Students will stay in the Sleepzone Hostel in the center of town in Galway, four people to a room, it is two minutes from the center of town and a fifteen minute walk from Irish Centre for Human Rights

In The Hague we will stay in a small hotel (The Sebel) which is about a twenty minute walk from two of the three international courts that we plan to visit.  The hotel is on tram line that can be used for easy access to the city center as well as outlying areas such Delft and a nearby beach.

In Galway students will have a light breakfast provided and in the evening we plan to provide seven meals after the late afternoon/evening seminars that will be a regular part of the program. In the Hague breakfast will be provided at the hotel each day, and some dinners will be on your own. There will be dinner provided on our last night in Galway and on the last night of the program in The Hague. We hope to provide four evening  meals in The Hague from program funds depending on the dollar/euro rate at the time.

Students will arrange their own transport to Galway, the closest internatinal airport is Shannon, there are regular daily direct flights from the USA and Europe. At the end of the program in The Hague we will be only 90 minutes away from Amsterdam, a convenient place to make train transport arrangements, or to spend a few days on your own. Schipol (Amsterdam) Airport is less than one hour from The Hague by high speed train.

From the time of arrival in Galway to the end of the program in the Hague, all transport and housing will be provided. This includes train to Dublin and flight from Dublin to the Hague.

Basic Information

Dates of The Program: Aug 22 to Sept 11, 2010

This program will be co-sponsored by the Irish Centre for Human Rights in Galway, Ireland; ten days will be spent at the Centre in Galway before making a three night stop in Dublin and then a six day trip to The Hague.  The program will provide a firsthand study of the major international tribunals; the theme will be The Challenges of International Justice.  In Galway we will have a series of seminars with the Centre's PhD candidates, and Professor William Schabas, one of the leading scholars of international criminal law and the International Criminal Court (ICC). There we will study the history of international justice, and how the international community works to promote justice and accountability for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. We will have briefings on recent developments at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the Special Court for Sierra Leone. We will also learn about the role of the International Court of Justice and current challenges facing the ICC.

Galway is an historic city and the gateway to the rolling hills of Connemara, there will be time for coastal hikes and a climb of Croagh Patrick, legend tells us it was here that Saint Patrick fasted for forty days and banished the snakes from Ireland. We will also make a trip to Dublin, with a focus on Irish legal history from the English period through Irish independence to membership in the European Union. There will be a visit to the historic Four Courts, the site of a bombardment by British artillery during the Easter Rising of 1916.  In Dublin we will have a first hand account of Ireland's current role in international justice. Last year we had a private meeting with a Justice of the Irish Supreme Court.

In The Hague during our last week, visits will be made to the ICC, the ICTY and the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The ICC began operation in 2002, but the United States has refused to participate for a number of reasons related to sovereignty and national security. The US has been a great supporter of the ICTY, and the Tribunal is conducting a series of prosecutions, including Radovan Karadzic, the former leader of the Bosnian Serbs. The ICJ, sometimes known as the World Court, hears disputes between States and operates in the Peace Palace, an historic structure built largely with contributions from American financier Andrew Carnegie. Last year in The Hague we were able to observe proceedings in five different international criminal trials, including a portion of the Charles Taylor case before the Sierra Leone Special Court. The Hague is a truly international city with its own unique history, world class museums, and an efficient streetcar system with easy access to the sea.

Participants will receive five credits in of SIS 490 (Special Topics) or EURO 399 (Europe Study Abroad.)  Participants should check in advance with their advisors to determine how these credits can count towards departmental requirements.

Additional questions can be submitted by e-mail to the program director. For students admitted to the program there will be more detailed information provided, and a series of information meetings will be offered, both in Tacoma and Seattle, and in Bothell if requested.

The Program Director is a Senior Lecturer at the Jackson School and an Adjunct Senior Lecturer at the UW Law School.  He was a Visiting Scholar at the Irish Centre for Human Rights for five months in the spring of 2007, during that time he travelled to The Hague with a group of students from the Irish Centre. This provided the idea for this exploration seminar, providing a unique opportunity for students to study and see international justice in action.

The Program has been conducted successfully in the summer of 2008 and 2009, with excellent reviews from students.  It is designed for for human rights minors, pre-law students. law students and anyone interested in this important subject.

There will be time set aside for sightseeing and hiking, and this program will involve plenty of walking and the opportunity to explore interesting areas on foot. Last year we encountered rain and cool weather, and it will be important to bring sturdy shoes or light hiking boots.  Rain gear is important as well and the program director will be providing more detailed information in the spring to the people selected for the program.

Additional questions can be submitted by e-mail to the program director. For students admitted to the program there will be more detailed information provided, and a series of special meetings will be offered, both in Tacoma and Seattle.