Free World?

Free World? is a major contribution to the transnational history of humanitarianism in the postwar world. Peter Gatrell shows how and why the UN, NGOs, governments and individuals embarked on a unique campaign, World Refugee Year (1959–60), in response to global refugee crises, particularly in Europe, the Middle East and the Far East. Adopted by nearly one hundred countries, the campaign galvanised public opinion and raised money by enlisting celebrities, using the mass media, and recreating 'refugee camps' in the affluent West. Free World? assesses the causes and consequences of the refugee crises, locates the campaign in the broader geopolitical context of the Cold War and decolonisation and shows how it helped to inspire subsequent campaigns such as Amnesty International and Freedom from Hunger. Ultimately, the book asks how those who are in a more privileged position might better reflect on their responsibilities towards refugees in the modern world.

• Provides a critical evaluation of refugee relief efforts in the postwar world, culminating in a history of the UN campaign for World Refugee Year, 1959–60, and its unique global scope
• Offers accessible and unprecedented insights into the local, national and global dimensions of the history of humanitarian relief
• Explores the interactions between governments, NGOs, the United Nations, UNHCR and other players involved in refugee relief