Showing 364 results

Archival description
Anti-Apartheid Movement Archives
Print preview View:
Descending

Broadcasters for Radio Freedom [Omroep voor Radio Freedom]

The OvRF started in 1982 on the initiative of the AABN and mobilised people in the broadcasting sector to support Radio Freedom, the radio station of the ANC. Their aim being to raise financial support to train and equip several broadcasting stations for Radio Freedom. The organisation operated until 1995.

Working Group Kairos [Werkgroep Kairos] (Kairos Study Group) : [Part 3]

The Working Group Kairos was founded in 1970 in support of the Christian Institute in South Africa. Its main focus was on human rights violations and to raise support for sanctions and disinvestments and campaigned against Shell. It worked especially in the Christian community in the Netherlands and was instrumental in the foundation of the Shipping Research Bureau (SRB). It was renamed Stichting Kairos (Kairos Foundation), date unknown.

Women against Apartheid - Frankfurt [Frauen gegen Apartheid - Frankfurt] : [Part 1]

This was a local organisation of women in Frankfurt which formed part of the national Women against Apartheid organisation. Its activities included a boycott campaign against the Krugerrand gold coin and campaigns against banks making loans to South Africa. It also participated in the Outspan fruit boycott, and worked in schools.

University of the Western Cape, Robben Island Museum / Mayibuye Archives

The archives of the Robben Island Museum are housed at and managed by the UWC/RIM Mayibuye Archives. Some are located on the island, but the bulk is at the UWC Campus in Belville, Cape Town. The archives hold a large collection of artifacts, documents, photographs, artworks, personal papers and audio-visual materials. Although the emphasis is on South African organisations and people, many AAMs (national and international) and other international anti-apartheid organisations are represented in the collection. The IDAF, for example, deposited its entire archive at UWC/RIM Mayibuye.

United Nations Centre against Apartheid : [Part 2]

The Centre against Apartheid started in 1976 in the UN Secretariat under the name Unit on Apartheid. Its role was to promote publicity against Apartheid and it worked under the guidance of the Special Committee and in cooperation with the Department of Public Information. During its existence, it published hundreds of posters, audio materials and documentary films. It organised art competitions and exhibitions. It had radio broadcasts to South Africa in several languages. It worked closely together with the liberation movements and the AAMs. Many of the documents published by the Centre were written by members of liberation movements and the AAMs.

Task Force on the Churches and Corporate Responsibility : [Part 2]

The Task Force on Churches and Corporate Responsibility (TCCR) was established in 1975 as a coalition of Canadian Churches. It worked towards social responsibility in Canadian based corporations and financial institutions. It supported the South African Council of Churches (SACC) proposal for a code of business ethics for companies operating in South Africa. It campaigned strongly to end loans to the apartheid regime and approached shareholders to accomplish this. In 2001, TCCR became part of KAIROS Canada.

Soviet Afro-Asian Solidarity Committee : [Part 1]

The SKSSAA was the state organisation through which a lot of the Soviet support to the liberation movements was channelled. SKSSAA was active internationally in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa. SKSSAA provided the African National Congress in exile with material resources, such as food, clothes and vehicles. The SKSSAA and other Soviet NGOs received South Africans in need of medical treatment, and arranged stays for them at Soviet hospitals. The organisation also coordinated activities for South African students in the Soviet Union. In 1992 the organisation was renamed Society of Afro-Asian Peoples' Solidarity and Co-operation.

South African Non-Racial Olympic Committee

The South African Non-Racial Olympic Committee (SAN-ROC) was formed in South Africa in 1962. SAN-ROC began operating from London when one of its founders, Dennis Brutus, went into exile in 1966. In 1970 Brutus moved to the United States, and SAN-ROC was then based in both the United States and the United Kingdom. Forerunners were the Committee for International Recognition, formed by non-racial sportsmen in 1955, and succeeded by the South African Sports Association (SASA) in 1958. SAN-ROC played a major role in South Africa being excluded from the Olympic Games in 1966, and from the entire Olympic movement in 1970.

Organisation of Solidarity with the Peoples of Africa, Asia and Latin America [Organización de Solidaridad con los Pueblos de Asia, Africa y América Latina] : [Part 2]

OSPAAAL was established following the Tricontinental Conference held in Havana, January 1966, to promote "solidarity with the Third World people's struggles, claims and most precious desires". The organisation supported struggles against colonialism and apartheid, and notably produced a large number of brightly coloured propaganda posters to promote its cause.

