A Hub of Anti-Colonialism: Prague's International Organizations in the Transnational Socialist Network and Global Cold War

Abstract

During the Cold War, Prague was home to several international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) uniting member organizations of different fields (students, journalists, trade unions, communist parties, churches and others). This article aims at a reinterpretation of their history through the lens of decolonization, presenting the NGOs not only as soldiers in the Cold War but also as ‘hubs of anti-colonialism’. It shows the role of the ‘Third World’ delegates in the NGOs and their positioning toward Czechoslovak state socialism. It explores the mechanisms of knowledge production and transfers through media and training programmes.