1. Argentina's mothers protest
the kidnapping of their
children (1977)
Rob Martino
Sean de Herter

2. Background
• “Dirty War”-Argentine military dictatorship
-1976-1983
• Jorge Rafael Videla- Dictator
• Dictatorship was put in place to stage a series
of coups de’tats in South America
• Estimated 9,000-30,000 kidnappings, tortures
and murders

3. Argentinean Process of National
Reorganization: “The Proceso”
• “A terrorist isn’t just someone
with a gun or a bomb” a
subversive was “ anyone who
opposes the Argentine way of
life.” “First we will kill all
subversives, then we will kill
their collaborators; then…their
sympathizers, then…those
who remain indifferent; and
finally we will kill the timid”
- Jorge Rafael Videla
IDEA: State Sponsored Terror
would return order to
Argentina

4. •Anyone who opposed the Dictatorship was kidnapped or
murdered
•Thousands of children were taken
•A group of mothers decided to protest against the
government

5. The Mothers of The Plaza de Mayo
• Human Rights Activist Group
• Goal of Group is to reunite mothers with their
children lost through the Dirty War
• The group was primarily made up of mothers
who were searching for answers
• The group wore white head scarves to
signify dippers and embroidered their
children's names on them –Easy to spot

6. Form of Protest• The mothers used non-violent
protest to try to get their point
across
• First mothers would gather in
Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires,
prohibited from gathering
• The mothers started to march
around the plaza
• Used churches as meeting
placed
• Religion played a role in
protest- prayer for loved ones
was incorporated in the weekly
marches

7. 7
Response to Protest
• Government sponsored undercover
operation- led to inside info of the Mothers
organization
• Leading members of the protest group were
abducted and later found to have been killed
• 834 mothers signed a petition published in
the daily news paper asking political officials
for help-Bold Act
7

8. 8
BBC Special
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObdjTsnLhGM

9. 9
• Are the goals and values of
nonviolent conflict and civil
disobedience a viable option
for changing a perceived unjust
society into a just one?

10. 10
Shift In Government
• 1983 Civilian Government came into power
-Raul Alfonsin elected as president
• Mothers focus shifted to recovering truths
and seeking justice, while trying to find
those who were not murdered

11. 11
Government Support
• Through support of the new government-
The mothers were able to find truths
• Found missing children (adopted)
• Found and Identified human remains
• Started trials for Ex-government officials
connected to crimes

12. 12
Continuation of Protests
• “many mothers maintain that they will not recognize the
deaths until the government admits its fault and its
connection to the Dirty War and its systematically forced
disappearances.”
• The mothers continued to protest every thursday until
January 26, 2006 - still continue but not for missing
• The trials of the ex-government officials are being hurried,
so that the aging mothers may have a chance to witness
justice
• “Argentina is considered today as the 3rd most
democratic country in Latin America” despite the poor
economic situation

13. 13
Impact of Protest
• Got recognition around the world
• Helped make a large impact on social
injustice issues and public awareness

14. 14
Viable Option
• In the case of the mothers of Argentina,
non-violent protest was a viable option in
order to try to find their missing children
• Use of innocence and desire for justice
• Raised awareness and had a good plan

15. 15
Success?
• The idea was that peaceful protest would
be safe and lead to answers
• Despite the peaceful nature of the protests,
the government killed leaders of the
mothers organization
• Protests gained no major ground in getting
justice or answers until after the shift in
government (1983)

16. 16
Key to “Resolution”
• The shift in government was the real answer for turning
an perceived unjust society into a just one
• The new government was very helpful and did everything
possible to help the Mothers get answers and prosecute
the guilty
• Although the Mother’s organization and protests were the
foundation for turning Argentina into a just society, the
change in government was the major turning point

17. 17
Sources
• http://www.truth-out.org/argentinas-mothers-plaza-de-mayo-a-living-legacy-hope-and-human-rights64446
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObdjTsnLhGM
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mothers_of_the_Plaza_de_Mayo
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raúl_Alfonsín