Internationalism, social movements and archives

Internationalism, Social Movements and Archives

Huub Sanders

IISG, Amsterdam

26 Augustt 2010 1

26 Augustt 2010 2

* three examples of international

movements:

-Second International

-Comintern

-Greenpeace International

26 Augustt 2010 3

• one particular initiative to keep

archives of international

movements:

the International Institute of

Social History

26 Augustt 2010 4

Finally:

Firstly I will try to generalize this

past experience a little

Secondly make some general

remarks on the present situation

and problems with regard to the

archives of international social

movements

26 Augustt 2010 5

The secretariat

of the

International

Socialist Bureau

in Bruxelles,

1910

26 Augustt 2010 6

Structure of the

Communist

Party, the State

and the

Comintern

26 Augustt 2010 7

Structure of Greenpeace

International

26 Augustt 2010 8

The International

Institute of Social

History, Amsterdam

26 Augustt 2010 9

Some important archives:

-Marx and Engels

26 Augustt 2010 10

Some important archives:

-Marx and Engels

-ICFTU, ICEM, ETUC, IPPT

26 Augustt 2010 11

Some important archives:

-Marx and Engels

-ICFTU, ICEM, ETUC, IPPT

-Socialist International

26 Augustt 2010 12

Some important archives:

-Marx and Engels

-ICFTU, ICEM, ETUC, IPPT

-Socialist International

-WRI

26 Augustt 2010 13

Some important archives:

-Marx and Engels

-ICFTU, ICEM, ETUC, IPPT

-Socialist International

-WRI

-Amnesty International

26 Augustt 2010 14

Some important archives:

-Marx and Engels

-ICFTU, ICEM, ETUC, IPPT

-Socialist International

-WRI

-Amnesty International

-Greenpeace International

26 Augustt 2010 15

Some general remarks on the past

experience of collecting archives of

international organizations

1) Personal

26 Augustt 2010 16

Some general remarks on the past

experience of collecting archives of

international organizations

1) Personal

2) Connection with the State is

(sometimes) important

26 Augustt 2010 17

Some general remarks on the past

experience of collecting archives of

international organizations

1) Personal

2) Connection with the State

(sometimes) important

3) Only some Archival Institutions exist

with a particular interest in these

archives

26 Augustt 2010 18

Some general remarks on the past

experience of collecting archives of

international organizations

1) Personal

2) Connection with the State

(sometimes) important

3) Only some Archival Institutions exist

with a particular interest in these

archives

4) Archives of Official International

Organizations are relatively better

embedded

26 Augustt 2010 19

Challenges today and in the near future

-Globalization: IGO’s, INGO’s, International Corporations

-Saskia Sassen:

•Nation State remains important

•Connections between local, national and global players

•Assemblages. New theaters of conflicts and formation of norms

26 Augustt 2010 20

Conclusions

-World more complex

26 Augustt 2010 21

Conclusions

-World more complex

-Political threats remain

26 Augustt 2010 22

Conclusions

-World more complex

-Political threats remain

-INGO’s found on all levels conceivable

26 Augustt 2010 23

Conclusions

-World more complex

-Political threats remain

-INGO’s found on all levels conceivable

-Structure volatile

26 Augustt 2010 24

Conclusions

-World more complex

-Political threats remain

-INGO’s found on all levels conceivable

-Structure volatile

-Paper → digital: less clartity

26 Augustt 2010 25

Conclusions

-World more complex

-Political threats remain

-INGO’s found on all levels conceivable

-Structure volatile

-Paper → digital: less clartity

-Internet; social networks