Orígens i evolució del moviment per la pau a Catalunya (1950-1980). Pacifisme, compromís cristià i recuperació democràtica

Abstract

The peace movement in Catalonia originated and established itself during 1950-1980, a paradoxical event given that this was a period of military dictatorship. The pioneers of the movement were the Catalan chapter of Pax Christi International and the Barcelona-based group Amics de l'Arca - two initiatives that were inspired by Christian values and established cross-border relations. Their feat was to introduce the doctrine of peace and associated practices, such as nonviolent action, in a society that was governed by military rule and repression. These pioneers generated new and diverse initiatives that, from around 1968, shaped the movement, both in institutional terms as well as in practice, also widening its base. The following three initiatives stand out: The organisation Justícia i Pau, a church entity that emerged from the reforms promoted by the Second Vatican Council; the Institut Victor Seix de Polemologia, which was one of the first centres for conflict and peace studies in Europe; and the campaign for Consciousness Objection, which instigated some of the most direct and courageous activism of the Catalan peace movement, to the extent of directly questioning militarism in the midst of harsh military rule. This cohort of initiatives structured and consolidated the movement, conducting analytical work while raising social awareness, as well as overtly defending causes that are typically forbidden in a dictatorship, such as human rights and consciousness objection. Coupled with these efforts, they supported the first nonviolent activists of Catalonia - with Lluís Maria Xirinacs and Pepe Beunza as the most prominent ones - and organised the first major mobilisation for civil rights: The Marxa de la Llibertat. The beginnings of the peace movement in Catalonia are remarkable in terms of social history. Above all, founding a peace movement at the height of a military dictatorship is historically unusual, revealing a dynamic and intrepid civil society. Various grassroots and progressive Christian circles were also a crucial force, notably by providing the organisational impulse to the peace movement. In fact, they engaged the Catholic Church, which had institutional respect from the political power, thus securing a valuable institutional buffer. At the same time, the peace movement nurtured a spirit of pluralism, bringing together a wide range of social sectors and ideological trends around a common aspiration, hence stimulating joint activism for essential democratic values like human rights, nonviolent action and political dialogue. As such, the Catalan peace movement, even if smaller and less iconic than the clandestine political opposition to the dictatorship, enabled an initial exercise on the principles and methods of democracy, thus contributing to the future political transition in Spain. Furthermore, the research on the origins of the peace movement in Catalonia has generated a unique ensemble of oral history of the period of military rule, including the recorded testimony of most of the principal actors of the peace movement. These oral-history materials have been donated to the National Archives of Catalonia, thus enriching the historiographic heritage of contemporary Catalonia, while helping recover the origins of a singular and paradoxical social movement, which represents a memorable example of the genius and vitality of the Catalan civil society.

Date of Award	30 Jun 2016
Original language	Catalan
Supervisor	Arcadi Oliveres Boadella (Director) & Josep M. Solé Sabaté (Tutor)