Record Group MR-AAO - Anti-Apartheid Movement Archives

Identity area

Reference code

ZA COM MR-AAO

Title

Anti-Apartheid Movement Archives

Date(s)

Level of description

Record Group

Extent and medium

An overview of some of the existent archival records. This list consists of 366 collections.

Context area

Archival history

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Content and structure area

Scope and content

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.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Since our aim was to create an overview on archival records of anti-apartheid activities, we have included only those organisations for which we managed to locate archival records in the time that was available for this project. As a consequence, unfortunately, many countries and their organisations are not included in this overview and as a result a very Western European/American/Australian view of this history emerges. Since our study relied largely on available internet resources, this problem was aggravated.

We have also limited our overview to organisations and their activities in relation to South Africa only. Therefore, organisations working exclusively for Namibia, Mozambique, Angola, etc., have not been included.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Conditions governing reproduction

Language of material

Script of material

Language and script notes

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Subject access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

mr-aao

Institution identifier

Rules and/or conventions used

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

Sources

Accession area

Related subjects

Related people and organizations

Related genres

Related places