17 April-28 May 2013 (E03513) | Closed
Instructor: Gerd Oberleitner
Genocide is not only a dark legacy of the past but a threat to the present and future of many societies. How best to respond to genocide, prevent its (re-)occurrence, provide redress for the victims and deal with the legacy of atrocities, and what is the role of international law in all this? This is the central question the course sets out to answer. Indeed, today’s responses to genocide seem manifold. After forty years of lying dormant, the Genocide Convention is resuming its role as a tool for combating impunity for acts of genocide. The ad hoc tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda have paved the way for holding perpetrators accountable, and truth and reconciliation commissions have been set up to deal with the aftermath of genocides. The International Court of Justice speaks out on genocide, and the International Criminal Court has jurisdiction over this crime. But are these laws, institutions and measures adequate for preventing genocide, for intervening and for providing redress – and if not, why? This e-learning course provides an introduction into the phenomenon of genocide and explores the ways and means for responding to genocide which are available under the present international legal order. It examines the potential and limits of law as a tool for confronting the “crime of crimes” and its perpetrators, accomplices and bystanders.
While this certificate course is focused on international law, it provides space for a multi-disciplinary approach to genocide. Knowledge of particular fields of international law, e.g human rights, international humanitarian or criminal law is beneficial, but not a prerequisite.