IHL (Page 3)

Since the tragic attack in Novye Atagi in 1996, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has dedicated December 17 as a day to remember colleagues who lost their lives in the line of duty, and reflect on their sacrifices. This year, to mark the 20^th anniversary, family members of deceased Red Cross workers will be travelling to Geneva to take part in a series of in memoriam events. The families of Canadian aid workers Nancy Malloy and Vatche Arslanian, will be among those in attendance.  

When watching or reading the news it isn’t hard to see the impacts of war and armed conflicts, seeing this kind of suffering and destruction can lead us to ask if there are any rules or limits to violent armed conflict  – that’s where International Humanitarian Law comes in.
 

This year, over 17,000 people from 16 different countries were asked what they thought about International Humanitarian Law and the limits to war. The exact same questions were asked nearly 20 years ago, which means we can get insight into people’s views on International Humanitarian Law, and how those views have changed over time

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is an impartial, neutral and independent organization whose mission is to protect the lives and dignity of victims of armed conflict and other situations of violence, and to provide them with assistance. There are over 14,500 ICRC aid workers assisting the most vulnerable in 80 countries affected by conflict. These aid workers risk their own lives operating in conflict zones such as in Somalia, Yemen and Malaysia while caring for others. So how does the international community ensure their protection?

Students today are bombarded with images and headlines of humanitarian crises. The Syrian refugee crisis and violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) around the world have made humanitarian education in the classroom more relevant than ever. The Canadian Red Cross offers Exploring Humanitarian Law Educator Trainings to teachers across the country, where participants learn the basic rules of International Humanitarian Law, also known as the law of armed conflict.

In photos, we take a look at the dedicated work of Syrian Arab Red Crescent volunteers in a time of turmoil. Aleppo and other cities in Syria have been impacted by conflict for the past five years, but volunteers have dedicated their time to helping others throughout.

Earlier this summer in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, I participated in Exploring Humanitarian Law educator training, a program. This free session is sponsored by the Canadian Red Cross with support from Global Affairs Canada, and introduced us to an education program that’s designed to help students aged 13 to 18 learn about humanitarian action, international law and justice. 

For civilian populations, war and conflict bring hardship. International Humanitarian Law (IHL) exists to protect those who are not fighting, or who are no longer fighting in wars and conflicts – and to help populations from suffering. IHL protects civilians from being targets, but also protects the materials civilians need to survive