The Tigray Data Repository is more than just a hosting site. The TDR serves as:
TDR preserves Tigray’s history through data, ensuring that its stories remain accessible to future generations.
TDR contributes to advocacy, education, policymaking, and disaster response by collecting and analyzing data about the Tigrayan communities, locally and in the Diaspora.
During the Tigray war, TDR documented the hate speech, disinformation campaigns, and dehumanizing narratives that targeted Tigrayans. Our records provide transparency for international justice investigations and accountability mechanisms.
The TDR journal is committed to connecting Tigray with the
global community by disseminating research findings from our
extensive datasets. We are an essential platform for
publishing special issues, with each publication
highlighting the data we have meticulously archived in our
repository.
Our aspiration, as outlined in our motto:
“Data for Tigray, Knowledge for Generations!”
is to create a long-lasting impact by sharing knowledge and
collaborating for insights.
The scope of TDR encompasses a broad range of data documenting various aspects of the Tigrayan communities, such as their digital, humanitarian, socio-economic, cultural, and historical progress. Consequently, we highlight significant events such as the wars and genocides faced by the people of Tigray, archiving the complex interplay between war crimes and the community’s struggle for social justice. Thus, by recognizing Tigray’s vast history, including positive and traumatic experiences, our repository aims to ensure comprehensive coverage and impactful documentation of Tigray’s evolution.
Project Focus: In the initial phase of the project, data collection will focus on the digital advocacy efforts of the Tigrayan communities living in other countries from November 2020 to November 2022. It will also focus on developing a complete profile of the Tigray Genocide victims, using the Axum Massacre as a case study. In course of time, the expansion of databases from sectors such as education, health, humanitarian affairs and many more will be facilitated in collaboration with the community and government agencies.
Tigrayan Diaspora Experience: For the longest time, the Tigrayan communities in the Diaspora have played a significant role in international advocacy and in supporting the rebuilding efforts of the people of Tigray. As such, a key part of TDR’s mission is to examine earlier historical periods, including the Diaspora’s response to the war in Tigray during the Derg regime (1974-1991) and its effects. While our main focus will be on the recent advocacy efforts of the Diaspora communities, this historical perspective is crucial for understanding the broader context of their contributions. The interventions and efforts played by the Diaspora communities on various stages are a testimony to their devotion and resilience to creating a better Tigray.