February 15, 2013 | SharkAdmin As part of the NVC Peace and Conflict Studies emphasis, faculty completed training in the curriculum from the internationally recognized Red Cross program on International Humanitarian Law (IHL). Faculty attended sessions locally as well as in Washington, D.C. during the past year and began to include these concepts in classes last fall. This initiative is receiving recognition and positive student feedback. Highlighted are recent accomplishments of the faculty members: Brenya Buchalski, Melody Crenshaw, Migdalia Garcia, Andy Hill, and Carlos Lopez. National Publication Northwest Vista College is featured in the current issue of Exploring Humanitarian Law (EHL) Newsletter (Jan/Feb 2013) from the Red Cross. The profile describes how NVC has implemented the program and has a photograph of Humanities professor Carlos Lopez at the 2012 Exploring Humanitarian Law Institute for Educators in Washington, DC. A link to the publication can be found at Newsletter. Conference Presentation NVC team leaders were invited by Laurie D. Fisher of the American Red Cross to join a panel presentation in Austin at the NISOD conference in May to discuss how EHL is being implemented across the country. In addition to Laurie, who is Senior Associate of International Humanitarian Law Dissemination, the panel will also have Shirin Khosropour, Ph.D.of Austin Community College, who is integrating the EHL program into her psychology courses at ACC. Professional Development Migdalia Garcia and Andy Hill attended a lecture on International Humanitarian Law (IHL) by Dr. Alejandro Moreno at UTHSC in January. His presentation was entitled “Syria: Violations of Medical Neutrality and Other War Stories’” and he discussed several case studies from his research in Syria, Jordan and Turkey. Migdalia Garcia, Brenya Buchalski, and Andy Hill attended the four-hour, in-depth training session on IHL by local experts, Alfred Lopez and Angie de Luna, at the San Antonio chapter of the American Red Cross during December. The session was entitled “Humanity in the Midst of War – Introduction to International Humanitarian Law,” and covered the Geneva Conventions, the basic rules of international humanitarian law, and the role of the Red Cross during armed conflict. Integration into NVC Courses Initial feedback from students regarding the topics covered in this IHL curriculum has been positive. In one World Geography class, students appreciated the discussion based around human dignity and how it is impacted during armed conflict. Two active duty military members felt they learned more during this discussion than in the brief introduction received in basic training. Refugees and displaced persons around the world are a part of the curriculum. Students gained a broader understanding of the role of refugee camps and the role of organizations such as the Red Cross/Crescent/Crystal in these camps.
