N. V. NUGAWELA

Archivist in Colombo, Sri Lanka

N. V. Nugawela is a trained Archivist focusing on human rights archiving, community-based approaches to archiving, re-figuring archival description for conflict-related collections, and the histories of colonial archives administration.

A founding member of the Collective for Historical Dialogue & Memory (CHDM), he is currently CHDM's Archivist and Manager of the Access to Information, Memories & Evidence (AIME) programme. He was previously associated with the Centre for Policy Alternatives (2009-2012), Groundviews (2009-2012), Consultation Task Force on Reconciliation Mechanisms (2016-2018), and the Strengthening Reconciliation Processes in Sri Lanka (SRP) programme (2019-2022).

N. V. Nugawela read for an MA (Hons.) in Politics at the University of Edinburgh and, as a Chevening Scholar, for an MA in Archives and Records Management at University College London (UCL), where he was awarded the Sir Hilary Jenkinson Prize (2018/9).

Practice foci: archival description, preservation advice, digitisation, managing conflict-related collections, participatory archiving, records management

• Advisory •

Member, Sri Lanka National Archives Advisory Council (April 2023 - present)

• Membership •

Chairperson, Committee to Revise the National Archives Law No. 48 of 1973 (appointed by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs)

Chairperson, Committee to Formulate a National Policy on Archives and Records Management (appointed by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs)

Member, International Council on Archives, Section on Archives and Human Rights

• Recent publications/writing/finding aids •

The Commission For Truth, Unity and Reconciliation: A Damp Squib for Human Rights Archives and Records, January 11, 2024

Records of the Secretary, S. H. C. de Silva, 1990-2018 (ESC1), Historicaldialogue.lk, January 2022

• Other news •

Framework for National Archives and Records Management legislation open for public input, DailyFT, March 18, 2024

  • Education
    • MA ARM (Lond.)
    • MA Hons. (Edin.)