The Crimes of War Project

From Darfur to Iraq, Chechnya and Colombia, armed conflict provides the background against which many of the world’s worst abuses of fundamental rights take place. During wartime, the proclaimed needs of national security often provide the cover for atrocities that can rise to the level of crimes against humanity or genocide. The blurring of the lines between war and peace associated with the rise of counter-terrorist and counter-insurgent conflict means that wartime rules are increasingly used as justification for extreme measures far from any recognizable battlefield. More than ever, it is essential to promote understanding of the universally-agreed rules of international humanitarian law to provide a legal and moral compass to protect essential rights in a time when they are under particular strain.

The Crimes of War Project works to empower journalists and activists around the world, giving them the tools they need to spotlight violations of humanitarian law within their own societies and for their own target constituencies. Through our publications, training workshops and other projects, we raise awareness of the rules that protect people during armed conflict, explain how they apply in the complex circumstances of modern conflict, and provide information about the remedies available when the laws are violated.

Founded by award-winning war correspondents, the Crimes of War Project is an international non-profit organization dedicated to promoting an understanding of the laws of war through public education. Our mission, to mobilize and inform the public, relies on an effective program to educate the journalists and opinion leaders who serve the public. To that end, we have produced a unique set of tools to assist journalists in their reporting of conflict and war crimes and to engage the public in these issues:

Crimes of War: What the Public Should Know is an A-Z guide on war and the laws governing it. This guidebook reveals--through case studies, definitions of key terms, and explanations of what's legal and what's not --what the public needs to know about war and the laws governing it. Translated into ten languages, this comprehensive manual serves as a tool for journalists reporting conflicts and provides an enduring resource for international organizations and universities alike.

Online Journal – www.crimesofwar.org: Our web articles – written be leading journalists and legal experts - provide up-to-date information on issues of war and the law. Special collections have been published on subjects like: international law since 9/11; Sudan; Colombia; the International Criminal Court; and war in Africa. Similar to our book, our web articles have been incorporated into classroom use by many prominent universities.

Specialized Trainings for Journalists on International Humanitarian Law: We believe that teaching people about international humanitarian law is the first step towards promoting peaceful resolution of conflict, limiting the scope of war crimes, and punishing those responsible for them. Drawing on our expertise in journalism and international law, we conduct training workshops to help journalists report on war crimes, asymmetric warfare, and war crimes trials more effectively to their publics throughout the world.