The directory of social movements
Última actualización por sol el 11 Diciembre, 2003 - 11:43
What is the directory of social movements ?
The directory of social movements is a data bank that gathers, sorts and puts information on the social movements around the world at the disposal of militant activists. The information is of two kinds : files describing the organizations and networks that make up the social movements, and articles that put the development of the social movements into context. The files and articles are linked up to each other, so that the logic and roles of the social actors in forming social movements can be seen in perspective.
Why this directory ?
The directory has two main aims. One is to promote communication and the building of bridges between the social movements and networks in different countries and continents and who are working on similar issues (but also different ones). The other aim is to provide an empirical and analytical basis for understanding the dynamics of the social struggles and their convergences. It is based on the principle that knowledge of the Other - the context, history and actions - is an indispensable requirement for all forms of collaboration. Those participating in the directory hope that furnishing this information will contribute to building up trans-border coalitions and developing cross-cutting issues that are effective and dynamic.
Who is involved in the directory ?
The directory project is sustained by an intercontinental structure of research centres specialized in analyzing the development of social struggles and engaged in logical and political support to the peoples’ organizations and social movements that are involved in them. The experience and the expertise accumulated for a number of years by each organization on its own continent give the directory its relevance, while its viability and usefulness for the movements are guaranteed by the solidarity ties and exchanges existing between the participating organizations and the struggles in their respective countries and continent. The organizations are the following:
Latin America : Observatorio Social de América Latina (OSAL) Consejo Latinoamericano de Ciencias Sociales (CLACSO)
Asia : ARENA (Asian Regional Exchange for New Alternatives) : Hong Kong
North Africa : Arab and African Research Centre : Cairo, Egypt
North America : Alternatives : Montreal, Canada
Europe : CETRI (Centre Tricontinental) : Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
Who is supporting the directory ?
These organizations contributed to the funding of the project:
- NOVIB (OXFAM-Holland) www.novib.nl
- OXFAM - Belgium www.oxfamsol.be
- DGCD (Direction Générale de la Coopération au Développement - Belgium)
- La coopération luxembourgeoise au développement / Lëtzebuerger Entwécklungszesummenaarbecht - Luxemburg
Structure of the directory and how it operates
The structure of the directory is relatively simple. It consists of a data base of files describing the organizations in the social movements as well as articles analyzing social struggles. The descriptive files provide information on the social movements (demands, strategies, actions, addresses, etc.), while the articles analyze the dynamics (context, origin, development, strategy, impact) of the struggles and campaigns on a theme and/or in a specific country or region. Each file describing an organization is linked to one or several articles of analysis, providing interpretation that facilitates a better understanding of the environment and development of these struggles. These analyses make it easier to see the political, sociological and historical aspects of the social movements’ actions in perspective.
Research can be carried out direct from the organization files or the articles of analysis. There are different ways of doing this (see the two research methods and the map). By clicking on "search the directory", you can do the more classic ones, crossing a field of action with a country or a region : for example the « agrarian reform » field of action with a region « Latin America » The research can be done either in the organization files or the articles. It will lead to a list of results in the form of names of organizations (if the research is into organizations) or titles of articles (if it is the articles that are being researched). Users should then click on the organization or article that interest them so that the file appears. Each of the organization files indicates the links with the articles of analysis describing the struggles around the issue and in its region. In the same way each article indicates the hyperlinks with the organizations that are the protagonists in the struggles that it describes.
The directory of social movements is a data bank that gathers, sorts and puts information on the social movements around the world at the disposal of militant activists. The information is of two kinds : files describing the organizations and networks that make up the social movements, and articles that put the development of the social movements into context. The files and articles are linked up to each other, so that the logic and roles of the social actors in forming social movements can be seen in perspective.
Why this directory ?
The directory has two main aims. One is to promote communication and the building of bridges between the social movements and networks in different countries and continents and who are working on similar issues (but also different ones). The other aim is to provide an empirical and analytical basis for understanding the dynamics of the social struggles and their convergences. It is based on the principle that knowledge of the Other - the context, history and actions - is an indispensable requirement for all forms of collaboration. Those participating in the directory hope that furnishing this information will contribute to building up trans-border coalitions and developing cross-cutting issues that are effective and dynamic.
Who is involved in the directory ?
The directory project is sustained by an intercontinental structure of research centres specialized in analyzing the development of social struggles and engaged in logical and political support to the peoples’ organizations and social movements that are involved in them. The experience and the expertise accumulated for a number of years by each organization on its own continent give the directory its relevance, while its viability and usefulness for the movements are guaranteed by the solidarity ties and exchanges existing between the participating organizations and the struggles in their respective countries and continent. The organizations are the following:
Latin America : Observatorio Social de América Latina (OSAL) Consejo Latinoamericano de Ciencias Sociales (CLACSO)
Asia : ARENA (Asian Regional Exchange for New Alternatives) : Hong Kong
North Africa : Arab and African Research Centre : Cairo, Egypt
North America : Alternatives : Montreal, Canada
Europe : CETRI (Centre Tricontinental) : Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
Who is supporting the directory ?
These organizations contributed to the funding of the project:
- NOVIB (OXFAM-Holland) www.novib.nl
- OXFAM - Belgium www.oxfamsol.be
- DGCD (Direction Générale de la Coopération au Développement - Belgium)
- La coopération luxembourgeoise au développement / Lëtzebuerger Entwécklungszesummenaarbecht - Luxemburg
Structure of the directory and how it operates
The structure of the directory is relatively simple. It consists of a data base of files describing the organizations in the social movements as well as articles analyzing social struggles. The descriptive files provide information on the social movements (demands, strategies, actions, addresses, etc.), while the articles analyze the dynamics (context, origin, development, strategy, impact) of the struggles and campaigns on a theme and/or in a specific country or region. Each file describing an organization is linked to one or several articles of analysis, providing interpretation that facilitates a better understanding of the environment and development of these struggles. These analyses make it easier to see the political, sociological and historical aspects of the social movements’ actions in perspective.
Research can be carried out direct from the organization files or the articles of analysis. There are different ways of doing this (see the two research methods and the map). By clicking on "search the directory", you can do the more classic ones, crossing a field of action with a country or a region : for example the « agrarian reform » field of action with a region « Latin America » The research can be done either in the organization files or the articles. It will lead to a list of results in the form of names of organizations (if the research is into organizations) or titles of articles (if it is the articles that are being researched). Users should then click on the organization or article that interest them so that the file appears. Each of the organization files indicates the links with the articles of analysis describing the struggles around the issue and in its region. In the same way each article indicates the hyperlinks with the organizations that are the protagonists in the struggles that it describes.