Norwegian Council for Southern Africa, NOCOSA
History
Type of organization: National and cross-political solidarity organization, working against Apartheid and in solidarity with the liberation movements in Southern Africa.
The Norwegian Council for Southern Africa [Fellesrådet for det sørlige Afrika] was formed in 1967 when Norsk aksjon mot apartheid (Norwegian action against apartheid, NAMA) merged with "Krisefondet for det sørlige Afrika" (The Crisis Fund for Southern Africa), a local committee of the Defence and Aid Fund in London.
It was organized as an umbrella body for Norwegian youth organizations, including the political youth organizations, organizing solidarity work for Southern Africa and anti-apartheid activities. In 1976 it opened up for other organizations to join the association, as well as for individual members, and started local committees around Norway. Norwegian Council for Southern Africa continued as an umbrella body, and worked closely with several of the other organizations concerned with Southern Africa, like the church, unions and humanitarian organizations. Its work was primarily providing information, educational work, organizing and coordinating activities and political lobbying. Organizing the boycott campaign and support for various liberation movements were other key objectives.
The organization was from the beginning concerned with the Portuguese colonial wars in Angola, Mozambique and Guinea-Bissau. Portugal was allied to Norway through NATO, and the Norwegian Council for Southern Africa both attacked Portugal politically as well as supporting the liberation movements in the three Portuguese colonies.
Later, support for Zimbabwe and the Zanu and Zapu liberation movements became important for the organization. Support for Namibia also grew, and most of the solidarity work for Namibia was done by the "Namibiaforeningen" in Elverum, which was also a member organization of the Norwegian Council for Southern Africa (see separate introduction and archive index).
Support for the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa was always vital to the Norwegian Council for Southern Africa which organized several campaigns, meetings, publications etc. about South Africa and the liberation struggle. In the 1980s the boycott campaign against South Africa became crucial, and the organization campaigned for an oil boycott, consumer boycott and a general culture and sports boycott. Norway was a strong shipping nation, and preventing Norwegian tankers from supplying South Africa with oil was important for the Norwegian Council for Southern Africa, which worked with the Dutch Shipping Research Bureau. Shell petrol stations were chosen as a target in a quite extensive and heated campaign in the late 1980s as part of the international boycott campaign. A sanction law against South Africa was passed in the Norwegian Parliament in 1986, and the Norwegian Council for Southern Africa continued to target what it saw as loopholes in the law.
In 1988 South Africa opened a consulate in Oslo. The Norwegian consulate in South Africa was used to channel money to the underground liberation movement in South Africa and to the victims of Apartheid. The Norwegian Government therefore had to accept a South African consulate in Oslo. This did not prevent the Norwegian Council for Southern Africa from working extensively to prevent the consulate being opened, and when opened, along with unions and other groups, it repeatedly targeted the consulate. The anarchist movement "Blitz" several times clashed violently with the police outside the consulate. Union members refused to render their services to the consulate.
Operasjon Dagsverk, ("Operation Day's Work") is a yearly campaign organized by students themselves at secondary and high schools. After a week of focusing on international issues and the projects of the year, the students work for a full day outside school, and donate their wages to educational projects in the South. The projects change from year to year, and are an important channel for income and publicity for all Norwegian humanitarian NGOs. The Norwegian Council for Southern Africa has several times received funding from Operation Day's Work along with other NGOs like SAIH. The contributions have gone to education projects in southern and South Africa. Close to 200 000 students participate each year, and the publicity and information reach far beyond this number.
The Norwegian Council for Southern Africa changed its name and broadened its focus in 1994, after the fall of apartheid. The organization is now named the Norwegian Council for Africa, and today is focusing more on providing information on Africa. Both membership and staff are now far less than during the most active years in the 1980s.
Secondary reading: "For et fritt Afrika" (1999) by Nina Drolsum is the official book on the history of the Norwegian Council for Southern Africa. Drolsum has also written "The Norwegian Council for Southern Africa (NOCOSA)" in Eriksen (2000): "Norway and National Liberation in Southern Africa". The organization also has extensive web pages in Norwegian and English at http://www.afrika.no.
Access
The archive has been catalogued and organised by "Arbeiderbevegelsens arkiv og bibliotek", AAB. Research permission for the archive is given by ABB. Original archive registry key in Norwegian can be found at AAB, a translated version has been given to NAI. Archive material from 1967 to 1993 is located at AAB, more recent material can be found at the offices of the Norwegian Council for Africa at Osterhausgate 27c. Please contact them in advance if you want access to their recent material.
Repository
Labour movements archives and library [Arbeiderbevegelsens arkiv], AAB
Folkets Hus
Youngsgate 11
N-0181 Oslo
Norway
E-mail: lesesal@arbark.no
http://www.arbark.no
External link.
Address
Fellesrådet for Afrika [Norwegian Council for Africa]
Menneskerettighetshuset
Kirkegata 5 (5. etasje)
0153 Oslo
Epost: afrika@afrika.no
Norway
Telephone: +47 22 98 93 12
E-mail: afrika@afrika.no
http://www.afrika.no/ External link.
| Extent: | 17 metres. |
|---|---|
| Ref. code: | ARK-2179 |
| Country: | Norway |
| Period: | 1967-1993 |
| Keywords: | Norwegian Council for Southern Africa NOCOSA Fellesrådet for det sørlige Afrika Norway Cape Verde Angola Guinea Bissau Mozambique Namibia South Africa Zimbabwe Southern Africa History Anti Apartheid movements Solidarity movements Liberation organizations Anti Racism movements Shell Boycott Zanu and Zapu Liberation movements Namibiaforeningen Operasjon Dagsverk OD Operation Day's Work |