Karel Roskam : [Part 1]

Karel Roskam was a radio journalist with the progressive broadcaster Vara. He was also a member of Omroep voor Radio Freedom. He produced numerous radio programmes and interviewed many people during the period 1961-1992.

Irish Anti-Apartheid Movement : [Part 1]

The Irish AAM was established in 1964 and functioned till 1994. It was co-founded by Kader Asmal (who later became a South African MP and cabinet member) and started with sport, cultural, economic and academic boycotts and grew into an organisation that was active in all areas of anti-apartheid and solidarity. It gave direct support to the liberation movements and worked closely with the ANC. It continues to be active as the Ireland South Africa Association.

International Defence and Aid Fund for Southern Africa Canada : [Part 2]

The International Defence and Aid Fund for Southern Africa Canada (IDAF Canada) operated from 1980-1990. It focused mainly on raising funds to support political prisoners and their families in South Africa and Namibia. US-IDAF executive director Kenneth N. Carstens was instrumental in the establishment of the Canadian IDAF.

International Defence and Aid Fund for Southern Africa : [Part 2]

IDAF started in 1956 as Christian Action, later becoming the British Defence and Aid Fund which started its work with the 1956 Treason Trial in South Africa. IDAF became an international organisation in 1965. The South African Defence and Aid Fund was banned in 1966. Over the years, many national affiliates and branches were set-up. It smuggled millions of pounds into South Africa to defend thousands of political activists and provided aid to their families. It paid lawyers to defend political detainees and provided financial support families of political prisoners. It published numerous books and films on repression in South Africa.

Holland Committee on Southern Africa [Komitee Zuiderlijk Afrika] : [Part 2]

The KZA existed from 1976 till 1996. It continued the work of the Angola Committee which started in 1961 in support of the liberation movements in the Portuguese colonies. It fundraised for material support to the liberation movements. One of its big campaigns was the oil boycott, mainly directed against (Royal Dutch) Shell. It bought shares in order to be able to attend shareholders meetings where it could pressure Shell to withdraw from South Africa. It initiated the formation of the Shipping Research Bureau, together with Kairos, and was part of the Liaison Group. The KZA merged with the AABN and the EMF in 1997 to form NIZA.

Evangelical Women’s Group Germany [Evangelische Frauenarbeit in Deutschland - Frauen gegen Apartheid] : [Part 2]

This women’s group of the Protestant churches started its activities in 1977 with a boycott of South African fruit and established Frauen gegen Apartheid. It operated till 1993. It also campaigned against the Krugerrand and bank loans. For 15 years, they organised a vigil every Thursday in front of the South African Consulate.

Defence and Aid Fund Netherlands (DAF Nederland) : [Part 2]

DAF Netherlands was established in 1965. It came out of the Comité Zuid-Afrika (founded in 1960), was affiliated to the IDAF, and was disbanded in 1991. It concentrated on fundraising for the defence of political prisoners and support to their families in South Africa. It also published informational materials.

City of London Anti-Apartheid Group (City Group) : [Part 2]

The City of London Anti-Apartheid Group was a breakaway group of the national AAM, founded in 1982 by Norma Kitson, and allied to the Revolutionary Communist Group. City Group developed a close working relationship not only with the ANC and SWAPO, but also with the Pan-Africanist Congress (PAC), AZAPO, and Black Consciousness supporters. In 1985 City Group was expelled from the national AAM, and from 1986 - 1990 its supporters maintained a Non-Stop Picket outside the South African Embassy in Trafalgar Square calling for the release of Nelson Mandela. The City Group archives provide an opportunity to understand a different perspective on the international anti-apartheid movement.

Campaign Against Racial Exploitation : [Part 2]

The Campaign Against Racial Exploitation (CARE) was a national anti-racist umbrella organisation whose activities focused on anti-apartheid and Australian Aboriginal issues. It was formed in 1973 as the first national anti-apartheid and anti-racism network in Australia, at the suggestion of South African exile Neville Curtis, and formally launched in December 1974. CARE launched many campaigns, including those against South African company Rothmans, as well as Woolworths and Shell, and was prominent in sports boycotts.

Association of West-European Parliamentarians for Action against Apartheid : [Part 2]

The Association of West-European Parliamentarians for Action against Apartheid (AWEPAA) started in 1984 to mobilise politicians in European parliaments in the struggle against apartheid. Parliamentarians worked for effective sanction policies, they monitored the implementation and they sought to hold governments accountable for their policies. In 1993, AWEPAA was renamed the Association of European Parliamentarians for Africa (AWEPA).

