Christian Concern for Southern Africa Archive

The collection comprises papers on the constitution of the CCSA; its Executive Committee and Annual General Meeting papers; finance papers and examples of many of CCSA's publications and reports. Also included are files of correspondence between CCSA and churches and religious organisations, affiliated support groups and British companies in South Africa. Papers also include those of the Oil Working Group, which contain material on the Royal Dutch/Shell Group; the mass lobby of Parliament (17 June 1986) for 'Sanctions against Apartheid' organised by CCSA, and the Ethical Investment Research Service, founded as an independent offshoot of CCSA.

Christian Concern for Southern Africa (CCSA) was founded in 1972 as an interdenominational Christian body concerned with raising awareness of the political situation in South Africa and to co-ordinate the response of British Churches. It was based initially at 41 Holland Park, London, then at the premises of the Catholic Institute for International Relations (CIIR) near Regent's Park, then at 2 Eaton Gate, London, the headquarters of the British Council of Churches, and finally in Camberwell Road, South London. Its policy and decision making council was the Executive Committee made up of representatives from various religious and social organisations.

In 1981 the Rev. R. Elliott Kendall, a former Methodist missionary, was appointed first as Secretary and then as Executive Secretary until his retirement, just before his death in 1992. CCSA had links with all the main British Christian churches, relying predominantly on them for financial support although charitable organisations also gave assistance. CCSA's main work concentrated on gathering information about British companies with interests in South Africa. This information was then used both to supply to other affiliated organisations and to pressurise the companies themselves into taking a more ethical stance on their treatment of "black and coloured employees" in South Africa. In particular, the involvement of oil companies was targeted leading to the establishment of the Oil Working Group in 1979. CCSA's other activities included the publishing of educational literature; the collection of literature from similar groups; correspondence with political groups and a mass lobby of Parliament; organising conferences and establishing and maintaining links with South African groups. The activities of the CCSA ceased in 1994 when the political situation in South Africa was believed to be improving significantly.

The collection has been arranged into twenty sections: constitution and policy papers; Executive Committee papers; Annual General Meeting papers; finance papers; correspondence with churches and other religious bodies; affiliated support groups (British groups / International groups); South Africa organisations files; papers relating to government and political parties; papers relating to sanctions and investment groups; Oil Working Group papers; companies involved in South Africa; CCSA general reference files; Lobby of Parliament (17/6/86); essays, papers, seminars and conferences; published materials; office administration; Ethical Investment Research Service; press cuttings, and CCSA publications.

Open

Donated in January 1994.

Unpublished handlist

For permission to publish, please contact Archives & Special Collections, SOAS Library in the first instance

Copyright held by Christian Concern for Southern Africa

SOAS Library also holds the papers accumulated by Philip Wade as honorary treasurer of CCSA between 1983-1994. [Ref: MS 380896]. These include: copies of CCSA financial papers, including Philip Wade's introduction to accounts at CCSA AGMs; Philip Wade's Executive Committee papers and correspondence; various correspondence, including some relating to the dissolution of the CCSA; and assorted CCSA publications.