Transnational Networks in the Constitution of Latin American Sites of Conscience: The Role of Philanthropic Foundations

Abstract

This report explores the establishment of sites of conscience in Latin America, focusing on the role of philanthropic foundations in supporting initiatives related to the memory of Latin American dictatorships and in forming transnational networks. The report is part of my doctoral research. Drawing on documents from the Rockefeller Archive Center, the following pages examine the history of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience (ICSC): the only global network of "memorials, museums, and place-based museums in historical sites that prevent the erasure of the past to ensure a more human future." I focus on one of the Coalition's founding members, the Argentine human rights organization alliance, Memoria Abierta (MA). I argue that philanthropic foundations played a pivotal role in establishing transnational networks crucial for the development of Latin American initiatives focused on human rights and the memory of state terrorism. For that, I map the complexity and conflicts among local NGOs, individuals, and international institutions that contributed to the emergence of innovative practices promoting memory from historical sites across the continent