|
Students Explore Humanitarian Rules and Principles
Written by
Bonnie J. Gillespie
, Staff Writer and Photographer, RedCross.org
Wednesday, November 17, 2004 — This week marks the fifth annual celebration of International Education Week, sponsored by the U.S. Departments of State and Education, emphasizing global understanding through international education and exchange. As an organization with a worldwide vision, the American Red Cross and its international partners are taking part in equipping students around the globe with the knowledge of a challenging yet relevant topic in today’s world – international humanitarian law.
Students from Ellsworth Senior High School in Wisconsin proudly display their design of a displaced persons camp as part of their studies in EHL. |
Using a global curriculum developed by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in association with the Education Development Center, Inc., the American Red Cross has facilitated the implementation of the Exploring Humanitarian Law (EHL) course in schools and community groups nationwide.
EHL exposes young people to issues of humanitarian law and principles of respect for life and human dignity and is currently being taught in over 90 countries throughout the world.
“EHL and the critical thinking it promotes have empowered students in their ability to understand the world,” said Paul Frankmann, a high school social studies teacher in Ohio. “Rather than despair and give up because of the chaos that is reported on the news, they are reassured by the discovery that there are rules in conflict, and universal standards for human dignity.”
According to Alicia Guajardo with the American Red Cross International Services Department, the EHL program aims to provide teachers such as Frankmann with learning materials and strategies that reinforce and enrich existing educational programs and meets national educational standards for social studies. While currently piloting the program in the U.S., the Red Cross aspires to involve teachers of social studies and other disciplines in EHL and reach millions of American young people in the coming years.
DeAn Krey conducts a session at an EHL teacher training workshop on EHL in Boise, Idaho |
“As an educator, I have been filled with hope for a better future for today’s youth when the teachers in our Red Cross EHL trainings realize immediately that EHL deserves a place in their social studies curricula,” said DeAn Krey, Professor Emeritus, University of Wisconsin-River Falls, who was integrally involved in ensuring EHL’s alignment with national educational standards.
“I believe that there is power in knowledge,” she said. “Therefore, I also believe that if the youth of the world become informed about international humanitarian law via Exploring Humanitarian Law, the misery and suffering of war can and will be lessened.”
The EHL program contributes to the formation of responsible young people and specifically focuses on cultivating awareness of humanitarian norms, limits and protections applicable to situations of armed conflict, along with exploring the complexities involved in applying humanitarian law to actual situations.
According to Frankmann, teachers use activities such as role-play and dilemmas to allow students to put themselves in the shoes of soldiers and civilians involved in conflict.
“Students come to understand that there are no easy answers, that there are different perspectives and that choices have consequences,” he said. “They learn to ask themselves, ‘What would I do?’”
Students also examine humanitarian issues at the local, national and international level and participate in community service to protect and promote humanitarian attitudes.
“EHL and the Red Cross training and contacts that it has brought to my professional development has been the most empowering and satisfying experience that I've had in my 17 year teaching career,” said Frankmann. “I believe that EHL implemented globally has the power to change people, and through people, to change the world.”
For more information on EHL, please contact the Red Cross via email at
EHL@usa.redcross.org.
Related Links:
|
