Citizenship education
Learning at school and in society

"Let's explore International Humanitarian Law"

Djibouti

"Let's explore International Humanitarian Law" is an educational program on the principles of International Humanitarian Law (IHL). It has been launched by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to give international promotion to the humanitarian concepts spread-out, so as to struggle against the danger of war becoming commonplace in a world characterized by violence. The project, initiated in five countries in conflict in different parts of the world, is also developed within the framework of associated web sites in more than ten countries, Djibouti being the one with the most advanced program.

Addressed mainly to youngsters of 13-18 years of age of the formal and informal educational groups, the program has been conceived in transnational pedagogical modules, adaptable to the country's specific needs.
Through its modules, the program aims at preparing youngsters to become adults who are:
- Conscious of the limitations imposed by the rules, social and legal norms and the humanitarian principle in situations of violence and conflict.
- Able to have a humanitarian view on close and far-away events, to become engaged in the service of vulnerable and marginalized groups.
The phases of the project's research and development process consists of:
- The constitution of a working group uniting all the institutional actors and local partners;
- The organization of discussion groups addressed to young people;
- The experimentation of elaborated modules.

Through these modules, the CICR inscribes itself into a world perspective of checking the role of education in establishing a culture of peace. In fact, education seems to constitute one of the most powerful weapons humanity has, in order to establish a language of peace and humanity. Also, because the young people of today are the decision makers, citizens and soldiers of tomorrow, the program intervenes in countries with a peace situation on behalf of populations that are not considered as risky ones.

Mme Fozia Djama Oudine
Director of the National Education Production Information and Research Center - CRIPEN - Ministry of National Education
BP 65 Djibouti
Tel :+ (253) 35 29 16

Sobhi TAWIL
National Pedagogical Center in charge of Programs
Tel.: +4122 730 23 95
E-mail: stawil.gva@icr.org
Web site: http://www.cicr.org/fre/dih

Started in 1999