The American Red Cross and International Humanitarian Law Dissemination

• Author: Lucy Brown
• Position: Senior Advisor, International Humanitarian Law, American Red Cross
• Pages: 115-120

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The American Red Cross and International

Humanitarian Law Dissemination

Lucy Brown*

We heard about Nuremburg—and stuffabout World War II in other classes in school,

but it didn't really mean anything ...now Iunderstand why ifs important.

Introduction

For well over adecade, the American Red Cross (ARC) has been telling the

United States civilian population that international humanitarian law (IHL)

is an important subject about which everyone needs to be knowledgeable. The

ARC outreach occurs primarily at agrassroots level, through our chapter network

around the country, and focuses on dissemination to the general public. It is our

hope, and agoal of our dissemination, that the majority of students—as well as

adults—in the United States will be able to say, as the high school student quoted

above did, that they know what IHL is and they understand why it's important.

IHL Dissemination in the US Context

Since the attacks of 9/1 1and the US engagement in Afghanistan and Iraq there has

been amarked increase in organizations speaking to the American public about

IHL. Ithink this is very much a"good news/bad news" phenomenon. It is wonder-

ful that Americans are much more interested in asubject that not many found

*Senior Advisor, International Humanitarian Law, American Red Cross.