looking at the interviews

 summaries
 transcripts
 using the material
 giving feedback

The testimonies on this site are all grouped by location. Go to the locations menu to choose a country that interests you.

The testimonies have also been indexed by theme. Go to the themes menu for a full list of themes. From there, you can go to more detailed discussions of each theme in relation to particular locations, and see a list of relevant testimonies.

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summaries

When you find a testimony that interests you, the first thing you will see is a summary of the interview.  This is followed by a detailed breakdown of the interview, cross referenced to the actual transcript. 

The summaries can be found by searching for the testimonies by location or theme.

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transcripts

The transcripts are unedited translations into English of the originals, and include the interviewer's questions. We are aware that the quality of translation varies: this is partly a reflection of funding limitations; partly because some testimonies were gathered in local languages with no written form and so were transcribed into the national language; and because we favoured local knowledge in a translator above extensive professional experience. Many testimonies retain local words and phrases: all collections have been glossed as completely as is possible under the circumstances.

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using the material

This website has been designed for your use and enlightenment. However, it is important that you read and agree to respect the following guidelines.

Acknowledgements
The material in this archive may be reproduced by the press, educational and research institutions or non-profit organisations. Please acknowledge the Mountain Voices website, Panos Oral Testimony Programme; and if appropriate, individual collections, partners or narrators.

Ethical use
All narrators agreed to be part of this project because they wished their experience and opinion to reach a wider audience. Yet opening up access to the interviews by publishing them on an international website makes it more difficult for Panos to monitor the contexts in which their words might be used. Occasionally you may find that a narrator's full name appears somewhere in the testimony, but always observe the rule that when you refer to a narrator or quote from a testimony, you use the first name only; and please respect the original context in which a testimony was given.

Share your work with Panos and our partners
The Oral Testimony Programme and its partners invested considerable time and effort in collecting, documenting and analysing these testimonies and it is important for us to know how others use the material. We strongly request all those using/referring to the material to send clippings/copies of your work to the following address:

Oral Testimony Programme
Panos Institute
9 White Lion Street
London
N1 9PD
United Kingdom

or by email to info@mountainvoices.org. We will ensure that our partners also receive copies.

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giving feedback

If you have any feedback or comments on the site please email info@mountainvoices.org.