September 14-15
Hesburgh Center for International Studies Auditorium

Click here to view videos from the conference proceedings.

How should we define war? This is not just an academic question. The most basic human rights--including the right to life, the right to a trial, the right to own property--all depend on whether a conflict is legally definable as war or not. But at the moment there is no clear legal line dividing the two situations. Governments tend to deny that fighting on their territories is war, arguing instead that it is “criminal activity,” and claiming that they have it under control. Following the September 11 attacks, the United States reversed the trend, declaring war where many would see crime. Based on this argument, people have been killed, detained without trial, had their property confiscated, and lost many other rights that are taken for granted in times of peace.

This interdisciplinary conference is an outgrowth of an International Law Association study group charged with addressing the legal challenges raised by the Bush Administration’s “global war on terror.” The committee’s work is expected to have a major impact on the international community’s understanding of the rights and duties of states, organizations, and individuals.

Click on the links below for further conference information:

Conference Proceedings (video)
Conference Agenda
Speaker Biographies
Press Release

This event is free and open to the public.

Sponsors:
Mershon Center for International Security Studies, The Ohio State University
Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies
University of Notre Dame Law School

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