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If you’re a teacher or educator, you may be wondering how to introduce your students to global societal issues like armed conflict. It’s a big subject! Fortunately, tackling global issues such as war and peace from the lens of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) can help students understand states’ responsibilities in reducing suffering and protecting civilians.

For the last ten years, armed conflicts and violence has caused an unprecedented level of human suffering in places like Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. The Red Cross and Red Crescent is on the ground, providing impartial and life-saving aid to those who are caught in these conflicts - including surgical care. 

Red Cross Societies around the world have been working with refugees displaced by violence and hardship. One Canadian Red Cross employee has a personal perspective on refugees – as he was once a refugee himself.

The people of Eastern Ghouta have had to endure weeks, months and even years of fighting.
I had the opportunity to visit two of the camps that are now hosting thousands of people who are not only hungry and in many cases sick, but also tired. Tired of living in conflict. Tired of not being able to live a normal life.

During two panel discussions – “Reporting from Conflict Zones” and “Reporting from the Middle East” – journalists Ray Homer, Lisa LaFlamme, Laura Lynch, Grant McDonald, Zein Almoghraby, Sylvène Gilchrist and Tara Sutton described their experiences working in some of the world’s most dangerous areas.

Two Canadian aid workers, perioperative nurse Dianne Hyra-Kuzenko from Winnipeg, and anesthesiologist Louis Fraser from Calgary are part of an ICRC surgical team providing critical medical care for war-wounded people in Iraq.

On March 7, the Canadian Red Cross in partnership with Dalhousie University’s Global Health Office hosted a panel discussion in Halifax on the challenges and successes in strengthening the lives of women and children in conflict and fragile settings.

Ridwan Jamal grew up in the Oromia region of Ethiopia with his parents, a brother and his sister. Their idyllic family life was forever changed when political unrest struck the region. Ridwan’s sister, Samira, was fearful of being married off so she ran away. In the resulting turmoil, the remainder of Ridwan’s family was imprisoned for a time. The family didn’t hear from Samira again, and after an exhaustive search, they believed she was dead.