Dear Future Leaders,
International Law has evolved dramatically in the past century and is constantly changing in a globalized world. New nations are born, new treaties are negotiated and signed, multinational entities are created, and human rights are more important than ever before. Yet, did you ever wonder how the European Union came into existence, how treaties are made, who enforces international law, or what it would be like working for the United Nations or World Bank?
The International Law and Organizations Seminar at the Washington Semester Program was created not only to answer those questions but also to help you understand the dynamics of the international legal system and its major players from firsthand experience. Throughout the semester, you will meet diplomats, judges, international law attorneys, human right activists, and scholars who have devoted their careers and lives to understanding and improving the legal system of today’s interdependent world. You will, also, have an opportunity to visit and learn more about international organizations based in Washington DC, New York, Geneva, France, Brussels, and the Netherlands.
This seminar will first give you a theoretical overview of international law and its major players. We will explore the creation of international norms and how they relate to domestic laws. We will examine contemporary issues in international law such as use of force, tribunals for former Yugoslavian and Rwandan leaders, the treatment of terrorist suspects, the protection of biodiversity around the world, human trafficking, and how disputes between the states are resolved. The seminar will enhance your analytical skills and provide you with a better understanding of the challenges faced by those who want to enforce the law of nations.
Then, this seminar makes theory concrete with exciting travel. At the beginning of the semester, we will venture into the world of international organizations in New York City to visit headquarters of the United Nations. During this trip, we will meet with United Nations officials, lunch in the Delegate’s Dining Room, and attend lectures. This will be followed by two weeks of travel to Geneva, Strasbourg, Brussels, and the Netherlands where we will learn firsthand about international law and how non-governmental organizations influence it. This trip will also provide you an opportunity to observe enforcement of international law at the International Criminal Tribunals in The Hague. Our adventure in Europe will allow you to meet officials of the UN organizations in Geneva, European Union diplomats, NATO officials, scholars, and human rights activists.
This rich program will challenge your ideas in today’s changing world from many different perspectives and it may even sway you into pursuing a career in the field of International Law. We hope to see you next semester!
Iwetta Pyc
Assistant Professor
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