Programme of Events

Alongside the creation of new academic resources, the network reflects a world-wide endeavour to appreciate and interpret the history of the League of Nations. This page provides a link to seminars, workshops and conferences on its history.

Events - Future

    Events - Past

    • International Conference: Subversive Networks (Heidelberg, 4-6 December 2014) 
      The international conference "Subversive Networks. Actors of Change in International Organizations, 1920-1960" will take place on Thursday 4 - Saturday 6 December 2014 at the Cluster of Excellence “Asia and Europe in a Global Context” at Heidelberg University (Karl-Jaspers-Centre, Voßstr. 2, Building 4400). The conference argues that due to their network-like character, international organizations, namely the United Nations system and its predecessor, the League of Nations, can be considered as vehicles of change. The panels put special emphasis on agents and groups that tried to change world politics from below in times of transition. How far did they use international organizations to promote their interest and to challenge existing hierarchies? What were the nature and potential of networked interests, agendas, and movements? How did international organizations enable change and how did they themselves respond to change? The conference aims to bring together historians as well as researches from social sciences and related disciplines with an interest in the history of internationalism. A common goal, however, is to challenge the former euro-centric and state-focused diplomatic history in favor of a global history of international organizations which considers border-crossing entanglements and transnational networks.
      • Link: http://www.asia-europe.uni-heidelberg.de/en/research/a-governance-administration/a13-subaltern-diplomacy/conference-2014-subversive-networks.html

    • Symposium: The League of Nations and its work on Social Issues 
      • Venue: United Nations, Geneva
      This symposium will focus on the League of Nations efforts on social issues, which deserve more scholarly attention in spite of the recent publications on international crime and human trafficking for prostitution. The symposium will go beyond the work of the Social Section of the League and will analyze the organization’s global effort on social issues.
      • Document:

    • Workshop: Equal but Different? Internationalism and its Others 
      • Venue: University of Bern
      A workshop of the SNSF-research project 'Human Rights, Women's Movement and the League of Nations.' With Francisca de Haan, Central European University in Budapest and Daniel Laqua, Northumbria University (UK), Moderation by Brigitte Studer and Regula Ludi, University of Bern. Friday, 18 October 2013, University of Bern; Uni S Schanzeneckstrasse 1, 3012 Bern: Room A 015 During the twentieth century, many international organisations were founded, all of which were deeply rooted within the internationalist movement. These organisations tried to use international institutions like the League of Nations and the UNO as a platform to negotiate their concerns and requests. 'Internationalism' as a concept structured debates and mediated between different actors. The concept of 'internationalism' contained the ideal of equal actors cooperating for a better world. But in reality, the international sphere was not filled with equal partners but marked by inequalities and power relations. Research on international aspects of social movements and political institutions has developed various theoretical and methodological approaches to study inter- /transnational topics. This research has pointed out the challenges arising from local organisations and processes of othering to internationalist organisations. The aim of the workshop is to discuss theoretical and methodological research approaches dealing with the concept of 'internationalism' in social movements and political institutions. Francisca de Haan will introduce processes of othering and ways in which the othering was challenged in international women’s organisations. Daniel Laqua will talk about the challenges of the concept of 'internationalism' in the interwar years. Elife Biçer-Deveci and Edith Siegenthaler will contribute to both lectures with examples from specific case studies. All interested students and researches are welcome to participate in and contribute to the workshop. Please write an e-mail to if you would like to participate in the workshop. No travel and accommodation costs can be provided by the workshop organizers. For further information, please contact: Elife Biçer-Deveci, University of Bern, Edith Siegenthaler, University of Bern,
      • Link: http://hsozkult.geschichte.hu-berlin.de/termine/id=22956
      • Document:
      • More Documents:

    • Environmental Protection in the Global Twentieth Century - Berlin Conference 
      There is a call for papers for an international conference at the Free University of Berlin, in October 2012: 'Environmental Protection in the Global Twentieth Century: International Organizations, Networks and Diffusion of Ideas and Policies'. Please see the references for further information.
      • Link: http://www.polsoz.fu-berlin.de/en/v/transformeurope/news/allgemeines/cfp_global.html
      • Document:

    • Latin America conference at Geneva 
      Latin America and the «International Geneva» during the interwar period : the beginning of regional and international integration - 28th, 29th October 2011
      • Document:

    • History of International Organization Network Seminars 
      Séminaire du History of International Organization Network, Université de Genève - a seminar series from October 2011 - April 2012. Go to the linked document for a schedule.
      • Link: http://www.apsun.ch/unoacademia/Home/page10149.html
      • Document: Seminaire-HIONProv2011-12.doc

    • Geneva Workshiop 
      A conference and graduate workshop was held in Geneva in August 2011 - the links provide further information on the event.
      • Link: http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=181305
      • More: http://graduateinstitute.ch/corporate/resources/calendarofevents.html?evenementId=116018

    • Oxford Workshop 
      A workshop was held in Oxford in August 2010.
      • Link: http://www.history.ox.ac.uk/mehrc/international-conferences.htm