Anti-Apartheid Movement Netherlands [Anti-Apartheids Beweging Nederland] : [Part 2]

The AABN operated from 1961 till 1994 and was one of the major organisations in the Netherlands. It continued the work of the Comité Zuid-Afrika (CZA) and its solidarity with the liberation movements was unconditional. Besides campaigns focusing on boycott activities and political prisoners, it also organised grass roots based activities with practical solidarity through its committees dealing with education, women, culture, etc. It was instrumental in the formation of several specialist organisations. It was part of the Liaison Group. The AABN stopped operating in 1994 and continued as the Institute on Southern Africa (IZA) and merged with the KZA and the EMS in 1997 to form the Netherlands Institute on Southern Africa (NIZA). Since September 2007 NIZA has been associated with ActionAid International and is now operating as ActionAid.

Anti-Apartheid Movement Germany [Anti-Apartheid Bewegung] : [Part 2]

The Anti-Apartheid Movement Germany (AAB) operated from 1974 till 1994. It was formed on the initiative of the Mainz Working Group on Southern Africa (MAKSA). It was very active in the campaigns against the arms trade with South Africa, the release of Nelson Mandela, as well as the fruit, sport, Royal Dutch Shell and cultural boycott. It consisted of a network of local groups and worked with a variety of peace and religious organisations. In the late 1970s/early 1980s it used shareholders meetings (by buying shares) to pressurise banks not to deal with South Africa and pressured the Federal government to take an active anti-apartheid position. The AAB also participated in the Liaison Group. In May 1994 the AAB changed its name to Afrika-Süd Aktionsbündnis, which continued to carry out solidarity work with Southern Africa. Since the end of August 2001, Afrika-Süd Aktionsbündnis was dissolved and Koordination Südliches Afrika (KOSA, Co-ordination for Southern Africa) became the successor organisation.

Anti-Apartheid Movement Austria [Anti-Apartheid Bewegung Osterreich] : [Part 3]

The AAM Austria started in 1977 in response to the Soweto uprisings with a small group of people who lobbied the general public and government to take a stand against apartheid. It organised numerous boycott and solidarity campaigns, pushing the Austrian government to take a more anti-apartheid position. It gave direct support to the liberation movements. Besides solidarity with South Africa, the AAM also worked for Namibia. It was a member of the European anti-apartheid movements group. It dissolved in 1993 to continue as the Southern Africa Documentation and Cooperation Centre (SADOCC).

Anti-Apartheid Movement : Scottish Committee : [Part 2]

Activities in Scotland started in the 1960s with AAM branches in Glasgow and Edinburgh, leading to the establishment of the Scottish Committee and opening an office in 1989. It was active in boycott campaigns, support to South African anti-apartheid organisations, the End Loans to South Africa campaigns and the call for comprehensive sanctions. It had a women’s subcommittee, youth desk and a trade union subcommittee as well as a Scottish Committee for Local Authority Action against Apartheid. It dissolved in 1994 and continued as Action for Southern Africa Scotland (ACTSA Scotland).

Anglican Church of Canada : [Part 2]

The Anglican Church of Canada took a very active stand against apartheid. In the late 1980s, Archbishop Ted Scott served on the Commonwealth of Nations ‘Eminent Persons Group’ which advocated the implementation of sanctions against South Africa.

Amnesty International : International Secretariat : [Part 3]

Amnesty International was founded in 1961 in London as an independent organisation to mobilise public opinion in defence of people who are imprisoned because their ideas are unacceptable to the government in their country. One of their areas of work is campaigning for the release of political prisoners and actions against torture.

Action Committee on Southern Africa [Actie Komitee Zuidelijk Afrika] : [Part 2]

AKZA was a national organisation based in the Flemish-speaking part of Belgium. It operated from 1972-1991 and developed out of progressive student organisations. It started as the Flemish Angola Committee and supported the liberation movements directly. They organised numerous boycott campaigns and was instrumental in the formation of the largest social action coalition in Flanders, the Flemish Anti-Apartheid Coalition (Vlaamse Anti-Apartheid Koalitie - VAAK). It also collaborated with other AAMs and was part of the Liaison Group of Anti-Apartheid Movements within the European Community (known as the Liaison Group).

