By Muduku Derrick Brian
The Uganda Christian University (UCU) School of Law has received a donation of publications and books on the subject of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), from the International Community of the Red Cross (ICRC). The assortment of literature, delivered in multiple khaki boxes, was handed over to Miriam Aceng, Associate Dean at the School of Law by Jane Patricia Bako, a representative of ICRC, on the afternoon of Friday, March 25, 2022.
The donation comes to enrich the School’s International Humanitarian Law literature stock and to further enhance the knowledge base of students that undertake the course unit, during their course of study.
“This is a great initiative for the School. Students here offer International Humanitarian Law as an elective course unit in their fourth year of study. These books will help them in their academic work,” said Miriam Aceng, while receiving the assortment at the School’s premises.
She also noted that the publications will aid students currently writing their dissertations in line with Humanitarian law and those who participate in international law moots and essay competitions will especially benefit from the donation.
Aceng says that the books will be accessible to all students.” We are going to have some copies here at the School but also a shelf will be set up in the library for students to access these books,” she said in the presence of the Acting Deputy Librarian, David Bukenya.
Speaking on behalf of ICRC- Uganda, Bako, the organization’s Communication and Prevention Manager, appreciated UCU’s focus on IHL as a course unit and said the organization was eager to boost the School’s effort in equipping students with knowledge within that field.
Bako noted that a survey they conducted revealed UCU as the only university in Uganda offering IHL as a full course unit; a finding that interested ICRC… “We know that UCU is the only University that teaches International Humanitarian Law as a course unit of its own, unlike other universities which fuse it with International law,” she said
“These books will ensure that there is teaching and reading material that will ensure that students understand this concept even more.”
Bako also challenged the administration to ensure that with possession of such knowledge, students are enlightened enough in the legal aspects of IHL, in order to address the issues that affect society such as police brutality, human rights violation, among other socio-political or economic evils.
Agnes Kabatooro, a law student who witnessed the handover ceremony was excited about the new literature and said she was looking forward to benefiting from these publications so that she can achieve her dream of being a lawyer who will be of impact to society.
The donation comes as part of an ICRC effort to equip universities offering IHL with literature that would facilitate student learning. It had been a few days since they donated to Makerere, among other universities.
The ICRC is an impartial, neutral and independent organization whose exclusively humanitarian mission is to protect the lives and dignity of victims of armed conflict and other situations of violence and to provide them with assistance. Among its mandates is the facilitation of the incorporation of International Law in education institutions
