Sources, Testimonies and Difficult Histories

How do we work responsibly with oral testimonies, sensitive sources and difficult histories when creating digital public history?

As part of Who Owns Memory? – Democratic Participation in Digital Public History, our upcoming workshop with Teona Dalakishvili will focus on the ethical questions that arise when personal memories, lived experiences and difficult pasts become part of public narratives.

Drawing on more than 14 years of experience across international development, civil society, education and community programmes, Teona brings a trauma-informed approach to storytelling and facilitation, grounded in safety, agency, consent and dignity.

During the workshop, participants will explore trauma-informed storytelling, ethical work with oral testimonies, historical empathy, representation and peacebuilding. Through examples and ethical dilemmas, we will consider how to distinguish memory, historical evidence and interpretation, and how these distinctions shape the stories we tell about the past.

The workshop will also support participants in developing the ethical foundations of their own digital public history projects as they work towards creating outputs for the Who Owns Memory? digital exhibition.

📅 8 September 2026

🕕 18:00–20:00 EEST

💻 Online

How can we make difficult histories public while respecting the people whose experiences and memories we share?


Meet the facilitator

Teona Dalakishvili is a development professional, programme manager, facilitator and trainer with more than 14 years of experience working across international development, civil society, education and community programmes. She has worked with international organisations, NGOs and grassroots initiatives in more than 40 countries, with a focus on programme design and management, learning and development, gender equality, digital transformation, women’s empowerment and community resilience.

Her experience includes leading programmes on technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), digital safe spaces, youth engagement and women’s economic empowerment, as well as developing training programmes, curricula, mentoring initiatives and capacity-building opportunities for diverse communities.

Teona has also worked extensively with storytelling, identity, memory and lived experience. She brings a trauma-informed approach to storytelling and facilitation, particularly when working with sensitive or personal experiences, ensuring that participation is grounded in safety, agency, consent and dignity.