South African History Archive

SAHA is a human rights archive located at Constitution Hill, Johannesburg. The Struggles for Justice Programme, though mainly concentrating on South African organisations and people, also contains materials of international AAMs.

Anti-Apartheid Movement Austria [Anti-Apartheid Bewegung Osterreich] : [Part 2]

The AAM Austria started in 1977 in response to the Soweto uprisings with a small group of people who lobbied the general public and government to take a stand against apartheid. It organised numerous boycott and solidarity campaigns, pushing the Austrian government to take a more anti-apartheid position. It gave direct support to the liberation movements. Besides solidarity with South Africa, the AAM also worked for Namibia. It was a member of the European anti-apartheid movements group. It dissolved in 1993 to continue as the Southern Africa Documentation and Cooperation Centre (SADOCC).

The Road to Democracy in South Africa

'The Road to Democracy in South Africa' is a series of books published by the South African Democratic Education Trust (SADET). Volume 3 is dedicated to the International Solidarity movement and organisations. Volume 5 deals with the African Solidarity movement.

African Skies : [Part 2]

African Skies is a foundation for audio-visual archives and productions on Southern Africa. African Skies was founded in 1995, shortly after the first democratic elections in South Africa in 1994. The roots of African Skies can be found in the Dutch Anti-Apartheid Movement. The Dutch AAM facilitated and sponsored the foundation of African Skies.

Working Group Kairos [Werkgroep Kairos] (Kairos Study Group) : [Part 1]

The Working Group Kairos was founded in 1970 in support of the Christian Institute in South Africa. Its main focus was on human rights violations and to raise support for sanctions and disinvestments and campaigned against Shell. It worked especially in the Christian community in the Netherlands and was instrumental in the foundation of the Shipping Research Bureau (SRB). It was renamed Stichting Kairos (Kairos Foundation), date unknown.

United Nations Centre against Apartheid : [Part 1]

The Centre against Apartheid started in 1976 in the UN Secretariat under the name Unit on Apartheid. Its role was to promote publicity against Apartheid and it worked under the guidance of the Special Committee and in cooperation with the Department of Public Information. During its existence, it published hundreds of posters, audio materials and documentary films. It organised art competitions and exhibitions. It had radio broadcasts to South Africa in several languages. It worked closely together with the liberation movements and the AAMs. Many of the documents published by the Centre were written by members of liberation movements and the AAMs.

Enuga Sreenivasulu Reddy : [Part 1]

ES Reddy was born in India and moved to the USA to study at New York University. He held several positions at the United Nations and a driving force behind the Special Committee against Apartheid (of which he was Secretary from 1963 -1965) and its Centre against Apartheid (of which he was Director from 1976-1983). He also served as Director of the UN Trust Fund for South Africa and the Educational and Training Programme for Southern Africa.

Committee on South African War Resistance : [Part 1]

COSAWR was founded in 1978 by South African draft (military service) resisters active in the UK. It was a self-help organisation for those escaping conscription in the SADF and to support those who were resisting conscription within the country. It raised the issue of militarism in South Africa and conducted research into the South African military structure and resistance to it. COSAWR established a presence in several other European countries. Its magazine 'Resister' became the leading magazine on South Africa's militarisation.

Anti-Apartheid Movement Austria [Anti-Apartheid Bewegung Osterreich] : [Part 4]

The AAM Austria started in 1977 in response to the Soweto uprisings with a small group of people who lobbied the general public and government to take a stand against apartheid. It organised numerous boycott and solidarity campaigns, pushing the Austrian government to take a more anti-apartheid position. It gave direct support to the liberation movements. Besides solidarity with South Africa, the AAM also worked for Namibia. It was a member of the European anti-apartheid movements group. It dissolved in 1993 to continue as the Southern Africa Documentation and Cooperation Centre (SADOCC).

American Committee on Africa : [Part 6]

The American Committee on Africa (ACOA) was formed in 1953 to support the liberation struggle in Africa. It grew out of the ad-hoc organisation Americans for South African Resistance (AFSAR), set up to support the Defiance Campaign of the ANC in 1952. It started with an office in New York City and opened an office in Washington DC in 1967. The NYC office had a national focus and organised sanctions and divestment campaigns at universities, churches, states and cities. It merged in 2001 with Africa Fund (AF) and Africa Policy Information Centre (APIC) to form Africa Action.

