Exploring Humanitarian Law Virtual Campus - Exploration 2A: Limiting the devastation of war

EXPLORATIONS

Exploration 2A: Limiting the devastation of war

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IF YOU HAVE NOT DONE MODULE 1...

Students should experience the explorations of Module 1 in preparation for the rest of the curriculum. If that is not possible, the following special lesson drawn from elements of Module 1 can be used to replace the transition step 1 of Module 2.

Special lesson

Preview to Exploration 2A

Based on the materials available for downloading through the link above:

Complete step 1 and step 2 from Exploration 1A.
Follow the "suggested sequence and activities" for either "Alone on the Bench" or "Brave Vendor" to look at how an ordinary person intervened to protect someone who was in danger.
Do step 1 from Exploration 1B to examine the concept of humanitarian acts.

If class time does not permit the special lesson, another alternative might be to replace the transition step 1 of Module 2 with a 10- to 15-minute exploration of students' understanding of the terms HUMANITY and COMPASSION.

Module 1 examined humanitarian acts that were spontaneously performed by ordinary people to protect the lives and human dignity of others.

Module 2 shifts the focus to rules of behaviour that are specifically designed to protect the lives and human dignity of people affected by armed conflict.

Exploration 2A begins by having students consider photos of one specific situation: soldiers taken prisoner. Students get glimpses of the different situations in which those at risk and those in power find themselves.

A photo collage then introduces them to a variety of other war-related situations. Students explore various experiences arising from armed conflict to suggest rules needed to limit unnecessary suffering and to protect life and human dignity.

This exploration introduces the basic rules of international humanitarian law (IHL). Students examine the reasons for these rules, and compare them with rules that they suggest.

The exploration also describes the relationship between IHL and human rights law and how human rights law complements IHL in armed conflicts.

Objectives

to understand some of the reasons why rules are needed in armed conflict
to understand how IHL and human rights law complement each other
to learn and understand some of the basic rules of IHL

Student resources:

Teacher resources:

Preparation:

In the Methodology Guide, review teaching method 6 (Using stories, photos and videos) and workshops 4 ("Using photographs to explore human dignity") and 5 ("Building on students' ideas: The basics of international humanitarian law")
If possible, view the relevant chapters of the teacher video (Using photos to explore human dignity and What rules are needed for armed conflict?) and the relevant chapter of the training film for teachers.

Time:

two 45-minute sessions

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