Welcome

You are invited to become a citizen advocate for the Geneva Conventions
and related agreements in International Humanitarian Law.

The Citizens' Interfaith Coalition to Reaffirm and Extend the Geneva Conventions (www.SupportGenevaConventions.info) provides information and welcomes your participation, expressions of concern, and advocacy regarding injury to civilians in the conduct of war, and about the treatment of wartime detainees and prisoners. These concerns, defined by the Geneva Conventions and codified over 140 years, continue to be the focus of medical aid societies around the world flying the Red Cross, Red Crescent (Muslim) and Red Crystal (universal) flags. These compassionate concerns about restraining the violence of war, overlap, and have been carried forward by, a new generation of international treaties, including

• the United Nations Convention Against Torture,
  
• the Ottawa Convention Against Anti-personnel Landmines,
• the United Nations Convention Against Genocide,
• and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Unfortunately for everyone in the world, great documents such as the Geneva Conventions and these more recent treaties do not automatically implement themselves. The horrific tragedies unfolding in Iraq, Sudan and other places convince us that only when a great many people know about these treaties, champion their observance, and press public officials to do the same on an ongoing basis, will governments actually implement the principles and restraints contained in the treaties. This is the great work we invite you to join as a citizen advocate.

The Geneva Conventions are a series of international treaties intended to limit the violence of war and protect civilians, prisoners and wounded soldiers in time of war and civil conflict. For example, wounded soldiers must be cared for regardless of which side they were fighting for. Prisoners of war may not be killed or mistreated. Detainees may not be tortured to extract information from them. Attacks must focus on military targets only. The first Geneva Convention treaty was signed in 1864, and the treaty has been renegotiated and expanded several times since then, most recently in 1949 and 1977. The United States is a signatory to the Geneva Conventions, and therefore they have the force of law for U.S. citizens. (for more information, please see the Summary at the bottom of this page, the References Page or click here for an excellent summary from the Pleace Pledge Union )

How did the Geneva Conventions get started?

In June of 1859, Jean Henri Dunant, a devout Swiss businessman, came upon the aftermath of the battle of Solferino (Italy). Approximately 30,000 wounded troops had been abandoned by their armies and left to die on what had been the battlefield. Deeply moved by the plight of the dying soldiers, Dunant organized a makeshift field hospital with the help of women from nearby towns, and even spent his own money to buy needed supplies. Out of this experience grew both the Red Cross and the Geneva Conventions. In 1901, Dunant was awarded the first-ever Nobel Peace Prize for his role in founding the International Red Cross Movement and initiating the first Geneva Convention treaty. (for more information, see the Wikipedia article about Henri Dunant)

Why are the Geneva Conventions and related treaties important today?

First, war has changed dramatically in the last century and is continuing to change today. Recent studies indicate that ninety percent of the casualties of modern wars are civilians. Weapons such as landmines, cluster bombs and depleted uranium anti-tank shells will continue to injure and poison civilians for many decades, and even centuries, after the armies have gone home. People of goodwill around the world need to make a conscious effort to renew and extend the Geneva Conventions, or even the modest protections they seek to provide will be lost and the world will become a more brutal place than it already is.

Second, war tends to bring out the worst in people, as recent attacks on civilians and the torturing to death of prisoners illustrates. Even those who accept war as a legitimate action have many reasons to put restraints on the conduct of war, the treatment of prisoners and the injuring of civilians. Torture destroys the minds and emotions of those who inflict it, so everyone needs to abide by the Geneva Conventions in order to preserve their own sanity. (for more information see the Call to Action)

PDF bumper sticker for citizens of the United States

What can I do? A Five Point Program of Action

You can help as an individual by asking your highest government officials (President, Senators and Representatives in the U.S.) to take the following five steps. You can help as a group by having your civic group or religious community pass formal resolutions in favor of the following steps and then informing both government officials and the media of such resolutions of support.

1. Reaffirmation: press to have your country reaffirm the Geneva Conventions, and treat detainees, civilian or military, in accordance with their standards. (This means no torture of any person under any circumstances.)
   
   
2. A continuing dialogue about implementation: talk to public officials about taking specific steps to ensure that the Geneva Conventions are complied with by every government agency, employee, contractor, and member of the armed forces, without exception.
   
   
3. Extensions and ratifications: extend the Geneva Conventions to ban the use of new weapons that do not discriminate between combatants and non-combatants, such as depleted uranium munitions and cluster bombs [1]. Advocate ratification of the treaty against landmines in countries that have not yet done so (US, Russia, China, India).
   
   
4. Study: make study of the Geneva Conventions and the evolving treaties of international humanitarian law a required part of high school civics courses, college study and military training in your country.
   
   
5. Bearing Witness: participate in personal acts of bearing witness, speaking out, personal penance, and remembrance regarding those who have, at the hands of one's own government,
   
   ..........died under interrogation,
   ..........been imprisoned and tortured to extract "confessions," and
   ..........been killed or wounded by weapons of indiscriminate destructiveness,
   
   all in violation of the Geneva Conventions. We suggest wearing an orange (the color of prison jump suits) arm band, wrist band or bracelet, bearing the words "Reaffirm the Geneva Conventions," "No Torture in My Name," or other similar statements of conscience. (Please see our Bearing Witness page. We also have print-it-yourself bumper stickers and car-window posters on our Bumper Sticker page.)

Your statements, letters and resolutions can become part of this web site.
Please submit them through our Contact page.

• Call to Action

• Bearing Witness

• References and Research -- Library of Articles
  

• Bumper Stickers and Posters

• Recommend this site to a friend

• Circle of Conveners

• Contact/Comment

Notes:

1. Regarding nuclear weapons, which clearly violate the Geneva Conventions but have their own set of treaties, please visit the web sites of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation and the Nuclear Control Institute,