Shelters from the Storm
Developments in International Humanitarian Law
Edited by William Malley, Australian Defence Studies Centre, in cooperation with the Australian Red Cross, Canberra, 1995

The rules of international humanitarian law are designed to provide protection for both combatants and non-combatants when armed conflicts occur. The scope and effectiveness of these rules remain a matter of controversy, and never more so than in the post-Cold War era, where internal conflicts have cost thousands of lives and seriously challenged the humanitarian commitments of all concerned.

In December 1994, the Australian Red Cross and the Australian Defence Studies Centre hosted the Second Regional Conference on International Humanitarian Law. This book contains the papers presented at the conference, together with selected commentaries offered by participants, and records a noteable landmark in the movement towards a law of armed conflict for the 1990s and beyond.

Available in English from the Australian Defence Studies Centre, University College, University of New South Wales, Canberra ACT 2600.

War and Public Health
By Dr Pierre Perrin, ICRC, Geneva, 1996

This manual is designed for health professionals involved in humanitarian activities during armed
conflict. It deals with the major health problems suffered by displaced populations and shows, stage by stage, how it is possible to put in place a health system able to respond to the basic needs of people affected by a conflict.
The book also expands on the question of protection of conflict victims, in particular with regard to those aspects of humanitarian law directly related to health. In addition, it provides food for thought for health workers on the ethical problems that can arise during humanitarian interventions.

Available in English and French from the ICRC. Sfr 35.

Choosing our Future: Visions of a Sustainable World
Edited by Tanvi Nagpal and Camilla Foltz, World Resources Institute, 1995

In a mere 50 years, life for millions of people will be very different from what it is today as a result of population growth, increased energy use, climate change and other potentially devastating trends. Despite growing recognition of the need for more “sustainable” systems to avert these risks and ensure a better future, practical guidance on “sustainabi-lity” is hard to find.

This collection of candid essays and informal interviews offers some real-life answers. Individuals from over 30 countries — an ambulance driver in Zimbabwe, an economist in Argentina, a geographer in Russia, a dancer in Mongolia, and dozens more — describe their visions for a sustainable future and what they hope the world will be like for their grandchildren. The book brings a human perspective, with fresh ideas and new ways of thinking, to the
growing literature on sustainable development.

Available in English from World Resources Institute, 1709 New York Avenue, N.W., Washington D.C. 20006, USA. US$14.95.

First Aid: Responding to Emergencies
Australian Red Cross, Melbourne, 1995

As part of a nationwide campaign to improve first-aid skills among the general public, the Australian Red Cross has published a comprehensive manual on how to deal with just about any medical emergency. Topics covered range from cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency childbirth to broken limbs and snake bite. The clearly presented step-by-step guidelines on what to do when confronted by such an emergency are aided by colour photographs and diagrams.

Each chapter begins with a typical case study introducing its subject matter, follows with an easy to understand explanation and ends with a study guide.

Available in English from the Australian Red Cross, 206 Clarendon Street, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002, Australia. Aus$ 29.95 plus postage.

The Humanitarian Diplomacy of the ICRC and the Conflict in Croatia (1991-1992)
By Jean-François Berger, ICRC, Geneva, 1995

When war broke out in Croatia in the summer of 1991, it sounded the death knell of Tito’s Yugoslavia. The magnitude of the tragedy which spilled over into neighbouring Bosnia-Herzegovina was the most serious threat to peace in Europe since the Second World War. In the face of this immense challenge, the ICRC initiated intricate negotiations with all the parties to the conflict on the basis of the Geneva Conventions.

Head of the ICRC’s Yugoslavia taskforce between 1991 and 1992, the author takes a look at the successes and failures of this difficult negotiation process and, with the benefit of hindsight, draws conclusions based on the experiences of the main
protagonists.

Available in English and French from the ICRC. Sfr 17.

