The theme of anti-nuclear mobilizations has remained largely unexplored, despite contributions made by some of their protagonists and numerous studies on the 1970s and 1980s movements. Firstly, this special issue addresses this gap and aims to investigate the heterogeneous components in Italian society that have contributed to anti-nuclear mobilizations, highlighting their protagonists, ideas, and values. Secondly, it aims to offer an adequate contextualisation via an exploration of political and organisational ties of such movements, and tools and communication strategies they employed.

Guest editors

• Lucia Bonfreschi (Università Roma Tre),
• Enrico Serventi Longhi (Università Roma Tre)

Argument

Historiography has long investigated – also through interdisciplinary approaches – the theme of Italian energy policies, paying particular attention to stakeholders and to scientific debates regarding the use of nuclear power as an energy source. In this context, the theme of anti-nuclear mobilizations has remained largely unexplored, despite contributions made by some of their protagonists and numerous studies on the 1970s and 1980s movements.

Firstly, this special issue addresses this gap and aims to investigate the heterogeneous components in Italian society that have contributed to anti-nuclear mobilizations, highlighting their protagonists, ideas, and values. Secondly, it aims to offer an adequate contextualisation via an exploration of political and organisational ties of such movements, and tools and communication strategies they employed. Structure-wise, the special issue will be articulated in two sections: the former hosting research papers; the latter including testimonies from protagonists of the anti-nuclear mobilizations.

Diacronie welcomes contributions exploring groups/individuals/associations that contributed to and participated in the anti-nuclear mobilizations, in particular (this list is not exhaustive):

• Scientists, academics, and experts;
• Nonviolent groups;
• Trade unions and institutional actors;
• Feminist movements and collectives;
• Environmentalist associations, figures and groups;
• Extra-parliamentary collectives and organizations;
• Professional organizations;
• Local associations and movements.

Research papers (for section 1) and testimonies (for section 2) should focus primarily on two key moments of the mobilization: the period from 1976 to 1979, when the protest against nuclear power took shape against the building of the plants in Montalto di Castro and Caorso; the period from 1986 to 1987, when the Chernobyl disaster revitalized the movement resulting in the institutional and political developments of the 1987 referendum and the halt of the national nuclear program.

Submission guidelines

Authors can submit abstracts and articles in Italian, English, French, Spanish and Portuguese (articles in Portugues will be translated by the board). All articles will undergo a double-blind peer-review process and they should count between 35,000 and 55,000 characters (including spaces) and comply with the journal style.

To submit a proposal, authors have to send an abstract (max 1,500 characters space included)

by 31st July 2024;

Abstracts, articles, proposals for reviews, reviews, and inquiries should be sent to the following address: redazione.diacronie@studistorici.com.

the acceptance or rejection of proposals will be communicated by 2 September 2024.

The deadline for submitting articles is 31th March 2025.

The publication of this special issue is expected in December 2025.

Moreover, Diacronie welcomes proposals for reviews of book on the broad topic of the special issue (history of nuclear energy in Italy) published in 2023-2025. To suggest book reviews, authors can get in touch with the board by 31th March 2025.

The deadline for submitting the review is 1st September 2025.

Here is the link for the guidelines for writing reviews.