Institute for Security Studies

The ISS has worked with the OAU and has, amongst others, released a CD-ROM containing all OAU Council of Ministers and Summit decisions, declarations and commitments from 1963 to 2001. The CD also contains the key documents for the following regional organisations: SADC, ECOWAS, IGAD and COMESA. It is a work in progress, and will be updated with documents from other sub-regional organisations and more recent documentation, as it becomes available.

Shipping Research Bureau : [Part 2]

The Shipping Research Bureau was a specialist organisation, mainly dealing with research into the oil trade with South Africa and alerting the world to breaches of the UN oil embargo. It pressured national governments to adopt sanctions against South Africa. It was founded by the Komitee Zuidelijk Afrika (KZA) and Working Group Kairos in 1980, and continued operating until 1995.

Anti-Apartheid Movement Archives

  • ZA COM MR-AAO
  • Record Group

The international movement of solidarity with the struggle for freedom in South Africa was arguably the biggest social movement the world has seen. Virtually every country in the world has a history of anti-apartheid activity, in diverse forms. In many countries, anti-apartheid activities were linked (formally or informally) with local struggles against oppression of many kinds. Most anti-apartheid movements (AAMs) did not restrict their activities to South Africa, but supported liberation movements in Southern Africa more broadly. Besides individual countries, a range of regional and international organisations added their voices to the struggles against apartheid.

What follows is an overview of some of the extant archival records of this extraordinary history. It is a first step towards a more comprehensive picture; it is at this point but a marker.

Justice

Justice, the British section of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) was established in 1957 in response to the arrest of people in South Africa in 1956 (which led to the Treason Trial). It sent observers to the trial. It sees itself as an expert, independent body rather than a pressure group and its main aim is to observe the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by securing fair trials, especially political trials of opponents of apartheid.

Impact Visuals

Impact Visuals was a cooperative photo agency dedicated to social documentary photography. It started in 1964 and operated till 2001. Most of the archive comes from Afrapix, a now-dissolved South African collective of freelance photographers. Although most of the collection containing photographs, slides and negatives come from South Africa, it also covers other countries.

Hoover Institution, Stanford University

The Hoover Institution at Stanford University holds a substantial collection of materials related to South Africa. Its South African subject collection contains documents, campaign materials, press clippings, photographs and other audio-visual materials covering several countries and international organisations involved in the anti-apartheid struggle.

World Campaign against Military and Nuclear Collaboration with South Africa

The World Campaign started in 1977/78 on the initiative of the AAM and the patronage of President Julius Nyerere of Tanzania, and was supported by the Special Committee of the UN. It monitored and strengthened the arms embargo against South Africa and exposed military collaborations. It worked closely with the special committee. In the 1980s, it lobbied for expulsion of South Africa from the International Atomic Energy Authority (IAEA). Abdul Minty was the Director from 1979 to 1994.

Washington Office on Africa

The Washington Office on Africa (WOA) was founded in 1972 to support the movement for freedom from white-minority rule in southern Africa. It was initially sponsored by five organisations including the American Committee on Africa. It grew out of the Washington Office of the American Committee on Africa, which was established in 1967. Churches and labour unions supported the organisation to work with the Congress on Southern Africa legislation. The Washington Office on Africa Educational Fund (WOAEF) was established as the educational division of WOA.

United Nations Special Committee against Apartheid

The Special Committee against Apartheid was set up in 1962 and operated till 1994. Initially named the Special Committee on the Policies of Apartheid of the Government of the Republic of South Africa, the name was shortened in 1971 to Special Committee on Apartheid and changed again in 1974 to Special Committee against Apartheid. One of its main roles was to secure effective, mandatory sanctions against South Africa. It worked closely together with the OAU, the liberation movements and the AAMs.

United Nations Centre against Apartheid : [Part 4]

The Centre against Apartheid started in 1976 in the UN Secretariat under the name Unit on Apartheid. Its role was to promote publicity against Apartheid and it worked under the guidance of the Special Committee and in cooperation with the Department of Public Information. During its existence, it published hundreds of posters, audio materials and documentary films. It organised art competitions and exhibitions. It had radio broadcasts to South Africa in several languages. It worked closely together with the liberation movements and the AAMs. Many of the documents published by the Centre were written by members of liberation movements and the AAMs.

