From Oblivion to Memory (FOM) is a nonprofit organization founded by descendants of Ethiopian prisoners of the Italo-Ethiopian War, together with scholars, researchers, families, and allies dedicated to recovering and preserving a history that remained largely hidden for nearly a century.
Our community includes the children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and further generations of the Ethiopians imprisoned and exiled following the Yekatit 12 massacre of 1937, many of whom grew up with only fragments of this history: a name, a photograph, a story half-told. But FOM is not a family circle alone. We bring together historians, archivists, and researchers in Ethiopia, Italy, and the diaspora, cultural mediators, educators, and institutional partners, as well as anyone with a genuine interest in Ethiopian history who wishes to help bring it into public memory.
Together, we work to:
document and preserve the complete history of Ethiopians imprisoned during the Italo-Ethiopian War
collect and safeguard archival materials, family documents, oral histories, photographs, diaries, and testimonies before they are lost
restore names, identities, and biographies to individuals erased or marginalized within official historical narratives
strengthen intergenerational memory by connecting descendants, families, and communities separated by time and geography