- Defense Institute of International Legal Studies
- DIILS LAW OF ARMED CONFLICT AND HUMAN RIGHTS CO...
DIILS LAW OF ARMED CONFLICT AND HUMAN RIGHTS COURSE PROVIDES "HOPE AND INSPIRATION" TO PARTICIPANTS
In December, DIILS hosted 24 participants from 18 countries for the Law of Armed Conflict and Human Rights Law (LCHR). The three-week course at Naval Station Newport was designed to help participants ascertain how they and their respective countries can enhance the lawful conduct of military operations within and beyond national boundaries. In order to present a range of perspectives, the LCHR instructor team included U.S. and international legal experts from government, the military, academia, and international organizations.
International Development and Stability Advisor Brenda Oppermann (left) and LCHR Graduation Speaker (right) former CNO of the Colombian Navy, ADM (Ret) Guillermo Barrera.
Over the course of this Expanded International Military Education and Training seminar, the LCHR participants, including one civilian and 22 officers from Lieutenant to Brigadier General, examined various legal frameworks and engaged in practical exercises to illustrate the challenges of applying the Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC) and International Human Rights law in a variety of operational settings. They analyzed the full spectrum of LOAC and human rights issues facing military forces today, including gender violence as a tactic and a weapon of war, human rights in domestic operations, terrorism and human rights, child soldiers, torture, command responsibility, international human rights laws against gender violence, transparency in military justice, impunity, UN mechanisms for protecting human rights, detention operations, NGO relations and refugee issues.
Topical films illustrated the often paradoxical nature of these challenges while group exercises guided the participants toward developing culturally appropriate best practices to apply international human rights standards in military operations. This LCHR seminar featured a newly developed scenario-based exercise on the human rights aspects of peace operations. It emphasized the development of a positive professional working relationship between operational lawyers and commanders in order to enhance operations and ensure compliance with the law.
As is customary in the LCHR course, several participants gave presentations about relevant, current or past legal issues in their countries. In response, one African participant offered: “Yesterday’s presentation by the Colombians in this class about their 60 years of internal conflict and their problems with human rights abuses gave me hope that we could also overcome the obstacles in my country.
Participants conducted a number of field studies designed to introduce them to American culture and provide some historical context for the democratic ideals reflected in the U.S. Constitution and laws. In Boston, they visited the John F. Kennedy library and museum, Harvard Law School. They also visited the Mashantucket Pequot Native American Museum in Connecticut, and learned about Native American culture and their perspective on human rights issues in the U.S. They toured historic Newport, Rhode Island where they learned about New England history, British colonial rule, and the evolution of human rights thinking in America.
These activities prompted one international participant to observe that “Everyone has freedom here! Everyone from all over the world seems to live here compatibly. It is such a good thing that in spite of race or religion you can live together. I found that so inspiring and hopeful.”
Participants were uniformly positive in their appraisal of the LCHR course as a valuable learning experience with practical applications. One participant declared, "I really appreciated the opportunities provided by the United States of America and pray for universal peace and unity. God bless the United States Government”.
Another class member commented, “The training on International Human Rights was very helpful because we have a big challenge in my country – so many insurgents. So this topic was timely and enhanced my understanding greatly. What I learned here will be put to use right away when I return to my country.”
Overall, participants find the DIILS LCHR course to be a unique opportunity for international interaction and constructive exchange of ideas. As DIILS’ Deputy Director, Commander Scotch Perdue, stated at the graduation ceremony, "The opportunity to share sometimes competing and/or compatible views can be very helpful."
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