CHAUTAUQUA - The sixth annual International Humanitarian Law Dialogs is an historic gathering of renowned international prosecutors from Nuremberg, The International Criminal Court, The International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, The Special Court for Sierra Leone, The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.
The Prosecutors will be joined by leading professionals in the field of International Humanitarian Law. The 2012 installation of the Dialogs, being held Aug. 26-28 at the Chautauqua Institution, offers a look at the impact of modern international law on war crimes and crimes against humanity, focusing on the theme, "Hybrid International Courts: A Tenth Anniversary Retrospective on the Special Court for Sierra Leone." The sessions are free (with the exception of meals) and open to the public. For more information, call the Robert H. Jackson Center at 483-6646.
Highlights of the Dialogs include updates from the current prosecutors, a panel discussion and assessment of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, "Porch-Sessions with the Prosecutors" featuring a variety of focused topics, and the issuance of a Sixth Chautauqua Declaration by all the Prosecutors in attendance. In addition, there will be a special film presentation of "Granito: How to Nail a Dictator" at 2 p.m. on Aug. 26 at the Chautauqua Cinema (tickets are available for purchase directly at the theater).
The film, part courtroom drama, part political thriller, and part war movie, is about the ongoing efforts to bring to trial in an international court of law Jose Efrain Rios Montt, the Guatemalan dictator and military commander. Attending will be Kate Doyle, Senior Analyst from the National Security Archive, and protagonist in the movie.
Justice Robert H. Jackson was United States Chief Prosecutor of the principal Nazi war criminals at the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg, Germany, during 1945-46. The Dialogs honor the legacy of Nuremberg as the first successful international effort to hold individuals criminally responsible for planning and waging aggressive war, committing war crimes and committing crimes against humanity. It founded the era of International Criminal Law and set standards that guide international prosecutors today. This event is made possible through the generous support of the following sponsors: The Robert H. Jackson Center, The American Red Cross, The American Society of International Law, Case Western University School of Law, The Chautauqua Institution, The Enough Project, The International Bar Association, IntLawGrrls, The JCC Foundation, Clayton Sweeney, Syracuse University College of Law, TitanX Engine Cooling, and Washington University in St. Louis School of Law, in association with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
The Robert H. Jackson Center's mission is to advance the legacy of Robert H. Jackson - U.S. Supreme Court Justice and Chief U.S. Prosecutor at the International Military Tribunal (IMT) trial at Nuremberg - through education and exhibits, and by pursuing the relevance of his ideas for future generations. The Center is located at 305 E. Fourth St., Jamestown, NY. Tours are available from 10 a.m. 4 p.m., Monday Friday and from 10 a.m. 2 p.m. on Saturdays. E-mail us at info@roberthjackson.org or visit us online at www.roberthjackson.org. For additional information, contact the Robert H. Jackson Center at 483-6646.
