If you have not done so yet, sign the American Red Cross petition! This petition calls on school superintendents to teach a Red Cross program about the difficulties in war and the details of international humanitarian law (including the Geneva Conventions).
International humanitarian law is a set of rules which seek to limit the destruction of war. It protects persons who are not or are no longer participating in the hostilities and restricts the means and methods of warfare. International humanitarian law is also known as the law of war or the law of armed conflict.
These rules are as important as ever, as they are in the headlines each day and debated at the highest levels in the government. They involve values that have been at the core of our country, and are the basis for the global Red Cross network that started 150 years ago.
As the petition states:
We should educate students about international humanitarian law, conveying the importance of the laws and principles of the Geneva Conventions.
Adopted by 194 countries, the Geneva Conventions safeguard those who do not take part in fighting and those that can no longer fight – wounded, civilians, and prisoners of war. They protect American and foreign citizens alike.
We should incorporate a non-partisan secondary school curriculum that explains the details of humanitarian law. This curriculum will emphasize that there are no easy answers in war and that armed conflict inevitably raises serious dilemmas and trade-offs.
We ask that you integrate the Exploring Humanitarian Law program into required secondary school curriculum to ensure that students across the nation may develop a better understanding of our world.
Filed under: International Tagged: | geneva conventions, humanitarian law, petition
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