Somalia, Rwanda and Beyond
Edited by Edward Girardet and co-edited by Andrea Bartoli and Jeffrey Carmel, Crosslines Communications Ltd, Ireland, 1995

The purpose of this book is to explore the role of the international media in the reporting of wars and humanitarian crises. By focusing on recent conflicts in Somalia, Rwanda and Chechnya, as well as on long-running and often ignored wars in Angola and Sri Lanka, it aims to highlight some of the trends now affecting the quality of journalistic reporting. It consists of a series of essays by journalists, analysts and representatives of humanitarian agencies. The issues they raise are intended to stimulate debate and help find ways for the media and aid agencies to work together more effectively.

Available from Crosslines Global Report, P.O. Box 171, CH-1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland. US$ 15.

Water and War
ICRC, Geneva, 1995

This is a report on the proceedings of a symposium on water in armed conflicts organised by the ICRC
in Montreux, Switzerland in November 1994. The aim of the symposium, which brought together aid agencies, health professionals, water and sanitation engineers, lawyers and journalists, was to draw the international community’s attention to the problems engendered by the use of water as a weapon to destroy or subjugate whole communities during wartime. By raising awareness of the matter, the ICRC hopes to ensure better protection for civilians from the abuse and misuse of water resources during hostilities, in particular the destruction of pumping installations and the disruption of water-supply systems.

Available in English from the ICRC. Sfr 25.

Enfants sans enfance
By Paulo David, Hachette, Paris, 1995

Although their rights have been universally recognised since 1989, children throughout the world continue to be neglected, abused, exploited, tortured and murdered. This book, entitled “Children without childhood”, has a dual purpose: first, to make the point that a human rights approach is applicable to this most vulnerable sector of the population and, second, to analyse possible solutions and foster a greater understanding of the complexities of the problem, in order to bring about more literal respect for the rights of the child.

The author, a former journalist who has worked for the Federation and is currently a member of the secretariat of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, illustrates his case with numerous examples of cruel violations and inappropriate responses and explores the difficulties that the international community has encountered in putting the rights of the child into effect.

Available in French from Hachette Livre S.A.,43, quai de Grenelle, 75905 Paris Cedex 15, France.
FF 58.

Life in a field hospital
By Jean-Bernard Menoud in cooperation with the ICRC, Geneva, 1996, 52 minutes

This film transports you to an ICRC surgical hospital located in a no-man’s-land between Kenya and Sudan and immerses you in the daily life and routine of its staff and patients. Here, surgeons, nurses, physiotherapists and other medical staff from National Societies around the world live in temporary isolation in the service of the victims of the forgotten conflict in southern Sudan. The staff’s experiences and impressions, the patients’ own stories, scenes of suffering and immense fortitude — even humour — combine to provide a vivid picture of the daily rhythms of the hospital set against the backdrop of the African bush.

Available in English and French from the ICRC.

ICRC Retrospective 1995
ICRC, Geneva, 1996, 13 min. 20 sec.

As each year, the ICRC looks back over its humanitarian activities of the previous 12 months. In 1995, the year which marked the 50th anniversary of the end of the Second World War and also the 50th birthday of the United Nations, there seemed to be no let up in the suffering and loss of life caused by armed conflict. The powerful images, many from archive and news footage, are a stark reminder that the hopes and promises of peace shared by all in the aftermath of the war and again at the end of the Cold War have yet to be realised.

Available from the ICRC in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Japanese and Russian. Also available with International Soundtrack (IT). VHS copy Sfr 20.

Community and Shelter
Oxfam America, Boston, 1996,
24 minutes

Community and Shelter are the first and second parts of a series of educational videos produced by Oxfam America, the international development and disaster relief organisation. Shelter depicts how loss of life and livelihood from cyclones in Bangladesh has dramatically decreased after a project to build cyclone shelters, plant trees and conduct disaster preparedness training was initiated. Community portrays the dramatic social and economic transformation of a community through local development initiatives, which includes micro-credit schemes and gender-awareness training.

Available in English from Oxfam America, 26 West Street, Boston, MA 0211-1206, USA.