ICRC, IHL: the Light and Heart during Warfare
I wrote this last year around March for our CWTS class. We were tasked to write a review about the photo exhibit on the tragedies of war and the contributions of ICRC & IHL.
Violence is a part of warfare, but innocent people are not. It is a saddening image to see people who live their lives peacefully to be a victim of this tragedy. Every time there is a war happening in their homeland, they are forced to endure the loud bangs from gun fires, sleepless nights from the horrific images of people being killed and cries from families who lost loved ones. Despite the pains that they have to go through, there are some things that protect them from the torture and loss. These things give them a new beginning, a new chance at life, like a light in their times of darkness. These are the International Humanitarian Law and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
The Humanity in War Photo Expo is a documentary of the International Committee of the Red Cross’s crusade to promote the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and protect the lives of the people who were not included in the warfare. It was stated that it has documented 150 years of warfare. The pictures presented were so painful. One picture showed a woman breastfeeding her child after the atomic bomb exploded in Nagasaki. Another photo showed brutality like bodies of the French internees executed by the Germans and in Russia, a crying child with a frail body lying in bed and suffering from hunger. These images documented really does show the capacity of man to be brutal and unfair. However, with every pain, there is healing and that healing is provided by the ICRC. It is a very heart warming feeling to know that the ICRC has been helping the innocent people and saving lives for such a long time. A photo showed a group of ICRC volunteers preparing relief parcel for the war victim. Another photo was of a victim being operated by a doctor and also, a truck with the Red Cross symbol on it distributing supplies to the victims.
As what James Nachtwey has said “Photography gives a voice to the voiceless. It’s a call to action.” With the photo exhibit, it inspired me to be brave and take action. I have also learned many things about the IHL and ICRC. I have learned that there are still good people out there who are willing to risk their lives to save others and capture moments that we all fear to be a part of. I am very thankful to the IHL and ICRC for being the heroes to the victims of war.
QIRMA: What is International Humanitarian Law?
QIRMA is one of this blog’s rubrics, which stands for “Question(s) International Relations Must Answer”. This rubric will consist of short writings answering fundamentals of International Relations. When possible, useful links or sources will be notified here, to further enrich reader’s knowledge.
International Humanitarian Law is the international law applicable during armed conflict. It is worth to notify that armed conflict itself should never be mixed-up with the term ‘war’; since war is highly political, while armed conflict has a legal sense of declaration of war and end of war (e.g. armistice).
Accountability for Violations of IHL in Counterinsurgency: The Case of Sri Lanka
Questions addressed:
- What aspects, if any, of counterinsurgency doctrine have the potential to affect adherence to IHL principles?
- What accountability mechanisms—judicial or otherwise—exist regarding IHL violations committed during non-international armed conflicts?
- What accountability mechanisms are currently being implemented, and what potential mechanisms are under consideration?
- What legal and political challenges arise in the context of multiple, simultaneous accountability mechanisms aimed at addressing the same counterinsurgency situation?
- What role, if any, should humanitarian actors play in promoting adherence to international norms in counterinsurgency situations?
Panelists:
Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker
Ambassador Palitha Kohona, Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations
Alan Keenan, International Crisis Group
Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International
Listen to Sam Zarifi of Amnesty International school Ambassador Palitha Kohona on international humanitarian law and his Bush regime rhetoric on ‘war on terrorism.’
Advancing Gender Equality: What I Learned from the 55th Commission on the Status of Women
In late February, I attended the 55th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), a commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), dedicated exclusively to gender equality and advancement of women. The purpose of CSW is to create a forum where leaders and activists in the gender equality field can brainstorm on how to formulate concrete policies to promote gender equality and advancement of women worldwide. My impressions from the event were, (1) cooperation from government is essential to the advancement of gender equality; (2) that cooperation has increased over the years; and (3) there are viable non-government solutions that are essential regardless of the level of government cooperation. It seems that the fight for gender equality has become “workable”; in other words, there seems to be a light at the end of what has been a long, long tunnel.
