The signatories of this Declaration -university academics of diferent disciplines- have been informed about the fact that the Salamanca Civil War Archive is largely made up of documents accumulated by the State Office for the Recovery of Documents Office, an entity set up by military dictator General Franco for the seizure of materials obtained in a selective fashion during and after the Civil War and which were to be one of the main sources of information used in an unprecedented wave of repression against democrats in Aspecial courts@ as of 1940.
We are also aware that at the Salamanca European Culture City 2002 festivities, the organising body has programmed a AWar Propaganda@ exhibition, between 5th October and 22nd December, in which part of these documents are to go on show, without any form of permission nor consent from the rightful owners of these papers (the Catalan Government, Catalan City Halls, Unions, Political Parties, private individuals etc.).
Given that the Spanish Government ratified (June 9th 1960) the Hague International Agreement on the Protection of Cultural Goods in the Event of Armed Conflict (May14th 1954), which decrees the immunity of goods and the duty that binds holders to protect them from any form of forceful requisition or appropiation, resulting from international conflicts or not.
Given that UNESCO=S International Archives Council has repeatedly stated that legitimate owners have the right to recover documents that have been taken as war spoil or stolen during an armed conflict (Resolution 46/10 of UNO=s 1991 General Assembly).
And given that from 1978 until today, the elected representatives of the Catalan people and the Catalan Parliament itself have unanimously voted (Resolution of May 18th 1989) and repeatedly demanded the return of the stolen documents -both public and private- we believe it to be in our full right to give our support to the Dignity Commission in its campaign and to urge the Spanish authorities to:
AFulfil, without further delay, the agreement taken by the Spanish Government=s cabinet (15th March 1995) which orders the return of the documents
ASuspend and withdraw from the Salamanca 2002 programme the exhibition APropaganda en Guerra+ (War Propaganda) if it fails to have the explicit permission of the Catalan authorities.
Signed by:
Hebe Bonafini, President of Madres Plaza de Mayo David Cardús, Professor Medicine at Texas Bates University Noam Chomsky, Professor at MIT Francesco Cossiga, Emeritus President of Italy Peter Gabriel, musucian Baroness Gloria Hooper, Member of the House of Lords Rigoberta Menchú, Peace Nobel Prize Danielle Mitterand, President France Libertés Georges Moustaki, musician Joan Oró, Nasa scientist Sgouridis Panagioty, Vice-President Greek Parliament Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, Nobel Peace Prize James Petras, Professor at Binghampton Paul Preston, Professor at LSE Joan Rigol , President of the Catalan Parliament Nawal El Saawadi, Egyptian writer Mario Soares, ExPresident of Portugal Mikis Theodrakis, musician Virginia Tsouderos, exVice Foreign Minister of Greece Howard Zinn, Emeritus Professor Boston University
