The Nordic Humanitarianism State-Civil Society Nexus: Between Action and Inaction (Double Panel) Part 1

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D Multivocality in Global History

The Nordic Humanitarianism State-Civil Society Nexus: Between Action and Inaction

Event Details

Date

V. Friday, 12th September, 08:30-10:30
Location
K1051 (Hybrid)
Theme
D Multivocality in Global History

Convenor

Susan Lindholm (Stockholm University )

Chair

Susan Lindholm (Stockholm University )

Panelists

Susan Lindholm (Stockholm University )
Maria Småberg (Lund University)
Norbert Götz (Söderntörn University)
Martin Johansson (Söderntörn University)
Barbora Menclová (Charles University)
Sophy Bergenheim (University of Helsinki)
Lisa Strömbom (Lund University)

Papers

Susan Lindholm

The Finnish government and the Biafra crisis

The Finnish government and the Biafra crisis

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Norbert Götz
Martin Johansson

The Swedish Government and Civil Society Aid to Biafra – The Foreign Office Perspective

The Swedish Government and Civil Society Aid to Biafra – The Foreign Office Perspective

The Swedish Government and Civil Society Aid to Biafra – The Foreign Office Perspective Despite largely amicable relations and political-cultural similarities during the postwar era, the Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970) exposed tensions between Sweden and the United Kingdom. While Britain supported the Nigerian Federal government, Sweden remained neutral, with Swedish public opinion largely sympathetic to Biafran secessionists. British diplomats viewed Swedish criticism of Nigeria’s government – and Britain’s military support for it – as problematic, prompting intensive diplomatic efforts to manage Swedish public opinion. This research offers new insights into Anglo-Swedish relations by examining how Britain addressed Swedish challenges to its political aims during the Nigerian conflict. It highlights key differences and similarities between the two nations’ political cultures, particularly regarding perceptions of the Global South, civil society interventions, and foreign policy. Additionally, the study fosters broader discussions on the intersections of humanitarianism, statehood, and international politics.
Maria Småberg

Frictional Humanitarian Homebuilding – Swedish Civil Society Actors in the Occupied Palestinian Territories from 1967 to the present

Frictional Humanitarian Homebuilding – Swedish Civil Society Actors in the Occupied Palestinian Territories from 1967 to the present

This presentation explores the complex history of Swedish humanitarian initiatives in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPts) through the concept of frictional humanitarian homebuilding. It discusses the complex interactions between civil society actors (CSAs) and various stakeholders, including state actors in Sweden and locally, shedding light on the frictions and power dynamics shaping Swedish aid over time from 1967 until today. First, it examines evolving normative imperatives guiding Swedish-funded initiatives amidst enduring military occupation. Second, it analyses how discourses and practices within these initiatives reflect and generate friction. Last, it investigates the multifaceted relations shaping Swedish humanitarian homebuilding, including interactions between CSAs, Swedish aid agencies, Palestinian local organizations, UN bodies, and Israeli authorities. By dissecting these frictions, the presentation reveals the power dynamics that have influenced Swedish aid efforts in the oPts. Through a study of four organizations from 1967 to the present—Individuell Människohjälp, Palestinagrupperna, Kvinna till Kvinna, and Ekumeniska Följeslagarprogrammet—the presentation combines humanitarian history with political, digital and ethnographic approaches
Barbora Menclová

Challenging Western Modernization? Czechoslovak Experts in Independent Lusophone Africa

Challenging Western Modernization? Czechoslovak Experts in Independent Lusophone Africa

