University of Copenhagen morgen@inform.dk
Danish anti-apartheid organistations were specific A-A committees and they were different kinds of existing humanitarian NGOs. Their focus were dominantly on influencing Danish official policies, regarding support to organisations and movements in Southern Africa and regarding official sanctions policies. Their motivations were mainly events and developments in the region, as reported by international press, and UN initiatives that these events triggered.
As one of the Nordic countries, Denmark officially funded humanitarian and educational activities for victims of apartheid and colonial regimes in Southern Africa. This support was later expanded to cover activities with national liberation movements. Such support sometimes had a high political profile. Support was channelled through Danish and international NGOs, and Danish NGOs (but generally not A-A organisations) advised the allocations of the official funds. This way, NGOs had much influence.
On sanctions, it was Nordic policy since 1962 not to support this, unless adopted by the UN Security Council, and therefore mandatory. However, this changed in Denmark in the 1980s, and the country became the first country in the West to impose full trading sanctions against South Africa. In the period, A-A committees were prominent campaigning.
Thus, Danish A-A organisations played different roles in the different fields of work. Interestingly, this can also be said about Ministers and the rest of the political level, and about civil service officials.