Syracuse University Institute for Security Policy and Law’s projects on Security in the Middle East and Islam address topics fundamental to the rule of law, conflict resolution, and postconflict reconstruction in this region, including the application of international humanitarian law, human rights law, and postconflict justice.
New Battlefields, Old Laws
One of SPL’s signature projects, New Battlefields/Old Laws (NBOL) began with a 2007 symposium to commemorate the 100th anniversary of The Hague Convention of 1907. Held at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC, this conference brought together an international team of scholars, government officials, and human rights experts, moderated by NPR’s Robert Siegel and Tom Ricks of The Washington Post.
The project has since grown into a series of interdisciplinary workshops and publications that reexamine the application of centuries-old customs and laws of armed conflict in the age of asymmetric warfare. This project has produced two books that closely examine international humanitarian law in the 21st century: New Battlefields/Old Laws: Critical Debates from the Hague Convention to Asymmetric Warfare (Columbia UP, 2011) and Counterinsurgency Law: New Directions in Asymmetric Warfare (Oxford UP, 2012).
Program on Security in the Middle East
SPL’s Program on Security in the Middle East is a unique graduate program that facilitates student engagement with scholars, renowned experts, and practitioners.
Becker Lecture Series
As part of SPL’s Program on Security in the Middle East, SPL hosts renowned scholars and experts to discuss the pressing challenges and complexities of security in the Middle East. Carol Becker speakers present to the SU community and meet with SPL students to discuss and debate security challenges facing the region.
Syrian Accountability Project
Started at Syracuse University College of Law in 2011, the Syrian Accountability Project (SAP) is a cooperative effort between activists, non-governmental organizations, students, and other interested parties to document war crimes and crimes against humanity in the context of the Syrian Crisis.