ARC International Humanitarian Law Peer Education Program - Applications Due Feb 1st!

From the American Red Cross:


IHL Peer Education Program 2013

What is IHL?
International Humanitarian Law (IHL) is the body of law that places basic limits on how war is waged. It
aims to protect human dignity during times of armed conflict, and to prevent or reduce the suffering and
destruction that result from war.

Background
The IHL Peer Education Program is a new initiative from the American Red Cross to
to provide chapters with a model to disseminate IHL through direct outreach to young people, who in
turn will reach out to other young people. This year’s program is a pilot program with only nine other
chapters in the country participated. Through this experiential learning method, the goal is to expand,
broaden and diversify the reach of the ARC in teaching the American public about the laws of war and
why they are important.

The IHL Peer Education (“IHL Action Program”)
This program involves IHL Team Mentors which consist of a pair of young people ages 18-25, who
support (2) Team Members or other young people ages 13-17 or to learn about IHL and then to apply their
learning through a project.



Outcomes of the Program
1. Increase young people’s knowledge about IHL rules, principles and values
2. Influence young people’s attitude towards the need for and importance of the rules of IHL, its
principles and values
3. Inspire young people to lead projects (practice) with a focus on IHL

Three Stages of the Program: What does it look like?
Peer educators/Mentors will be trained to EXPLORE IHL (5 hours) and ADDRESS an issue and plan (5
hours) on February 23 and 24, 2013, expenses and lunch covered.

Mentors, in pairs facilitate sessions to:

1. EXPLORE IHL: the rules of war, the importance of ensuring the rights and protection of those affected
by war (5 hours) on Thursday, March 7, 2013 at 4-7pm

2. ADDRESS an IHL-related issue and start planning (app 5 hours on Saturday, March 9, 2013 at 9am -
3pm

3. IMPLEMENT a youth-led Action Project that tackles a need related to IHL (2-6 follow up meetings at
the Cincinnati Red Cross HQ). The team has to disseminate the project three times or to reach 100 people
by end of June 2013.
Benefits for Team Mentors and Team Members involved:
- Learn or build on a number of skills: leadership, teamwork, program planning and management
- Work on international issues/IHL
- Fulfill service learning requirements (up to 70 hours)
- Opportunity to participate in the National IHL Youth Conference on June 1-2, 2013 in
Washington DC (expenses paid)
- Enrich their resume
- Make new friends

How much does it cost?
The American Red Cross provides the trainings, materials, food/drinks, and celebration party at no cost
to Mentors and Team Members. Participants are eligible to apply as a team for the National IHL Youth
Conference on June 1-2, 2013 in Washington DC with all expenses paid.


Some examples of IHL Action Projects
• Set up Raid Cross for other young people
• Set up an art contest about children and war (young Red Cross volunteers in Halifax, Canada, launched the 2012 Children and War Art Challenge)
• Short film/ video and make it viral – see British Red Cross video on child soldiers
• Flashmobs – see Australian Red Cross
• A song/rap, a story, a theatre performance, podcasts
• Young people’s IDEAS!

Celebrating Success:

• The Cincinnati Chapter will hold an end of the project celebration by April 30th, details TBA
• National IHL Youth Conference June 1-2 2013: The teams with the best IHL Action Projects will be selected to participate and present their experiences and their IHL action projects.

Criteria for Team Mentors:

• between ages 18-25 years old
• interested in mentoring other young people
• interested in learning more about IHL and international issues
• available to attend Team Mentors training on February 23 and 24, 2013
• to be able to work together with another mentor to train 6-15 young people (ages 13-17) on Thursday March 7 2013 at 4-8pm and Saturday March 9 2013 at 9 – 3pm in Explore, Action, and Implement IHL program
• to be able to attend the follow up sessions (2-6 times) with their team members before April 15, 2013 to develop the action program
• with their team, to be able to implement or execute the action program at least three times in public setting (school, church, public parks, etc) with at least 100 people reached.
• to be able to lead the team in writing up reports and proposal to be selected to participate in the National IHL Youth Conference 2013 by April 31st 2013.

Criteria for Team Members:

• between ages 13-17 years old
• interested in learning more about IHL and international issues
• to be able attend trainings on Thursday March 7, 2013 at 4-8pm and Saturday March 9 at 9-3pm in Explore, Action, and Implement IHL program
• to be able to attend the follow up sessions (2-6 times) with their team members before April 15, 2013 to develop the action program
• with their team, to be able to implement or execute the action program at least three times in public setting (school, church, public parks, etc) with at least 100 people reached.

To participate in writing up reports and proposal to be selected to participate in the National IHL
Youth Conference 2013 by April 31st 2013.

Recruitment Process:

• Interested Mentors should fill out the application form (that include a 500 words essay), application deadline is February 1, 2013
• Interested Team members should fill out the application form (that include a 300 words essay), along with parent consent form. Application deadline is February 1, 2013
• Selected applicants will be notified for interview between February 6 – 16, 2013
• Selected Mentors and Team Members will be notified by February 18, 2013

To learn more about International Humanitarian Law, please click here. To find more resources about
IHL, please click here. Questions and contact: Dyah Miller, International Services Coordinator, 513 579
3023 or dyah.miller@redcross.org