# International Oral History Association

The International Oral History Association (IOHA) is a professional association established to provide a forum for oral historians around the world. IOHA was formally constituted in June 1996 at the IXth International Oral History Conference in Gothenburg, Sweden. It holds international meetings biennially and publishes a newsletter and journal, Words and Silences/Palabras y Silen, in English and Spanish.
In 2019, the book Giving a voice to the Oppressed? The International Oral History Association as an academic network and political movement edited by Agnès Arp, Annette Leo and Franka Maubach was published, tracing the early history of the IOHA.

## IOHA Presidents & Vice-Presidents

* Mercedes Vilanova (Spain), 1996–2000; Vice-Presidents Marieta de Moraes Ferreira (Brazil), Alistair Thomson (UK / Australia)
* Marieta de Moraes Ferreira (Brazil), 2000–2002; Vice-Presidents Janis Wilton (Australia), Gunhan Danisman (Turquía)
* Janis Wilton (Australia), 2002–2004; Vice-Presidents Rina Benmayor (Estados Unidos), Gerardo Necoechea (México)
* Rina Benmayor (USA), 2004–2006; Vice-Presidents Funso Afolayan (Nigeria), Gerardo Necoechea (México)
* Al Thomson (UK / Australia), 2006–2008; Vice-Presidents Pilar Domínguez (Spain), Alexander von Plato (Germany)
* Pilar Domínguez (Spain), 2008–2010; Vice-Presidents Antonio Montenegro (Brazil), Sean Field (South Africa)
* Miroslav Vanek (Czech Republic), 2010–2012; Vice-Presidents Juan Gutiérrez (México/Estados Unidos), Miren Llona (Spain)
* Anna Maria De La O (Mexico), 2012–2014; Vice-Presidents Andrea Casa Nova Maia (Brazil), Helen Klaebe (Australia)
* Indira Chowdhury (India), 2014–2016; Vice-Presidents David Beorlegui (Spain), Mark A. Cave (USA)
* Mark A. Cave (USA), 2016–2018; Vice-Presidents Avehi Menon (India), David Beorlegui (Spain)
* Sue Anderson (Australia), 2018–2021; Vice-Presidents Mark Wong (Singapore), Outi Fingerroos (Finland)
* David Beorlegui (Spain), 2021-2023; Vice-Presidents Mark Wong (Singapore), Martha Norkunas (USA)
* David Beorlegui (Spain), 2023-2025; Vice-Presidents Tian Miao (China), Leslie McCartney (USA)

## International Oral History Conferences

| Conference No. | Location | Dates | Theme |
| I | Bologna, Italy | 1976 | |
| II | Colchester, England | 1978 | |
| III | Amsterdam, Netherlands | 1980 | |
| IV | Aix-en-Provence, France | 1982 | |
| V | Barcelona, Spain | 1985 | |
| VI | Oxford, England | 1987 | |
| VII | Essen, Germany | 1990 | |
| VIII | Siena, Italy | 1993 | |
| IX* | Gothenburg, Sweden | 13–16 Jun 1996 | Communicating Experience |
| X | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 14–18 Jun 1998 | Oral History: Challenges for the 21st Century |
| XI | Istanbul, Turkey | 15–19 Jun 2000 | Crossroads of History: Experience, Memory, Orality |
| XII | Pietermaritzburg, South Africa | 24–27 Jun 2002 | The Power of Oral History: Memory, Healing and Development |
| XIII | Rome, Italy | 23–26 Jun 2004 | Memory and Globalization |
| XIV | Sydney, Australia | 12–16 Jul 2006 | Dancing with Memory: Oral History and its Audiences |
| XV | Guadalajara, Mexico | 23–26 Sep 2008 | Oral History - A Dialogue with our Times |
| XVI | Prague, Czech Republic | 7–11 Jul 2010 | Between Past and Future: Oral History, Memory and Meaning |
| XVII | Buenos Aires, Argentina | 3–7 Sep 2012 | The Challenges of Oral History in the 21st Century: Diversity, Inequality and Identity Construction |
| XVIII | Barcelona, Spain | 9–12 Jul 2014 | Power and Democracy: The Many Voices of Oral History |
| XIX | Bengaluru, India | 27 Jun – 1 Jul 2016 | Speaking, Listening, Interpreting: The Critical Engagements of Oral History |
| XX | Jyväskylä, Finland | 18–21 Jun 2018 | Memory and Narration |
| XXI | Singapore (virtual conference) | 23–27 Aug 2021 | Harmony & Disharmony: Bringing Together Many Voices |
| XXII | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 25–28 Jul 2023 | Oral History in a Digital and Audiovisual World |
| XXIII | Kraków, Poland | 16–19 Sep 2025 | Re-Thinking Oral History |