AFRICAN STUDIES, ST ANTONY’S COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD

DAY WORKSHOP, 31 MAY 2003

The workshop, organised by Professor William Beinart, Oxford University, and Håkan Thörn, Gothenburg University, took its point of departure in a broad definition of Anti-Apartheid as an international solidarity movement. Thus, it did not just include anti-apartheid organisations such as the British AAM, but also other movements, which took part in the struggle, such as churches and unions. Although the significance of the international anti-apartheid movement has often been recognised in the fields of international relations and social movement studies, little research has been done on the subject, especially from the perspective of social movement studies. However, there are ongoing projects looking into different aspects of the movement and an important aim of the workshop was to gather scholars doing research in the field. Scholars and post-graduate students with an interest in the subject were also invited to participate.

The workshop was divided into two main sessions. The papers in the morning session looked at Anti-Apartheid mainly from an international perspective. Robert JC Young, Oxford University, talked about Franz Fanon and the turn to armed struggle in Africa, with special reference to the ANC. Håkan Thörn, Gothenburg University, presented a paper relating the transnational anti-apartheid movement to theories of new social movements and globalisation. Roger Fieldhouse, Exeter University, looked into the relations between the British AAM and the liberation movements in southern Africa. Finally, Rob Skinner, Sussex University, talked about the international role of Christian voices such as Trevor Huddleston, Michael Scott and John Collins.

The afternoon session focused on national cases. The first two speakers looked at the British AAM and its relations to other actors in civil society. Elizabeth Williams, Birkbeck College, London University, talked about AAM and black Activism in the 1970s and the 1980s. Christabel Gurney, former editor of Anti-Apartheid News, presented a paper on the relations between AAM and British Labour organisations. Lucy McCann, Deputy Librarian at Rhodes House Library, Oxford talked about the British AAM archives. Finally, two papers looked at relations between states and movements in two European countries, which had strong anti-apartheid profiles. Christopher Morgenstierne, University of Copenhagen, presented a paper on the Danish case, while Genevieve Klein, University of Pretoria, talked on anti-apartheid in the Netherlands.