Contenu du sommaire : Organisations internationales et chantiers éducatifs au XXe siècle

Preserving peace on earth through science and education: this was the ambition of the founders of the International Bureau of Education in Geneva (IBE, 1925), who were convinced that they had the legitimacy to establish themselves as a platform for educational internationalism. Their expansionist ambition was quelled by other competing organizations. Our analysis examines the successive reconfigurations of the corporate regime that claims to have neutrality and objectivity as its only working principles. Established as an inter-governmental agency, the heart of its activities lies in annual conferences to which all the countries of the world are invited. In the tense context of the 1930s, its director, Jean Piaget, sharpened his diplomatic strategies to convince both republican and authoritarian political regimes of the benefits of educational co-operation, without compromising his ideals. In his capacity as an official diplomat, Piaget redefined the role of the IBE alongside the “new world authority” that was Unesco. In turn, Unesco, which was created in 1946, granted the IBE “all the honours as the ‘father' of Unesco,” and would henceforth configure it “as its little brother.”

The replies given by the officials of the authoritarian regime in Hungary to the proposals for co-operation from the Rousseau Institute and the International Bureau of Education (IBE) show that the educational aspects of the invitations were of little importance to them. Their concern was whether a positive response to such initiatives could serve the ideological or political objectives of the regime. The study also shows that while the IBE leaders were keen to emphasize the scientific character of their activities, this could be biased by the intergovernmental mode of operation of the organization. Thus, the IBE documents of this period did not reflect the totalitarian tendencies that appeared in Hungary in the mid-1930s in the field of education.

This article examines the French contribution to the International Bureau of Education between the 1950s and the late 1960s. In doing so, it delves into the nexus of concepts concerning the circulation of educational ideas and practices, whilst situating its framework within the increasingly globalising context after the two World Wars. It examines the dialectic exchanges between successive French delegations and the IBE authorities. First, it considers the International Conferences of Public Instruction through the annual reports and answers to questions. Secondly, it analyses the way in which the French Ministry of Education reacted to the recommendations regularly issued by the IBE, and more precisely, Recommendation 60 on pedagogical research.

This article delves into the functioning and logic of action of the IICI in a socio-political context (Intellectual Cooperation and League of Nations) during a period (1931-1936) when it became fundamental to advocate for the revision of textbooks. While the framework of the IICI's work and the relative autonomy of this institution and its agents were hampered by very limited human and financial resources, the IICI gradually established itself as an agency working on educational issues, in particular on the revision of textbooks. It was able to do so in an original and pragmatic way, which certainly had political or diplomatic implications.

The launch in Rome, in November 1927, of the International Institute for Educational Cinematography presents a particular challenge from the outset: how could an organization at the service of the League of Nations, with its pacifist ideals, deal with the control of an authoritarian regime—the Benito Mussolini's government—and its expansionist ambitions? This paper seeks to explore how this contradiction ran through the ten years of existence of the Roman Institute. In doing so, it demonstrates how the Institute succeeded in developing an historic action in favor of educational cinematography in the service of an internationalist movement, despite being subjected to continuous economic and political controversies.

In the historiography of inter-war internationalism, Latin America is mentioned only at the margins, as is Panamericanism, as if they were not really part of this movement. The purpose of this article is to highlight the place and role of Panamericanism—and therefore of Latin America—in the galaxy of cultural internationalism and, more specifically, educational internationalism. Our aim is to show how Panamericanism can be considered as a melting pot and crossroads of educational internationalism in the inter-war period, with a particular focus on student exchange programs.

How does Unesco promote its educational principles in Europe? One of the answers lies in the role of the “transmission corridor” that can be played by educational networks established at the European level, such as the European Association of Teachers (AEDE). Founded in 1956, this professional association, which brings together pro-European federalist activists, was galvanised by the pedagogy of international understanding promoted by Unesco. Additionally, the AEDE was inspired by the tools and methods used to apply and make this pedagogy known. However, the “regionalism” of the AEDE was an obstacle in obtaining more formal support from Unesco. Yet concurrently, it also seemed to be the key to the success of the spread of its educational principles.