Andrew Fitzgerald/ Winonan
Don Scheid, emeritus professor of philosophy at Winona State University, led a discussion on the possibility of Armed Humanitarian Intervention becoming a recognized part of international law as part of the CLASP lecture on April 2.
Armed Humanitarian Intervention (AHI), referring to any military intervention in a nation state by outside forces, could range anywhere from establishing a no-fly zone to conducting a full-scale invasion of a territory.
Citing the Rwandan Genocide as well as the 2011 anti-Gaddafi Libyan riots as examples of what this policy seeks to prevent, Scheid’s lecture focused on two pertinent questions: Should AHI be incorporated as a part of international law, and if so, do citizens of the world have an obligation to support and/or participate?
For some, this policy is viewed as a broader form of “third party self defense,” a concept recognized under domestic law in our country: If a person is under unjust assault and has the right of self defense, a third party has the right to help defend against the attacker.
This is not currently accepted under international law, as was noted in the lecture.
“It is thought of as permissible, but not obligatory,” Scheid said. “We have some basic moral principles that seem to support [AHI].”
Although the idea of AHI is no doubt an admirable and morally sound addition to international law, there are certain issues to arise from such actions, many of which were addressed in the discussion portion following the lecture.
While the main goal of AHI is to protect citizens of a given state from mass atrocities – such as genocide and ethnic cleansing – there are often accusations of pursuing regime changes under the guise of humanitarian intervention, as was the case following the Libyan Riots in 2011.
The aftermath of such actions is another factor to consider. There is often debate regarding who should be required to pick up the costs of rebuilding and restoring the affected areas. Some argue those who intervene have done their part and should not have to pick up these additional responsibilities, while others believe it is their obligation to do so.
In the discussion portion of the lecture, a student pointed out these factors could become a slippery slope, to which Scheid admitted he has no conclusive answer or solution.
“Trying to second guess intentions with international interventions is impossible,” Scheid said.
Nevertheless, Scheid said, this is an important issue for all to think about. Globalization requires the global population to look beyond the borders of specific nations to become citizens of the world.
