The role of Palestinian Universities in Developing Awareness of International Humanitarian Law among their Students

Dr. Nahed Salem Abu Mandeel

PhD in educational sciences

An employee of the Palestinian Ministry of Education.

Summary:

One of the established facts in the human reality is the phenomenon of war. Throughout the ages, humanity has known wars that have resulted in periods of nervousness, in which the barbarism of tyrants appeared to brutally destroy human dignity. At that time, the law of the jungle prevailed, allowing the victor to follow his victory with brutal massacres and violation of human rights.

War is like a chameleon capable of permanently changing the color of its skin to match its appearance with the prevailing conditions in which it is waged. One party to break the other party in order to control it and obtain its alleged goals.

The law is a manifestation of social life, and it develops with the development of human life, in order to preserve human life. It governs their activities within the same group; Because, by nature, if man were left without control, he would practice randomness and confusion, and spend his life in conflict with others, given the conflict of interests and the disparity of power, so there must be a law that controls and governs the human soul, so the humanitarian law came to limit and reduce the damages caused by conflicts, and the content of this law was found In ancient religions and laws, especially in Islamic law, where it exceeds what has been achieved by man-made laws established by human societies that are subject to modification and change according to their whims, and with the development of human life and wars, the term international humanitarian law was recently known, which derived its principles and rules from Islamic law. International humanitarian law in its modern sense according to the four Geneva Conventions, and the annexed protocols are not alien to our Islamic religion, but rather came from its core.

Human life differed from one period to another; As a result of change and progress in different areas of life, whether educational, social, political, economic, cultural or informational, and this is what called for making adjustments and reforms in higher education institutions in order to prepare the individual and society for new changes.

Since awareness of international humanitarian law in the long term is dependent on education at the public level, it was necessary for educational institutions, in general, and universities, in particular, to play a role in raising awareness and education regarding the present and future of society.