©InfoThe Justice and Fairness teaching resource allows students to explore issues of fairness and justice through the lense of international humanitarian law or the “laws of war”. This resource helps students see the bigger picture in conflict situations and approach controversial issues through different perspectives. It also enables them to see the links between people in crisis situations around the world, themselves and their wider communities.
It is specifically designed for Key Stage 4 or for 14-to-16-year-olds and can also be used in informal or non-formal education settings.
What are the modules about?
Module one: Ambiguity of identity in armed conflict
Part one: Victim or perpetrator? To target or to protect?
Part two: Young people and violence, peer pressure and personal accountability
Module two: conflict lines
This module lets students view international humanitarian law as if they were directly involved in the real-life situations explored..
Module three: Wars have limits - proportionality, distinction and humane treatment
Module three engages students in using and building on the main principles of IHL covered in modules 1 and 2 to apply them in the context of an imaginary military scenario.
Module four
Module four will focus on enforcement of IHL by exploring issues such as “what constitutes a war crime?”, and looking at the typesof courts and institutions involved in the process through the lense of real life case studies.
How do I get the resources?
The modules are
available now.
You can also register to receive updates.
How does learning about international human law (IHL) help my students?
Young people are surrounded by images and stories of conflict and the human and social devastation this can cause. By working through the activities provided in these lessons, we can help to equip students with skills that will help them approach information as critical young adults.
They can then be motivated to take action through involvement in school or local community activities that aim to protect and promote humanitarian attitudes and values.
Why teach about IHL?
Fairness and justice are key concepts within national curricula.
In England, international humanitarian law is a requirement of the statutory citizenship curriculum. IHL is also included in the citizenship studies GCSE examination specifications for all of the major examination boards.
In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland there are also important references to local and global conflict.
These lesson plans and activities provide an accessible route to exploring these issues in the classroom in an interactive and stimulating way.
How else can my students and I get involved?
This programme has a number of supporting elements for both teachers and students:
- national conference for teachers
- an action-based competition for students
- a symposium for young people to debate issues.
Register your interest.
What skills does it develop?
This educational programme gives students the chance to build their skills and attitudes, primarily through the resources and activities, but also through a national competition, and symposium for students.
- reasoning
- evaluating
- team work
- recognise bias
- value diversity
- communication
- critical thinking
- debate and discussion
These skills are developed through:
- exploring ambiguity
- challenging images and case studies
- collaborative and independent learning
- moving from the simple to the complex
- putting yourself in someone else’s shoes
- use of relevant contexts and experiences
- looking at events through other people’s perspectives
- exploring and evaluating different types of sources and evidence
- exploring chains of events or the consequences of a decision/action.
©Info