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October - November 2024, National Online Humanitarian Education Training

a child in front of a destroyed building.
Credit: Dominique Maria Bonessi, ICRC
uOttawa Faculté d’éducation Faculty of EducationSSENC RESSC
 

High School Teachers from Coast to Coast to Coast Connect to Build Knowledge of International Humanitarian Law in Their Classrooms 


This fall, teachers from across Canada met online for a National Online Humanitarian Education Training. Hosted in partnership with the Social Studies Educator Network of Canada/Réseau pour l’enseignement des sciences sociales du Canada, and the University of Ottawa Faculty of Education/Faculté d'éducation de l'Université d'Ottawa. This training connected teachers with free lessons to help students to think critically about the wars they are witnessing around the world. Supporting dialogue from subject matter experts helped teachers learn more about the basic rules of International Humanitarian Law, see how the law is applied in action, and examine the environmental and humanitarian impacts of armed conflict.  Thanks to the commitments of our partners, speakers, and participating teachers, more students will have the opportunity to expand their own critical viewpoints on the humanitarian consequences of armed conflict by learning the basic rules of IHL and seeing how it is applied, investigating judicial and non-judicial avenues for justice, and exploring real humanitarian success stories.

This training was made possible thanks to the contributions of the following presenters and partners:
 
  • Yasaman Ahanin: Canadian Red Cross Humanitarian Education and Training Coordinator
  • Ewan Geddes: Canadian and World Studies Teacher, Toronto District School Board
  • Marilyn Wylie: Music Department Head and former History Department Head of Ancaster High School with the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board
  • Fanny Dagenais-Dion: Canadian Red Cross International Humanitarian Law Coordinator
  • Amanda Hartley: English, History, and Social Studies Teacher, Avon Maitland District School Board
  • Andrea Barrow: Equity and Inclusion Consultant, Limestone District School Board
  • Major Peter Briffett: Office of the Judge Advocate General of the Canadian Armed Forces
  • Leigh Muething: English and social studies teacher at Horton High School in Wolfville, Nova Scotia
  • Angela Hill: Canadian Red Cross returning delegate, and freelance reporter, photographer and communications consultant
  • Jaime Stephens: Family Studies, Indigenous Studies and English Studies Teacher Champion, Nanaimo School District 68
  • Rachel Collishaw: President, Social Studies Educator Network of Canada/Réseau pour l’enseignement des sciences sociales du Canada
  • Wendy Driscoll: Treasurer, Social Studies Educator Network of Canada/Réseau pour l’enseignement des sciences sociales du Canada
  • Tracy Crowe: Program Specialist of Teacher Education, University of Ottawa Faculty of Education/Faculté d’éducation de l’Université d’Ottawa
One of the remarkable outcomes of the training was feedback from participating teachers; who shared that they feel better equipped to talk about international Humanitarian Law and related humanitarian issues in the classroom as a result of the training.

Thanks to the commitments of our partners, speakers, and participating teachers, more students will have the opportunity to expand their own critical viewpoints on the humanitarian consequences of armed conflict by learning the basic rules of IHL and seeing how it is applied, investigating judicial and non-judicial avenues for justice, and exploring real humanitarian success stories. 

For more information on this training, you can review the program and presenter bios in the training agenda. To bring our facilitation team and resources to your school board for a FREE Humanitarian Education training, contact HumanitarianEducation@redcross.ca.