During this five week course students will be introduced in an age appropriate way to an understanding that conflicts exist around the world.  During the first week, the learners will be given an overview of the general ways in which the UN works to mediate conflict and if atrocities are committed, to ensure justice and impunity.  An introduction to the International justice system will be given which will lay the foundation for the following four classes.  

The second week will focus on the conflict in the former Yugoslavia.  The political complexities of an international conflict will be addressed as the students debate the involvement of outside intervention.  A case focus on the Serbian General Mladic and his trial at the UN Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia will be the basis for discussion. 

During the third week the class will focus on peacekeeping versus peace enforcement as the students study the conflict in Rwanda and learn about the UN Tribunal for Rwanda, gain a political understanding of the history which led to the conflict and debate whether a peace enforcement mission would have been more successful in this particular conflict.  A focus on the Media case at the UN Tribunal will engage the students in an understanding of how the UN uses to law to discern between free speech principles and incitement to commit war crimes.  

During the fourth week the class will turn to the past conflict in Cambodia in order to understand and debate the various definitions of atrocity crimes and to determine what international crimes they believe were committed during the Polpot regime.  Using the current International Court of Cambodia as a model they will discuss whether an international court or a softer peace intervention would be more appropriate.  

During the fifth and final week of this seminar series the learners will look at the International Criminal Court to understand why an permanent court was thought to be necessary to deal with large scale conflicts.  The learners will study the first case to come before the court, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, to understand how the court can make a difference by providing more humane rules to how societies have conflicts including concepts such as a prohibition on the use of child soldiers.  The learners will debate whether  it is possible to wage a legal war.  

An optional project will also be presented at the last class where students will study a particular conflict and make an assessment of how the UN might best intervene to provide peace and justice to the affected societies.