Marla Keenan on Protection of Civilians in Security Assistance
Protecting civilians is too often a “nice-to-have” and not a “must-have” part of militaries’ missions. This is fundamentally wrong-minded
The Hidden Harm: Acquired Disability During Conflict
Disability regularly intersects with other vulnerabilities in conflict like gender and age to place persons with disabilities at significantly greater risk of harm compared to other civilians. Given that persons with disabilities are “invisible” in peacetime, it is therefore essential to ensure their inclusion in civilian protection processes and incumbent on governments and humanitarian organizations to recognize and address their needs during conflict.
Lessons From Mosul: How to Reduce Civilian Harm in Urban Warfare
Fighting in densely populated areas poses a number of significant challenges to forces trying to adhere to the rules that govern warfare. Even assuming that international humanitarian law (IHL) is respected, the cumulative effect of urban warfare inevitably leads to human suffering. Nowhere is the tension between the military necessity to defeat an enemy and…
Final Agreement on Peace in Colombia, But True Peace Still A Long Way Off
By Kevin Gustafson, Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC) Colombia’s half-century-long conflict is rapidly coming to close. On Thursday, Aug. 25, 2016, the government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), released the final text of a peace agreement four years in the making, and President Juan Manuel Santos has called…
What Civilians Themselves Say about Targeting and their Participation in Conflict
Article by Nicolette Boehland, Harvard Law Fellow at CIVIC. “What I think is that there is no line at all … Civilians can turn into fighters at any time. Anybody can change from a fighter to a civilian, all in one day, all in one moment.” I remember pausing when I heard this assertion. It…
Saudi Arabia Must Prioritize Civilian Protection in its Yemen Operations
Yemenis must have sighed with relief when, on April 21, the Saudi government announced they would end their air campaign against the Houthi rebels. In a bit more than a month, the strikes have reportedly killed 1,000 civilians and injured many thousands more. Facing mounting criticism of the high civilian toll, Saudis abruptly renamed the…
Floor Statement from Sarah Holewinski at panel hosted by the Government of Norway
Sarah Holewinski presenting on Thursday, May 23, 10.30 AM It is an honor to present to this audience today on protection of civilians. My sincere thanks to the Government of Norway for grappling with this issue across years and continents, and to the organizing team led by Hilde Salvesen. My organization—Center for Civilians in Conflict—works…