The period of détente (1963-1980) witnessed the emergence of new collaborative modes and models, trying to bridge the East-West divide, spearheaded by civil society organisations of various kinds. During this one-day conference we will further explore the role of humanitarian and faith-based organisations in Cold War Europe. Keynote lectures will be given by Prof. Massimo Faggioli (Villanova University, USA) and Prof. Cyril Hovorun (University College, Stockholm).

Is the Cold War back? Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a rupture in history and possibly the end of an era. Now it seems to be a time when the East-West polarities are given a new actuality, when arms race is on the way and when the spectre of a nuclear catastrophe once again haunts global society.

Research into the history of the period traditionally labelled the Cold War (1947-1991) has seen some significant developments in recent years. Scholars have called the impenetrability of the Iron Curtain in question and increasingly turned from the world of ‘high politics’ to the mundane world of social exchange and civil society activism. In particular, there has been a considerable interest in the ways in which a human rights agenda contributed to the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the then communist states in Central- and Eastern Europe.

During this one-day conference we will further explore the role of humanitarian and faith-based organisations in Cold War Europe. The period of détente (1963-1980) witnessed the emergence of new collaborative modes and models, trying to bridge the East-West divide, spearheaded by civil society organisations of various kinds – humanitarian agencies, churches and faith-based organisations, informal research networks and groups of human rights activists. During this conference we will seek to further explore the operational patterns and mental maps of these agencies. We are informed by a fundamental curiosity as to the ways in which they continue to matter in the post-Cold War era.