MINUTES, 1941-1984

Frances Grant's copies of the minutes of the ILHR board of directors, executive committee, and a few sub-committees and special meetings. Documents her service to the league as vice-president, secretary and head of the Latin American section. Document types include minutes, agendas, financial reports, correspondence, notices of meetings, and attendance sheets.

Minutes are in French until 1943. Early meetings concern the founding of the league, relations with the French league, fund raising, conference planning, nominations, and relations with other NGOs. Of particular interest during this period are the league's application to the United Nations for consultative status (1947); support for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948); and the foundation of the Inter-American Association for Democracy and Freedom. Grant reported on events concerning Latin America, which she marked on the minutes. Subjects on which Grant reported included protest meetings against the Trujillo dictatorship in the Dominican Republic; and violations of human rights in Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, and Paraguay. Other subjects discussed by the board included Jewish persecution in Europe, human rights campaigns in Palestine and Indo-China; self-determination in Indonesia; treatment of political prisoners in Greece and Eastern Europe; violations of human rights in Haiti; and the league's response to the Communist Control Bill (1950).

In the 1950s, subjects included efforts in Puerto Rico to bring human rights legislation into conformity with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; the disappearance and murder of Jesús de Galíndez (1956); the situation in the former African colonies; and continued human rights violations in Haiti and Latin America. In 1969, the minutes document the challenge of the league's consultative status with the U.N. by the Soviet Union. Minutes from the 1970s include more discussion of internal matters, such as attempts to attract new members, finances, nominations, personnel policy, and the league's organization and purpose. Of particular interest, however, are the league's response to the situation in Northern Ireland and Cyprus, and to the persecution of the Aché Indians in Paraguay.