Amman, Jordan – A summer program focused on human rights during armed conflict was kicked off this week by the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor and the faculty of law at the University of Jordan, Amman.

The program, which continues until August 3, has attracted students from seven Arab countries, including Yemen, Libya and Syria—all currently enduring armed conflicts.

“Our goal is to professionalize the pursuit of human rights,” says Ramy Abdu, PhD, chair of Euro-Med Monitor, a Geneva-based nonprofit. “There are many obstacles in the way of documenting violations in war-torn areas and seeking legal redress, and our goal is to both increase the number of people who are trained to do so and support them.”

The summer program covers subjects such as humanitarian and international law, intra and international conflict and occupation, detainees and prisoners of war, and the concept of military participation versus intervention. Other focus areas include excessive use of force, asylum, the International Criminal Court and the United Nations as an international watchdog.

The training is led by experts from Lebanon, Tunisia, Jordan and others nations, including Dr. Ihsan Adel, Euro-Med Monitor legal adviser; Dr. Hassan Joni, specialist in international humanitarian law; Dr. Shaimaa Abu Farha, legal counsel to the International Committee of the Red Cross; Dr. Muhammed Olwan, expert in international law for human rights; and Dr. Kamal Aify, a human rights expert from Voix Libre.

Participants will be evaluated at the end of the intensive human rights program to determine what they have learned and how they can apply it.