United Nations Centre against Apartheid : [Part 3]

The Centre against Apartheid started in 1976 in the UN Secretariat under the name Unit on Apartheid. Its role was to promote publicity against Apartheid and it worked under the guidance of the Special Committee and in cooperation with the Department of Public Information. During its existence, it published hundreds of posters, audio materials and documentary films. It organised art competitions and exhibitions. It had radio broadcasts to South Africa in several languages. It worked closely together with the liberation movements and the AAMs. Many of the documents published by the Centre were written by members of liberation movements and the AAMs.

United Nations

The UN is an international organisation that aims to facilitate cooperation in international law, security, economic development, social progress, human rights and achieving world peace. It was founded in 1945 and replaced the League of Nations. It has been concerned with the issue of racial discrimination since its beginning and racism became an important item on the United Nations agenda after African nations attained independence and after the Sharpeville massacre in South Africa in 1960. The Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (1963), which led to the International Convention in 1965. It proclaimed the International Year for Action to Combat Racial Discrimination in 1971 and the three Decades for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination in 1973. Besides the specialised agencies on apartheid, several other agencies of the UN were also involved in anti-apartheid and solidarity activities.

Soviet Afro-Asian Solidarity Committee : [Part 5]

The SKSSAA was the state organisation through which a lot of the Soviet support to the liberation movements was channelled. SKSSAA was active internationally in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa. SKSSAA provided the African National Congress in exile with material resources, such as food, clothes and vehicles. The SKSSAA and other Soviet NGOs received South Africans in need of medical treatment, and arranged stays for them at Soviet hospitals. The organisation also coordinated activities for South African students in the Soviet Union. In 1992 the organisation was renamed Society of Afro-Asian Peoples' Solidarity and Co-operation.

Southern Africa Support Project

The SASP started in 1978 as a community-based organisation in Washington DC in support of the liberation struggles in Southern Africa. It gave political and material support to the liberation movements and was involved in fundraising and educational campaigns.

Southern Africa Liberation Committee

The SALC was a community organisation based at Michigan State University (MSU). It operated from 1973-1997, and was active at MSU and in the greater East Lansing area. It organised a number of successful educational and social action campaigns, and was very active in lobbying for divestment, consumer boycotts and no-loans to South Africa.

Prexy Nesbitt : [Part 2]

Prexy Nesbitt is an activist and academic from Chicago who was active in the struggle to end apartheid and worked to end colonialism in Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Namibia. He founded the Antioch Committee for a Free South Africa, which succeeded after a ten-year campaign to achieve the divestment of Antioch College’s holdings from companies involved with apartheid. Nesbitt worked for the American Committee on Africa (ACOA) where he coordinated the National Committee to Oppose Bank Loans to South Africa from 1976-1979. From 1979-1983 he was Program Director for the Program to Combat Racism of the World Council of Churches in Geneva. He has also worked for the Institute for Policy Studies, the American Friends Service Committee and Africa Action.

Prexy Nesbitt : [Part 1]

Prexy Nesbitt is an activist and academic from Chicago who was active in the struggle to end apartheid and worked to end colonialism in Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Namibia. He founded the Antioch Committee for a Free South Africa, which succeeded after a ten-year campaign to achieve the divestment of Antioch College’s holdings from companies involved with apartheid. Nesbitt worked for the American Committee on Africa (ACOA) where he coordinated the National Committee to Oppose Bank Loans to South Africa from 1976-1979. From 1979-1983 he was Program Director for the Program to Combat Racism of the World Council of Churches in Geneva. He has also worked for the Institute for Policy Studies, the American Friends Service Committee and Africa Action.

Peter Davis : Villon Films

Film producer and director Peter Davis was born and raised in England. He later emigrated to Sweden, and then North America. He became deeply involved in the anti-apartheid movement, and founded Villon Films in 1970. Davis has written, produced, and directed more than 70 documentaries.

Organisation of Solidarity with the Peoples of Africa, Asia and Latin America [Organización de Solidaridad con los Pueblos de Asia, Africa y América Latina] : [Part 4]

OSPAAAL was established following the Tricontinental Conference held in Havana, January 1966, to promote "solidarity with the Third World people's struggles, claims and most precious desires". The organisation supported struggles against colonialism and apartheid, and notably produced a large number of brightly coloured propaganda posters to promote its cause.

Organisation of Solidarity with the Peoples of Africa, Asia and Latin America [Organización de Solidaridad con los Pueblos de Asia, Africa y América Latina] : [Part 1]

OSPAAAL was established following the Tricontinental Conference held in Havana, January 1966, to promote "solidarity with the Third World people's struggles, claims and most precious desires". The organisation supported struggles against colonialism and apartheid, and notably produced a large number of brightly coloured propaganda posters to promote its cause.

