The Center provides unique training opportunities for legal practitioners, academics, activists and students to explore cutting-edge issues in the development of human rights and humanitarian law.
Teaching IHL Summer Institute (June 4-5, 2008)
On June 4-5, 2008, American University Washington College of Law Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (WCL) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will convene the first Teaching IHL Summer Institute in Washington, D.C. The Institute is targeted for law professors who are interested in teaching an IHL course for the first time, integrating IHL modules into their current courses and/or rethinking their current teaching of this important area. To learn more and/or to register, click here.
WCL/University of Peshawar Collaborative Exchange and Capacity Building Program
In 2006, the American University Washington College of Law Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (WCL) began a multi-year collaboration with the University of Peshawar (UP) to build capacity with the UP faculty regarding its human rights and gender studies programs. The ongoing project, which includes visits from UP faculty to WCL and travel by WCL faculty to Pakistan, seeks to enhance the UP Human Rights Studies Centre and provide support to its Gender Studies Department, the only such departments for gender studies and human rights in Pakistan. For additional information, please click here.
Gender and Legal Education in India
The Center, together with the WCL Women and International Law Program, has launched an initiative to facilitate and support gender mainstreaming in legal education and law reform in India. The project has helped to develop the Gender and Law Association in India (GALA)which seeks to be an interdisciplinary network for exchange and collaboration for Indian academics and activists working on women's legal rights. For additional information, please click here.
Center Student Advisory Board
The Center's Student Advisory Board (SAB) is a group of seven highly qualified, creative students committed to human rights advocacy. The SAB provides selected students with the opportunity to participate in the planning and implementation of Center programming, to develop tangible skills for effective advocacy and activism, and to attend special SAB-only events and networking opportunities. SAB members attend monthly skills development workshops on subjects such as grant proposal writing, media relations, campaign design and budgeting which help them learn skills to become effective activists. The SAB is a one-year commitment and is selected on the basis of a written application and interview. For additional information, please click here.
Genocide Teaching Project
This lesson plan was developed to teach about genocide and the lessons learned from Rwanda in high school classrooms. The lesson runs for approximately 90 minutes, but can be split up into two sessions, or can be expanded to take more time. The lesson asks students to contemplate the types of behavior and actions which may lead to genocide and teach them the definition of genocide. In addition, the lesson empowers students to teach each other about various aspects of the genocide in Rwanda and encourages them to contemplate actions that they can take - as individuals and as a group - to ensure that genocide does not happen again. In the Fall of 2004, an additional module about the current situation in Sudan was added to the lesson plan. The lesson plan was written and designed by WCL students Sarah Hymowitz and Amelia Parker. For additional information, please click here.
Inter-American Human Rights Moot Court Competition
Moved to the Academy, Dec. 2004
The Inter-American Human Rights Moot Court Competition is the only one of its kind in the world - bringing to life the Inter-American system for the protection and promotion of human rights through a tri-lingual (English, Spanish and Portuguese) international competition. Participants research and write legal briefs based on a hypothetical case set before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. During the week of the Competition in Washington, DC, participants present oral arguments before a prestigious panel of volunteer judges. Since its inception in 1996, over 1000 students from 90 universities in 20 countries have competed. The Competition celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. For additional information, please click here.
Indigenous Rights Training Institute
The Indigenous Rights Training Institute (IRTI) is a three-day intensive bilingual (English/Spanish) seminar which focuses on the intersection of emerging issues in international law and indigenous rights. The IRTI brings together indigenous leaders and experts from around the world to discuss and debate critical issues with WCL faculty and guest speakers. The IRTI takes place subsequent to the Special Working Group on Indigenous Rights of the Organization of American States. For additional information, please click here.
