WCIA 1999-2023 Archives
This brings together the full series of WCIA Annual Reports and other documents spanning 50 years of work by the Welsh Centre for International Affairs to coordinate and shape public engagement across Wales with world issues. WCIA was founded and launched in 1973 to be 'Wales' voice in the world' - championing the cause of Internationalism fostered by the pre-WW2 founders of Wales' Temple of Peace in 1938. WCIA continues this work today - approaching its *50th Anniversary* in October 2023 - leading Welsh initiatives on Global Learning, Global Action, Global Partnerships and Peace Heritage, as well as acting as guardians and venue managers for Wales' iconic Temple of Peace & Health.
The Annual Reports largely follow a consistent format in 'infromation management' terms, which may useful to users seeking to navigate quickly towards specific ereas of interest:
- President / Chair's Introduction, often accompanied by reflective commentary from a leading political figure of that year.
- WCIA Membership and 'Standing Conference' participation
- Economic and Social Affairs (coordinating public participation in awareness raising campaigns such as Women's Year and Int'l Year of the Child; advocacy & policy work feeding into UN conferences and consultations)
• Political & Security Affairs – Topical conferences within Wales; participation in international civil society and intergovernmental / UN conferences; research and advocacy papers on issues of public concern.
• Environmental Affairs – initially a subset of social affairs activities (feeding in to the ‘Law of the Seas’ from 1974), this becomes a broadening aspect of WCIA’s work to the 1990s - when the Rio Earth Summit and Local Agenda 21 are at the heart.
• Work in Schools - CEWC, Council for Education in World Citizenship – including curriculum development, learning resources for primary, secondary and tertiary education; Model UN Summits and World Debating championships; scholarships
• Youth involvement - IYS, International Youth Service volunteers, work camps, European and ‘north south’ exchange placements.
• Human Rights & Campaigns - UNA Wales
• Humanitarian & Development - Freedom from Hunger Campaign (FFHC), and UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund: WCIA was initially the ‘Welsh agency’ for these 2 initiatives, but from 1977 hosted the FFHC’s UK headquarters, as an international movement.
• Public Information Centre – from 1974, WCIA resourced an Information Officer / Librarian to manage and develop the Temple Library as a UN Information Centre (UNIC), evolving in the 1980s to a Development Education Resource Centre for schools and researchers. This information management funxction, a nd uptake of the facility, seems to have fluctuated in purpose, resourcing and focus over time.