Madison Anti-Apartheid Coalition

The Madison Anti-Apartheid Coalition started at the Madison Area Committee on Southern Africa and was active from 1968-1992. It was a student organisation at the University of Wisconsin to lobby and educate the community about South Africa, and to support the liberation movements.

Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights under Law (Southern Africa Project) : [Part 2]

The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law was created at the request of President John F. Kennedy in 1963. It provided legal representation in political and quasi-political trials in South Africa. It sent out alerts to organisations in the US and to State Department officials concerning human rights violations.

International Oil Working Group

The IOWG worked towards the implementation of the oil embargo as initiated by the UN General Assembly. It grew out of the Sanctions Working Group, which was established in 1979. IOWD researched topics relating to the oil embargo, monitored tanker movements, gave testimonies at UN meetings, and distributed information. The organisation closed down in 1987.

International Defense and Aid Fund for Southern Africa- United States Committee

The US-IDAF was established in 1972. In addition to raising funds for legal defense of prisoners and aid for their dependents, it also disseminated information about conditions in Southern Africa and supported boycotts and other solidarity actions. It grew out of the International Defence and Aid Fund (IDAF). US-IDAF executive director Kenneth N. Carstens was also instrumental in the establishment of the Canadian IDAF.

International Defence and Aid Fund for Southern Africa Canada : [Part 3]

The International Defence and Aid Fund for Southern Africa Canada (IDAF Canada) operated from 1980-1990. It focused mainly on raising funds to support political prisoners and their families in South Africa and Namibia. US-IDAF executive director Kenneth N. Carstens was instrumental in the establishment of the Canadian IDAF.

International Council for Equality of Opportunity Principles

The ICEOP was founded in 1977 to promote social justice in South Africa. Reverend LH Sullivan devised a set of principles for companies conducting business in South Africa. This voluntary business code became known as the ‘Sullivan Principles’. The code required an annual independent evaluation of individual business activities in South Africa. The results were published in the public domain. The American Committee on Africa (ACOA) and other anti-apartheid organisations disapproved of the ‘Sullivan Principles’ since it provided companies with a way out of the boycott.

Hampshire College Committee for the Liberation of Southern Africa

The Hampshire College Committee for the Liberation of Southern Africa (HCCLSA) was a student organisation that campaigned to get Hampshire College to divest from companies doing business in South Africa. As a result, in 1976, Hampshire College became the first college in the country to divest from companies in South Africa. HCCLSA was involved in the formation of the Northeast Committee for the Liberation of Southern Africa, a coalition of organisations working for divestment of mostly organisations on college campuses.

Halt All Racist Tours : [Part 3]

HART was a national organisation that operated from 1969 until 1980. It started with the campaign against the Springbok-All Black Rugby Tours of 1970 and preventing other sporting contacts with South Africa. In 1980 HART merged with the National Anti-Apartheid Committee, becoming HART:NZAAM.

Enuga Sreenivasulu Reddy : [Part 2]

ES Reddy was born in India and moved to the USA to study at New York University. He held several positions at the United Nations and a driving force behind the Special Committee against Apartheid (of which he was Secretary from 1963 -1965) and its Centre against Apartheid (of which he was Director from 1976-1983). He also served as Director of the UN Trust Fund for South Africa and the Educational and Training Programme for Southern Africa.

Educators against Racism and Apartheid

Educators against Racism and Apartheid began in 1985 as Educators against Apartheid but it extended its activities to include racism in the USA and changed its name. Besides developing educational materials for schools and publishing a newsletter distributed to educators all over the country; it also organised a boycott of Kellogg’s cereals, appealing to young people. It was active in a campaign to withdraw US teachers’ retirement funds from companies dealing with South Africa.

Dennis Brutus : [Part 4]

Dr Dennis Vincent Brutus was a Zimbabwean-born South African activist, educator, journalist and poet best known for his campaign to have apartheid South Africa banned from the Olympic Games. His efforts eventually led to the country’s expulsion from the Games in 1970. Following 18 months on Robben Island and another year of house arrest, Brutus and his family were allowed to leave South Africa, settling in London in 1966. In 1970 he moved to the USA, and was granted political asylum in 1983. He was president of the South African Non-Racial Olympic Committee (SAN-ROC).

