The past centuries have brought the development of modern means of warfare that pose increasing injury to civilian populations. In World War I, 5% of the injured were civilians, in World War II the number grew to 50%, and today, according to statistics from the International Committee of the Red Cross, 90% of war victims are civilians. To deal with this alarming phenomenon, individuals and organizations began to develop rules and regulations for conducting warfare. These norms were enshrined in international treaties, now known as “International Humanitarian Law” (IHL).
Through our IHL project, ACRI aims to raise public awareness of the harsh implications of harming a civilian population in the course of armed combat, and of the military’s obligation to prevent such injuries. In the framework of our project, ACRI offers educational workshops to social activists, students, educators, youth movement counselors, and students at pre-military academies. The overriding objective is to deepen participants’ knowledge of IHL, and to provide opportunities for discussion and for developing their positions on the issues involved. The workshops are conducted by facilitators with extensive experience in civil society activities, all of whom undergo intensive training from ACRI on IHL. In addition, ACRI regularly organizes public events on human rights and IHL – seminars, conferences, lectures, films, and artistic activities conducted in Hebrew and Arabic.