Research from recent years shows that the Cold War rivalry between the East and the West in the Global South did not occur only in the form of military conflicts and political support but also in development assistance to decolonized states. The approaches of the Soviet bloc to the development of decolonized countries are today referred to by terms such as 'alternative globalization' or 'socialist modernization.' One aspect of this cooperation was sending socialist experts to the newly established Angola and Mozambique. These experts were meant to assist with their modernization and nation-building. Socialist Czechoslovakia was also part of these activities, with its citizens working in various sectors of the Angolan and Mozambican industries, education, and healthcare.
Based on declassified materials and interviews, this paper contributes to the current academic discussion on the different forms of modernization led by the Global North in the Global South on the example of Czechoslovak experts in Angola and Mozambique in the late Cold War. It explores how Czechoslovakia approached the modernization of both states, what goals it pursued through these activities, and whether they differed from its Western counterparts. Further, focusing on Czechoslovakia's role in Lusophone Africa shows that smaller state socialist countries are part of the discussion on the global nature of the Cold War. It also examines the role of the Global South, which was far from a passive recipient of the modernization initiatives of the Global North.
Sophy Bergenheim

For the social and humanitarian cause: How Nordic non-state actors engaged in Cold-War soft diplomacy in transnational arenas

For the social and humanitarian cause: How Nordic non-state actors engaged in Cold-War soft diplomacy in transnational arenas

In this paper, the nowadays well-established geopolitical alliance of the Nordic countries is historicised by examining how non-state actors contributed to the international profile of Finland and Denmark during a period of more ambiguous geopolitical alignment and latitude. Two case studies illustrate how NGOs advocated for a seemingly apolitical cause in a transnational setting, while simultaneously harnessing it for consolidating the respective nation-state’s IR position and status. International representation activities also obfuscated boundaries between state and civil society as well as boosted the NGOs’ domestic political status.

The Finnish case focuses on the Finnish representation in the International Conference on Social Work (ICSW) 1950–64. The task was undertaken by two Finnish social and welfare policy associations, whose shared global mission was to further the ‘social cause’ by promoting Finnish welfare policies. For Finland, with its UN membership pending until December 1955, welfare policies and non-governmental national representation were geopolitically palatable ways for it to align itself as a Nordic country.

The Danish case looks at the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) and its endeavours to promote the ‘humanitarian spirit’ through international aid, domestic refugee work and Denmark’s UNHCR relations in the 1960s–70s. Moreover, DRC framed these activities as a demonstration of Danish Nordicness, both in terms of Denmark’s international profile as well as a question of inter-Nordic rivalry, thus amplifying the IR gravitas of the ‘humanitarian spirit’ – as well as establishing DRC’s own role in and for Denmark.
Lisa Strömbom

Frictional Humanitarian Homebuilding? Civil Society Actors Navigation in the Politics of International Aid

Abstract

The humanitarian and internationalist profile of the Nordics is well-documented and has recently attracted a growing scholarly interest. The motives and outcomes of this humanitarian internationalism have frequently been interpreted by scholars in both moral and rational terms – as a result of domestic welfare policies and as a logical adaptation of small open societies to the rise of the Global South. In both interpretations, however, the close coordination between state and civil society has been viewed as a critical factor for this commitment and its performance. However, less attention has this far been given post-colonial conflict situations where the Nordics – for a variety of reasons – have either taken an officially more cautious approach, refrained from action, remained aloof or even sought to curb domestic civil society solidarity. Moreover, Nordic humanitarian engagement has frequently caused heated debates at home on the ends and means as well as the international repercussions and political consequences of such activism. This observation raises more general questions as to the preconditions for the coordination between state and civil society in Nordic humanitarianism. Under what conditions has the typically permeable nexus between state and civil society allowed for coordination and in which situations has it not? Drawing on different empirical materials and historical examples, ranging from Biafra and Palestine in the 1960s to contemporary humanitarian cases, this panel brings together four papers which address the ways in which Nordic humanitarian internationalism has been put to the test. The emerging public history of the humanitarian aspect of the global turn in the Nordics is critically concerned with the perceived mismatch between the Nordics’ general international commitment and Nordic (in)action in specific contexts, thus qualifying the thesis about the close relation between state and civil society. The presentations will also discuss how CS actors have navigated frictions in relation with state actors both at home and in the field.