Diakonia's programme for international humanitarian law (IHL) is focused on increasing respect and use of international humanitarian law in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. The programme started in 2004 and is funded by the Swedish International Development Co-operation, Sida.

Improving the humanitarian situation

International humanitarian law mainly focuses on protection of civilians in conflict situations and puts limitations on the means and methods of warfare. With our programme we hope to improve the humanitarian situation by increasing the awareness to rules of international humanitarian law in both the Israeli and Palestinian civil societies.

Equal demands on both sides

The Israeli/Palestinian conflict is very polarized. Perspectives on the conflict are commonly judged as taking sides for or against either one of the parties. Diakonia sees the need to develop a new starting point for discussions, that would not stem from either side's perspective. We believe that international humanitarian law is a useful tool for change. International humanitarian law puts equal demands on both parties. It also offers an approach based on generally accepted principles.

Education

Together with our partners we have produced an educational material on international humanitarian law for people with no legal background. This material is available in both Hebrew and Arabic.

The groups that participate in our partners' trainings or workshops are for example NGO:s, journalists from both Israel and Palestine, human rights organisations and women's and youth groups.

Reporting and monitoring

When it comes to reporting and monitoring we co-operate with one of the most respected human rights organisations in Israel: B’Tselem. They publish reports on the violations of international humanitarian law committed by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory. Diakonia is also planning a web site on international humanitarian law, directed towards the public.

Information and advocacy

Knowledge is essential in order to strengthen respect for international humanitarian law. But it needs to be combined with political will. This is why Diakonia provides information on and is advocating for increased use of international humanitarian law on many levels: In Israel, Palestine, Sweden as well as in Europe. In this work we show the advantages of using, and referring to, international humanitarian law from an integrative outlook. We believe that international humanitarian law is crucial in reaching a sustainable and peaceful solution to the conflict.

In our information work our partner is Harvard University and its programme on Humanitarian Policy and Conflict Resolution (HPCR).