Funding memory,shaping networks: Normative memory entrepreneurs and the making of Memoria Abierta as a model

Abstract

This article examines the creation of Memoria Abierta (MA) in Argentina as the outcome of strategic networking between local human rights organizations and international philanthropic foundations, notably the Ford Foundation. Drawing on primary sources, this analysis examines how transnational connections helped to establish MA as a regional model in the field of memory. The article argues that memory institutions cannot be understood solely through their mission, but also through the financial resources, transnational alliances, and negotiations that sustain them. It highlights the Ford Foundation’s role not just as a funder, but as a crucial agent and facilitator of transnational networks, shaping the memory and transitional justice agenda in Latin America.