“It is my belief that the recent finding of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine (RToP) that the state of Israel is guilty of the crime of apartheid in relation to the Palestine people should be taken with the utmost seriousness by all those who affirm human solidarity and care about making visible the long ordeal of a suffering and vulnerable people.”
—Richard Falk, Is Israel guilty of the crime of apartheid?Protest against the murder of Mustafa Tamimi (petition to get MPs to sign an EDM)
psc.iparl.comDear [name of MP]
I am writing to you today to ask you to sign EDM 2527, about the murder of Mustafa Tamimi: ‘That this House expresses its revulsion at the deliberate killing by Israeli soldiers of Mustafa Tamimi, aged 28 years, while the Palestinian was taking part in a peaceful demonstration at Nabi Saleh on Friday 9 December 2011; notes that an Israeli soldier specifically and deliberately aimed a gas canister at Mustafa Tamimi’s head, which hit him point-blank inflicting horrific injuries; further notes that these Israeli soldiers blocked access to an ambulance, pushed around Mustafa Tamimi’s sister, who was deeply distressed by her brother’s appalling injuries, and laughed and gloated at her; and calls for international action, rather than mild remonstrances, to prevent further Israeli murder of innocent Palestinians.’
I have been to Nabi Saleh, and I have met the Tamimi family. Bassem has been in an Israeli military prison for around six months now; this is probably the sixth or seventh time he’s been arrested, and during one of the arrests he was battered to the point where he was in a coma for seven days.
As I am sure you know, the shooting of high-velocity tear gas canisters directly at civilians is both a breach of the IDF military codes of conduct (not that this is ever satisfactorily chased up) and part of a wider policy which breaches international humanitarian law. The killing and injuring of Palestinians taking part in non-violent demonstrations has been long ignored by the international community.
I would like to know what other action you can take, as my representative in Parliament, to address these long-standing injustices in general, and the death of Mustafa specifically.
Killing Our Citizens Without Trial
nybooks.comA friend of mine from Brown (yes, that Brown) sent me this link discussing the killing of US citizens, particularly Al-Awlaki. My thoughts are that Aw-Awlaki’s death was not justified, and international humanitarian law (which deals with armed conflicts for those who are not familiar with what IHL is) is not applicable because Awlaki was killed in Yemen and was a member of the AQAP, which is not the same as Al-Queda (despite what you or I may have been told countless times on the news). Nevertheless, everyone needs to come to their own conclusion regarding this situation.
Restoring and Maintaining Order in Complex Peace Operations:The Search for a Legal Framework (International Humanitarian Law, Volume 2)
Restoring and Maintaining Order in Complex Peace Operations:The Search for a Legal Framework (International Humanitarian Law, Volume 2)
This volume contains a detailed study of the applicable international law relevant to peace operations in the context of collapsed states, in the establishment of safe havens or in a general enforcement role. It discusses the interaction and the often complex legal relationships between non-government humanitarian actors, relevant UN agencies, the warring parties and international peace forces under international law and practice. In particular, the book deals with issues concerning the implications of contemporary peace operations for military forces in terms of force structure, operating procedures and training. The book focuses on the often overlooked but critical issues of the interim administration of law and order in complex operations and on the reconstruction of a local capability in this regard. Many contemporary operational challenges are analysed, including the Balkans and the Middle East. In particular, the book includes a detailed case study of Somalia based on the author’s personal knowledge, experience and access to information on the ground in his capacity as military legal adviser to the Australian Defence Force Contingent in Somalia.
Restoring and Maintaining Order in Complex Peace Operations:The Search for a Legal Framework (International Humanitarian Law, Volume 2)
How can international humanitarian law bind non-state actors?
Interstate armed conflicts are rare nowadays but intrastate armed conflicts have been on the rise in recent years. Intrastate conflicts often involve non-state actors and pose an important question for the international community – how can non-government parties be bound under the international humanitarian law (“IHL”).
International Humanitarian Law applies to all the signatory States of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977 but it also binds non-state actors: private citizens, armed groups, national liberation movements, and international organizations.
