation
among Arab States that
guarantees the right
of searching through
documents to all those
who need them. We recall
to mind that Arabcin
has assured in its charter
and in all its activities,
that documents of all
kinds participate actively
in achieving the aims
of our Arab Nation in
its struggle for development
and strengthening the
rights of the Arabs
in eradicating ignorance,
backwardness, racism
and Zionism. Thus, the
permanent Bureau of
Arab Document, affiliated
to Arabcin, announced
17 October as Arab Document
Day and distributed
this announcement to
all Arab countries and
calls on all the Arab
to work hard to preserve
our Arab Document of
all kind and form.
First
: Document is a treasure
and a weapon To work
towards collecting and
organizing all documents
and making them available
to serve Arab citizens
and preserve them for
coming generations.
Arab Documents are important
weapons for Arab generations.
They are the main tool
for preserving identity
and securing it against
all enemies attacks
practiced by the common
enemy of the Nation,
namely the Zionist and
allies.
Second:
Each individual has
the right to look at
the documents A big percentage
of Arab citizens have
been denied access to
documents because of
the inability to read
them. Arab governments
have the full responsibility
of eradicating illiteracy
among Arab citizens.
Relevant institutions
must work together to
provide all needed means
of knowledge to ensure
that all citizens are
able to read. The world
today is facilitating
the access of researchers
and all who are concerned
to look at documents.
Thus, we are all responsible
for boosting this task,
to strengthen scientific
research and refresh
the memory of the Nation.
Third:
Libraries and the Role
of Documents, Manuscripts
and Information Centers.
Documents, Manuscripts,
Libraries of all kinds
public, national, academic
and specialized, and
Document Centers, all
are civilized institutions
with the role of collecting,
preserving, organizing
and providing Document
and knowledge services
to citizens. Therefore,
we must give Information
and Document Institutions
special attention by
providing the needed
human forces, equipments
and establishments.
Well-qualified staff
is able to provide users
with needed archive
and library services.
These institutions must
be available in all
cities, towns, villages
and remote places.
Fourth:
Legislations
All
kinds of legislations,
decree, laws, charters,
standards, criteria,
evidences, procedures,
job description, etc.
organizes the relations
between the Arab reader
and the role of documents,
libraries and Information
Centers. Therefore we
must give it the deserved
attention and continually
renew it to serve the
Arab Document, researchers
and all who are interested.
Fifth:
Documents are essential
for learning To expand
and comprehend Arab
citizen understanding
of the changes that
is occurring around
him, we must focus on
the quality of the documents
that we provide him
with in the form of
school and university
textbooks and resources.
We must therefore provide
assistance to authors
and publishers who try
to provide Arab students
at schools and universities,
and educational institutions
in general with the
needed materials that
serve the aims of the
nation.
Sixth:
Information Technology Libraries
and Information Centers
must all work according
to Information Technologies,
and to make the best
use possible to facilitate
the access of Arab citizens
to documents by the
easiest and quickest
means.
Prepared by the late
Mr. Yousef Qandil -
Member of the Executive
Bureau of Arabcin -
Head of the Jordan Branch
of Arabcin - Head of
the Jordanian Libraries
Society.
