Over the past couple of months, I’ve encountered many versions of the question, “But, what is the end product of the Sindhi Voices Project?” Variations of this question likely arise for a number of reasons including:

1) people are attempting to cut to the chase of my excited and extended version of SVP’s goals,2) I describe a number of processes which are not typically valued as “end products”, or3) the pervasive valuing of material goods.

In this post, I will expand on our “process” oriented goals and why they are as central to the project’s work in addition to the creation of “end products” such as our future web-based library of life narratives and traveling exhibit.

We believe that mutual acts involved in narrating and listening can have meaningful effects beyond the context of a single interview exchange. I’ll share an example from a secondary school student who attended an SVP oral history workshop in the last year. Students were asked to share any changes that occurred after interviewing an elder.  One student responded, “We (initially) thought, who should talk to these older people? ...but ever since we completed the interview, we gained respect for them …they now view us in a good light and talk to us with respect.”

Another interviewer had never thought of their grandparent as having been a child who had had friends and played games. This interviewer and others have expressed developing both respect and a new understanding of their elder relatives as dynamic people – individuals who have grown up with a range of life experiences and at one point possibly similar to themselves.

Though we find similarities amongst participant experiences, each interaction’s impact is unique and mediated by the persons involved, their relationship to one another and the surprises of any day. Continued relationship building and self-reflection evoked by listening to and sharing life stories are components central to this project’s aims.

Narrators have been both surprised and appreciative for the curiosity and interest shown by interviewers.  Some narrators (women in particular) and their family members have expressed their hesitation to share stories, asking, “What possibly could I/they have to offer?”

We believe that focusing on people’s personal stories serves as a way of honoring their perspectives and also challenging the notion of certain people as holders of expert knowledge. Sharing personal experiences can be liberating and validating, especially if one has been silenced or rarely asked to contribute. We are honored when a person shares their stories with us – letting us into a glimpse of their life and giving us new vantage points through which to see the past and present.

So far, a few narrators have shared hesitations regarding the ways their stories will be perceived. They have cautioned me to remember the complexity of memory making. Specifically, the ways that memory changes – one narrator reminded me that others like themselves may be inclined to provide a brighter picture than what had initially experienced and perhaps fill in the blanks as their memories become blurred. Sure this may be true, but documenting history is not objective. We continually interpret the past, especially in relation to our present experiences, varying trajectories of our personal growth, and our relations to systems around us.

It is no surprise that inherited memories of events occurring before our personal lifetimes shape our present experiences.

This project is focused on exploring the ways we learn about the past and how we mediate its importance in our own lives. SVP is also a platform to engage communities with the places, people, and memories they are curious to revisit.  A question to ponder: How have memories you’ve inherited influenced you, your relationships, and your communities?

Thanks to our readers for your enthusiasm and comments!

Neena has been involved with the Sindhi Voices Project since 2010. When not thinking about Sindhi Voices, she is probably trying to find a sweet to go with her black tea, laughing aloud, and pondering the ways we touch each other’s lives and never know it.

The views expressed by this blogger and in the following reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.