Dennis Brutus : [Part 2]

Dr Dennis Vincent Brutus was a Zimbabwean-born South African activist, educator, journalist and poet best known for his campaign to have apartheid South Africa banned from the Olympic Games. His efforts eventually led to the country’s expulsion from the Games in 1970. Following 18 months on Robben Island and another year of house arrest, Brutus and his family were allowed to leave South Africa, settling in London in 1966. In 1970 he moved to the USA, and was granted political asylum in 1983. He was president of the South African Non-Racial Olympic Committee (SAN-ROC).

Cornell University Divestment Movement

A group at Cornell University, consisting of academics, staff and students, organised divestment campaigns at the university from 1976-1987. The group organised sit-ins and civil disobedience activities.

Congressional Black Caucus : [Part 2]

In January of 1969, newly-elected African American representatives of the 77th Congress joined six incumbents to form the Democratic Select Committee. The committee was renamed the Congressional Black Caucus, and the CBC was born in 1971. The CBC played an important role in anti-apartheid activities. The first bill concerning apartheid was introduced by the CBC in 1972 and urged the US government to withdraw financial support to the South African government. It encouraged universities and corporations to disinvest from South Africa. In 1985 Representative William Gray introduced the HR1460 bill prohibiting loans to, and new investments in, South Africa. Congress approved the bill one year later and it became known as the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986. Members of the CBC were active in rallies, not only in Washington DC but in their home districts as well.

Committee to End Apartheid

This was an anti-apartheid group based in Springfield, Massassachusetts. In December 1978, as a result of a picket, Max Kay Jewelers agreed to stop selling the South African Krugerrand. Frances Crowe was a founding member.

Charlotteans for a Free Southern Africa

This local anti-apartheid organisation organised protests against loans by local business to the South African government. It also sponsored a number of events, and invited visits by speakers who would share insights and information with citizens of the community.

Champaign-Urbana Coalition against Apartheid

This was a campus based group at the University of Illinois. It operated from 1964 till about 1991 and worked especially for divestment by the university, boycott and human rights campaigns. The organisation continued and broadened its work in the early 1990s and changed its name to the Champaign-Urbana Coalition on Africa.

Capital District Coalition against Apartheid and Racism : [Part 2]

CD-CAAR was started by Albany, NY residents to prevent the Springbok Rugby Tour in 1981. It was a member of the Social Justice Center, an umbrella organisation dealing with peace and justice. It organised pickets and boycott campaigns, especially supporting the cultural boycott and was also active against racism in the USA. It campaigned for the divestment of New York state pension funds from companies dealing with South Africa. It re-organised itself in 1995 and changed its name to Capital District Coalition for Southern Africa and Against Racism.

Capital District Coalition against Apartheid and Racism : [Part 1]

CD-CAAR was started by Albany, NY residents to prevent the Springbok Rugby Tour in 1981. It was a member of the Social Justice Center, an umbrella organisation dealing with peace and justice. It organised pickets and boycott campaigns, especially supporting the cultural boycott and was also active against racism in the USA. It campaigned for the divestment of New York state pension funds from companies dealing with South Africa. It re-organised itself in 1995 and changed its name to Capital District Coalition for Southern Africa and Against Racism.

Boston Coalition for the Liberation of Southern Africa

BCLSA was established after the 1976 Soweto uprising and started with a campaign against the ties between the First National Bank (FNB) of Boston and South Africa. It remained a specialist organisation but broadened its activities to disinvestment and boycott. It helped to form MassDivest in 1980, an organisation which led the campaign to disinvest the state pension from companies doing business with South Africa. It ceased to be a separate organisation in the mid 1980s and joined other organisations such as Free South Africa and TransAfrica.

Association of Concerned Africa Scholars

ACAS was founded in 1977 at Michigan State University to provide an alternative analysis of Africa and US policy towards Africa. It developed communication and action networks between scholars in Africa and the USA. It mobilised support in the USA for anti-apartheid solidarity. It continues to work on current African issues.

Anti-Apartheid Support Group

AASG was based at the University of North Carolina and consisted mainly of students. It operated from about 1980-1987, but was not officially recognised as a student organisation until October 1985. Its main focus was to pressurise the University to disinvest from South Africa. The group dissolved when the university voted to divest in 1987.

Amnesty International USA

The AI-USA started in the early 1960s and has several offices in the country. It is an affiliate of AI- International Secretariat and bases its activities on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The campaigns concentrate on the rights of political prisoners and unfair trials, working towards the release of prisoners of conscience.
Results 1 to 100 of 364