HREA has received funding from the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) to develop teaching materials for the highly acclaimed book Crimes of War: What the Public Should Know. Crimes of War was published on the eve of the fiftieth anniversary—in August 1999—of the Geneva Conventions, with the aim of encouraging public knowledge of the principles of conduct in war. It consists of three types of articles. The heart of the law, and of this book, are the grave breaches, or serious war crimes, delineated in the four Geneva Conventions of 1949.
In the next 18 months HREA staff will be developing lessons plans for high school and university teachers in the United States to accompany the guide. The Educator’s Guide will be intended for use in senior level high school classes, advanced placement classes and university classes.