Dubrovnik 2025 "Atrocity Crimes Prevention and Human Rights''
From May 18 to May 23, 2025, the summer school “Atrocity Crimes Prevention and Human Rights: Implementing the Responsibility to Protect” took place in Dubrovnik, Croatia. This year, numerous international experts provided exciting insights into research and practice. Participating were ten students from the Master’s program “International Criminal Justice: Law, History, Politics”, who received funding from the ICWC.
Read here the students’ report:
In May, together with participants from many different countries, we had the opportunity to attend the interdisciplinary summer school “Atrocity Crimes Prevention and Human Rights: Implementing the Responsibility to Protect” at the Inter University Centre (IUC) in Dubrovnik. The program focused primarily on the international principle of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), which obliges states to protect populations from severe human rights violations.
Right at the beginning of the week, an interactive simulation led by Jeffrey Sizemore (Deputy Director, Office of Security and Human Rights, U.S. Department of State) provided a practical introduction to the topic. In a fictional scenario, participants developed measures to prevent atrocities. In the following days, numerous expert lectures and discussions offered insights into the R2P principle from a variety of academic and practical perspectives.
The summer school was not only characterized by its theoretical depth. Through case studies, simulations, and interactive group work, the participants reflected on and applied what they had learned in practical formats. In small groups, students developed their own positions, which were later presented in plenary sessions. The program was complemented by optional activities such as a city tour and a walk along the historic walls of Dubrovnik.
Moreover, the summer school provided students not only with an excellent opportunity to network with international R2P experts but also to exchange ideas with students from different countries and academic disciplines. All these experiences made participation in the summer school an especially enriching experience.