MIP hosts history teachers as part of seminar on “Seeking Justice from Nuremberg to The Hague”

On 2 and 3 October 2023, the Mechanism Information Programme for Affected Communities (MIP) hosted a group of 30 history teachers from the former Yugoslavia and elsewhere in Europe at the Hague branch of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism).

This two-day visit was part of a Teacher Seminar entitled “Seeking Justice from Nuremberg to The Hague”, organised in cooperation with the European Association of History Educators (EUROCLIO) and the International Association for Intercultural Education (IAIE).

The objective of the seminar was to provide the history teachers with a comprehensive understanding of the work and legacy of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the Mechanism, and to show them how the archives of these institutions can be used when creating teaching materials on the 1990s conflicts.

Mechanism Press Officer Ms Helena Eggleston, together with MIP Researcher Mr Nemanja Stjepanović, gave a series of presentations that served as a platform to encourage dialogue among participants on the important legacy of the ICTY and the Mechanism, as well as a broad range of issues related to international criminal justice and accountability.

Ms Anisa Suceska, MIP Youth Outreach Coordinator, also delivered a presentation on the opportunities that the ICTY and Mechanism archives provide in relation to developing outlines for other school-based activities, as described in the MIP’s Guide for History Teachers: How to Use Archival Material of the ICTY and Mechanism in Teaching the History of the 1990s Conflicts. Launched in May 2023 in The Hague, this Guide was developed by the MIP in cooperation with EUROCLIO and representatives of teacher associations from across the former Yugoslavia.

During the visit, the participating educators were encouraged to share their ideas and the experiences they have had when teaching students about international criminal justice. The discussions addressed how to best educate youth about topics such as the definitions of justice and injustice; the Nuremberg trials; and the subsequent development of the ICTY, the Mechanism, and the International Criminal Court.

The aim of the MIP is to improve the knowledge and understanding of citizens and communities in the countries of the former Yugoslavia about the crimes committed during the conflicts of the 1990s, based on ICTY and Mechanism cases. The MIP is funded by the European Union.