This book accounts for the process of emergence and constitution ofthe human rights movement and discourse during the last militarydictatorship in Argentina (1976-1983). Central to this account is thecontention that the movement? s emergence and constitution should notbe understood as a necessary or as a natural response to theatrocities carried out by the last military regime, but instead as the result of a contingent process of political articulation and as aresponse which could have failed in its constitution and success. Thus, the appearance of the human rights movement and discourse in thecountry can only be understood in its full complexity if attention isgiven to this very process of popular mobilisation and politicalarticulation that took place during 1976-1982.
