January Term 2011: Info on International Human Rights course at The Hague, Netherlands

CSI-182 INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS TRIBUNALS The Hague, Netherlands/Strasbourg, France May Term, 2014, May 24 to June 8 (tentative dates, subject to change depending on court schedules)

More Information and link to application form from Global Education Office

Course objectives: This field course will build upon the course CSI-108 Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity. The course will be open to Five College students with some human rights, criminal law and/or international relations background. It will provide those interested in furthering their knowledge of the structures and practices of international human rights jurisprudence with a unique opportunity to visit the institutions and carry out guided research and observation of their proceedings, in effect a practical introduction to international criminal law and transitional justice in an exciting and interactive environment. The course will provide a bridge to more advanced work in human rights, legal studies and international relations.

Course description:

Associate Professor of Law Flavio Risech will lead a group of Hampshire and Five College students on this exciting exploration of the international legal institutions established at The Hague, Netherlands and Strasbourg, France. The group will engage in research visits to the International Criminal Court; venue for ongoing trials of accused war criminals of the conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo and elsewhere; the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, site of the ongoing trials of those accused of war crimes in the Balkans in the 1990s; the International Court of Justice, the UN’s high court for resolution of disputes between States; and the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. We will meet with court personnel, prosecutors, defense attorneys and members of NGOs concerned with international criminal jurisprudence. Observation of actual court proceedings and trials will be the central activity. There will be ample opportunities to discuss issues and ask questions.

In addition, we will visit some key historical human rights sites in the Netherlands, including the Anne Frank House, the Netherlands Holocaust memorial, the Jewish Historical Museum, the Museum of the Dutch Resistance, and the Homo-Monument, one of the world’s only official monuments to the struggle for lesbian and gay rights. There will be ample time for visiting key museums, monuments and other places of general interest.

Enrollment Requirements/Priorities

Instructor permission is required and preference will be given to those completing CSI-108 Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity or who have taken or are currently taking a Five College human rights or criminal law based course. However, no previous legal studies experience is necessary. All activities are conducted in English. French-speakers may choose to observe proceedings and read court documents in French, one of the official languages of all the tribunals. Enrollment for this field course is limited to 10. Academic Expectations and Evaluation Requirements

Before travel, students will be expected to complete several background readings and begin an internet-based research project involving one of the trials expected to be in session during the time of the field visit. Students will research the historical background of the cases, read the indictments against the accused and other pleadings of record, and research the international law applicable to the case to produce a preliminary case statement summarizing their research to that point. This statement will be due upon arrival in Europe. Students should be prepared to present an informal oral summary of their case report to the rest of the group at that time. During the field visit students will observe the hearings in that case (and others) and keep a fieldnotes journal. Finally, students will be expected to develop an essay critically analyzing the case, using their preliminary report and additional primary and secondary materials and field notes. This essay and the fieldnotes journal will be due shortly after the conclusion of the field course. Evaluations will be based upon the written work and the student’s attendance, preparation and participation in activities, meetings and discussions.

Program Cost

Program fee of $2500 (current estimate, subject to change before the application process opens) includes lodging, most meals, transport for arrival and departure at Amsterdam-Schiphol airport, flight from Amsterdam to Strasbourg, and local transportation in Netherlands and Strasbourg. and entrance fees for all program activities. Airfare from the United States is not included and is likely to cost around $900-$1000, though this is subject to change until tickets are actually purchased. Financial Aid may be available; contact the Global Education office if you have questions about that.

More Information: Please contact Heather St.Germaine, Global Education Office at Hampshire. Applications can be downloaded at [http://www.hampshire.edu/geo/14684.htm GEO. ]