Challenging War and Upholding IHL

Board Talk: War

From the German word werra which means confusion, discord or strife Major armed conflict- a political conflict in which armed fighting involves the armed forces of at least one state (or one or more armed factions seeking to gain control of all or part of the State) and in which 1,000 people have been killed during the course of the conflict

Classical or International- between states Civil or Internal- between rival groups within a State

Note: There were 32 armed conflicts waged in 27 states in 2005, 41% of which were in Africa and another 41% in Asia

Territorial Disputes/Quest for independence or sovereignty Sympathy for Kin/Intolerance for differences Ideological or power struggles Deprivation and injustice History of colonialism and decolonization process

Competition for resources Human rights abuse Desire to perpetuate ones self in power Narrow/extreme nationalism Competition to fill power vacuums Availability of weapons

Death- 75% of those ,killed in wars today are civilians Commitment of atrocities (e.g. sexual violence, tortures, executions) IDPs and refugees Proliferation of weapons Holds back development

Children soldiers Loss of livelihoods Destruction of property and environment Disruption of schooling Fear and trauma

an act of assembling and putting into readiness the armed forces for war or other emergency

Issues include: Military expenditures Weapons of mass destruction Proliferation of small arms/the arms trade Human and environmental costs

A.

B.
C. D.

More than 400 billion dollars More than 600 billion dollars More than 800 billion dollars More than 1 trillion dollars

The worlds annual spending on military programs is $1.04 trillion (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, 2005)

In 2005, the United States, with expenditure of $455 billion, accounted for almost half the global figure, more than the combined total of the 32 next most powerful nations
(SIPRI,2005)

A.

B.
C. D.

260 26,000 1900 19,000

The total number of identified nuclear weapons in the world is 26,000.

(Source: NGO Committee on Disarmament, 2007)

In 2001, 8 countries were known to have nuclear stockpiles. Recently, North Korea admitted to having nuclear weapons, too! That makes 9 Nuclear Club members.
(Source: The Penguin Atlas of War and Peace,2003)

Landmines, on the other hand, kill or maim 2,000 people each year, most of whom are civilians

A.

B.
C. D.

Ukraine France China Taiwan

The Top 10 Arms Exporters (1996-2000) 1. USA 2. Russia 3. France 4. UK 5. Germany 6. Netherlands 7. Ukraine 8. Italy 9. China 10. Belarus 47% 15% 10% 7% 5% 2% 2% 2% 1% 1%
(Source: The Penguin Atlas of War and Peace,2003)

The 5 permanent members of the Security Council together account for 88% of the worlds conventional arms exports.

A. China B. India C. Egypt D. Kenya

Whos Buying? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Taiwan Saudi Arabia Turkey South Korea China India Egypt 11.8% 8% 5.4% 5.1% 5% 4% 3.5%
(Source: The Penguin Atlas of War and Peace,2003)

A.

B.
C. D.

One person a day One person every hour One person every minute Ten people everyday

INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW

More civilians are being killed Civilian casualties

WWI WWII 1990s 5% 50% 80%

More refugees/internally displaced people By 1992, there were 17M refugees pushed by war across the borders into foreign countries, and 29M displaced and homeless.

Most domestic wars involve unconventional warfare Heightened proliferation of lethal weapons Since WW2, cheap, mass-produced small-caliber weapons have killed more people than traditional battlefield weaponry.

Continuing use of rape as a weapon of war Increasing involvement of children and women as soldiers At least 300,000 under the age of 18 are involved in hostilities, mostly 15-18 years old but recruitment starts at age 10. In Ethiopia, 20%-30% of the rebel group are women.

Profile of Child Soldiers Orphans Broken families Separated from parents Poor and marginalized Come from conflict zones

Q6: Why Do Children Join Wars?

A. Survival B. To prove manhood C. To avenge a death D. All of the above

The high cost of war on civilians stresses the need to advance international humanitarian law as a stepping stone to decrease violence and build lasting peace.

Q7: IHL refers to international humanitarian rules that: A. Protect people and property who are, or may be, affected by the armed conflict B. Limit the methods and means of warfare employed C. Both A and B D. Neither A nor B law or armed conflict/rules of war

Protection Distinction Limitation

Q8: The ff are are protected except:

A. Non-combatants B. Protected objects and places C. Protective emblem D. Military installations

Q9: Who among the ff are noncombatants?

A. Civilian population (including journalists) B. Persons/entities engaged in humanitarian work -medical and religious personnel -medical units and transport -relief societies and relief action C. Incapacitated combatants (out of combat) -wounded and sick -surrendered, detained, arrested, POWs -shipwrecked/falling from aircrafts in distress D. All of the above

Fundamental Guarantees to Non-combatants Humane treatment (collective punishment, forced movement, starvation, slavery not allowed) Minimum standards during detention (right to food and well-being, unnecessary exposure to danger, receive relief, practice religion) Judicial guarantees (presumed innocent, right to due process)

What objects are protected? Medical objects and infrastructure Objects essential to life (farms, water, food) Cultural and religious objects (monuments, art works, places of worship) Dangerous installations (dams, chemical and nuclear plants, electricity towers) Demilitarized zones Protective emblems (e.g. red cross)

Q10 What method or means of warfare is not considered taboo?

A. Banned or restricted weapons B. Attacks on non-military targets C. Other acts or means that will lead to unnecessary suffering and grave destruction of the environment D. Small arms and light weapons

Limitation on weapons considered indiscriminate Banned: Biological and chemical weapons Anti-personnel landmines Laser weapons causing blindness

Limitations on indiscriminate attacks Legitimate military targets: Armed forces/combatants Military installations (camps, detachments, checkpoints) Objects that support specific military objectives

While billions of dollars are spent annually for military purposes, 2 million people die each year because of poverty-related causes (Sivard).

WORKSHOP What can we do to challenge the war system on the global, national and community levels?

Sa inyong inimbak na mga bala Ang mga uhaw bay makakainom Sa inyong palagay, sa inyong akala Mabubusog ba ng punglo ang mga gutom Mayron bang nagawa ang mga sandata Upang hanguin ang mga napinsala Para saan ang pagsasanay at panata Upang takutin ang mga maralita

Ang kailangay kalusugan, pagkain at pabahay Suweldong makatarungan, marangal na hanapbuhay Hindi isang digmaan at hindi dislokasyon Ang sagot nila sa tao, militarisasyon Itigil na, itigil na, militarisasyon Tama na, tama na, militarisasyon.