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events > cold
war conference 2008 > |
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EVENTS
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International Conference
01-02-Feb-2008, LSE, London
Peace Movements in the Cold War and Beyond: An International Conference
Venue: London School of Economics, Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE
The Centre for the Study of Global Governance in association with the Cold War Studies Centre (CWSC) at the LSE and Free University of Amsterdam will host an international conference titled, ‘Peace Movements in the Cold War and Beyond’.
The objective of this conference is to discuss and highlight the significance of peace movements during the Cold War era in order to draw conclusions for the analysis of contemporary socio-political reality and the evaluation and resolution of its conflicts and to encourage research and teaching on the history of peace movements. Traditional interpretations of the Cold War focus on nation-states and governments. An examination of the role and impact of citizen movements in both East and West is important not only for the depth it provides to the historical records of the Cold War, but also because it exposes the impact and significance of civil society in the resolution of conflicts more generally. It challenges the belief in the utility of ‘traditional’ military buildups and coercive pressure.
In the second half of the 20th century, imperial control was balanced and unbalanced at the same time. It was balanced in Europe but heavily challenged in Vietnam (US intervention), Afghanistan (Soviet invasion) and the Middle East (Israel-Palestine, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq) Weapons of mass destruction, sectarian and ethnic conflicts as well as local and international terrorism were among the main features of the struggle against imperial control. Last but not least, peace and human rights movements played a crucial role, in particular in Europe. This is the history of the Cold War.
The conference will bring together a unique combination of scholars as well as notable public and political figures, journalists, academics and post-graduate students, to discuss the significance of the peace movements during the Cold War era and today. The conference will coincide with the launch of the European Nuclear Disarmament (END) Archive which will be bequeathed to the CWSC and made accessible in the LSE library.
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