The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies,
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, 1919-1997, offers a unique collection of primary source material from the archives of the world’s largest humanitarian network.
Documents within the collection date back to the 1919 establishment of the League of Red Cross Societies, which united the National Societies of the UK, USA, France, Italy, and Japan. In 1983, the union extended its boundaries, incorporating Red Crescent Societies from majority Muslim countries. The League was renamed the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in 1991.
This digital archive contains two core resources: The Central Registry comprises correspondence and reports exchanged by the League of Red Cross Societies from 1919 to the early 1970s. Digitised files cover topics such as League organisation, conferences, disaster relief, and aid to war victims, along with more specialised material on epidemic diseases.
The Non-Registry collection includes non-centralised material from IFRC departments, alongside Coordinated Relief Bulletins and Relief Bureau Circulars (c.1940s-1980s). These documents report on the activities of National Societies and the IFRC, and provide updates on ongoing disasters, specific needs, and appeals.
Additionally, the archive also provides students, researchers and academic staff with access to over 2,000 files from the Relief Operations Bureau (1970s–80s) and Thematic Operational Files, covering major conflicts such as Vietnam, Korea, and the Middle East.
Part of Gale’s Global Development and Humanitarian Aid Collection, this new collection aligns with the University’s ongoing commitment as a University of Sanctuary. Search in conjunction with resources such as Refugees Relief and Resettlement (cross-searchable on the same platform) and Border and Migration Studies (part of the Global Issues Library) and physical materials housed within our pioneering Humanitarian Archive at The John Rylands Library.
Social Science Premium Collection
The Social Science Premium Collection provides access to databases covering international literature in social sciences, including politics, public policy, sociology, social work, anthropology, criminology, linguistics, library science, and education. Featured databases include IBSS, Sociological Abstracts and Worldwide Political Science Abstracts. Together, they provide abstracts, indexing and full-text coverage of journal articles, books, book chapters, dissertations, working papers, and more.
Refugees, Relief and Resettlement
A key resource for the study of forced migration and the history of refugees, this collection collates materials from a wide range of sources including the U.K. National Archives, the British Library, World Jewish Relief, and the US Department of State.
Refugees, Relief and Resettlement comprises two parts addressing refugee crises across different chronological periods. The first part, Forced Migration and World War II, focuses on refugees and displaced persons across Europe, North Africa, and Asia from 1935 to 1950. The second part, The Early Cold War and Decolonization, examines the changes effected by the Cold War and the decolonisation of, and rise of independence movements within, the nations of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. This series offers a wealth of primary sources including legal briefs, refugee reports, and government documents, manuscripts, pamphlets, and letters.
Refugees, Relief and Resettlement addresses an ongoing global issue and is of value to students and researchers across a range of disciplines and research groups including Migration, Refugees and Asylum, Humanitarian and Conflict Response and Histories of Humanitarianism. This new addition enriches our collections of primary source materials in this challenging research area. These include both digital resources such as Border and Migration Studies (part of the Global Issues Library) and Post-war Europe: Refugees, Exile and Resettlement, 1945-1950, and the physical materials housed within our pioneering Humanitarian Archive at the Rylands. In addition, it aligns with the University's ongoing commitment as a University of Sanctuary.
Global Issues Library is an extensive resource examining major societal challenges such as migration, preservation of human rights, security, and environmental issues. It provides diverse content, such as reports, essays, and letters, documentaries, photographs, and case studies to help analyse historical and current events. Curated by scholars worldwide, it takes an interdisciplinary approach encompassing historical, political, sociological, anthropological and ethical perspectives. Collections include:
This extensive multidisciplinary resource is a valuable resource for teaching and research across Geography, Global Development, Humanitarian and Conflict Response, Politics, Sociology, and Earth and Environmental Sciences. It also aligns closely with the University's Social Responsibility and sustainable development goals.
With approximately half a million pages of content, Chatham House Online Archive provides a searchable research environment that enables users to explore close to ninety years of expert analysis and commentary on international policy.
Subject indexing allows users to quickly retrieve and review briefing papers, special reports, pamphlets, conference papers, monographs, and other material relevant to their own research or study. Users will also have access to the full text of two of Chatham Houses flagship periodicals, International Affairs and The World Today. Additionally, the archive offers unique access to thousands of hours of audio recordings of Chatham House lectures and their fully searchable transcripts, offering valuable insight into the experiences and opinions of key figures in international affairs, including Mahatma Gandhi, Winston Churchill, Willy Brandt, King Hussein of Jordan, Franois Mitterrand, Henry Kissinger, Prof. A.J. Toynbee, Chaim Weizmann, Dr. Andreas Papandreou, Caspar Weinberger, Chief Gatsha Buthelezi, HE Yousuf Al-Alawi Abdullah, Dr. Zhores Medvedev, and Hans Blix.
Key research topics covered in the archive include: Diplomacy and international relations ; Energy, environment, and development ; International economics, trade, and business ; International and national politics ; International security and law ; Global health security. A truly global resource, the archive provides researchers with coverage of every region of the world, including Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Russia, and Eurasia (Provided by Publisher)
The following are important databases for this subject area, however if you don't see what you're looking for, please go to the Database Directory for Humanitarian and Conflict Response to browse a wider selection.
Follow the links below to browse databases for specific types of resources.
You can use our Database Directory to browse a broader range of databases that are relevant to Humanitarian and Conflict Response as well as other subjects. The directory also allows you to identify databases that provide access to specific types of resources (e.g. Full Text Articles, Streaming Video, Patents, Theses and Dissertations, and much more).
The University of Manchester's research is internationally recognised. Go to Research Explorer, Manchester's research database, to discover the breadth of research produced by staff across the University.
Browse research publications from Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute (please note: whilst many of the publications listed are available to access/Open Access, some records are for forthcoming titles awaiting publication).
