Message-ID: <3.0.32.19980221131346.00e686c8@pop.law.harvard.edu> Date: Sat, 21 Feb 1998 13:13:52 -0500 From: Peter Rosenblum <mailto:prosenbl@LAW.HARVARD.EDU> Subject: Seminar in IHL To: mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU
International Humanitarian Law and Current Conflicts:
New Dilemmas and Challenges for Humanitarian Organizations
A Seminar co-sponsored by the Harvard Human Rights Program (HRP) and
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
June 22 - June 27
Dear Colleague:
The Harvard Human Rights Program (HRP) and the International Committee of
the Red Cross (ICRC) are sponsoring a week-long seminar in international
humanitarian law (IHL) for members of NGOs involved in humanitarian field
operations and human rights monitoring in complex emergencies.
The seminar brings to bear the unique experience of the ICRC and other NGOs
in an interactive environment in which essential elements of IHL can be
examined, discussed and challenged. The curriculum will be centered on
current case studies specially prepared for the seminar, supplemented by
extensive background readings and information drawn from the experience of
humanitarian organizations. Presentations by experts on emerging and
controversial aspects of law and policy will be followed by extensive
discussions among participants. The seminar will consist of up to 25
participants with substantial field experience or positions of
responsibility in humanitarian and human rights organizations. Proceedings
will be in English.
Some of the issues to be addressed include:
• Qualifying a conflict: distinguishing international and internal armed
conflict;
• The meaning and relevance of neutrality: challenges to traditional
assumptions;
• Key concepts in IHL - the distinction between civilians and combatants,
"Hague" law and "Geneva" law, and jus ad bellum and jus in bello;
• War crimes and crimes against humanity
• Potential conflicts between human rights law and humanitarian law:
spotlighting the victim or the violator;
• Enabling the goals of war (e.g., ethnic cleansing) through the provision
of routine humanitarian assistance;
• The impact of money, media, and constituency-building on priorities; and
• Choosing when, how, and under what conditions to leave.
A full brochure including information on costs and requirements can found
on the HRP website at: http://www.law.harvard.edu/Programs/HRP/ihl.html
Any questions or comments can be addressed to mailto:hrp@law.harvard.edu or to me
at 1-617-495-9362.
Best regards.
Peter Rosenblum
Projects Director, HRP
Peter Rosenblum
Harvard Human Rights Program
1-617-496-2825
1-617-495-1110 (fax)
The HRP website, including publications and information about our projects
is located at http://www.law.harvard.edu/Programs/HRP