On June 21, 2010 the Supreme Court ruled against the Humanitarian Law Project in a case that effectively expanded the criminal prohibition on providing material support to terrorism to include many peacebuilding activities. Up until that time it was possible for U.S. peacebuilding organizations to engage listed terrorist organizations in peace processes, including providing training and expert advice and assistance. Historic moments like signing of the Good Friday Agreement in the north of Ireland and the end of apartheid in South Africa would not have been possible without engaging the Irish Republican Army or the African National Congress, both listed terrorist organizations at the time.
The HLP decision has severely limited the potential for peace processes and conflict reduction around the world. In this webinar we explore what the decision said (and did not say), review the impacts on the ground and look to the future and what needs to be done to fix the damage.
This webinar was recorded on June 19, 2020.
View the recording of the webinar here.
View Liz Hume’s slides here.
View the Charity & Security Network’s slides here.
View Stacey Schamber’s slides here.
About our speakers:
David Cole – National Legal Director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
He represented the Humanitarian Law Project in the case. Before joining the ACLU in July 2016, Cole was the Hon. George J. Mitchell Professor in Law and Public Policy at the Georgetown University Law Center] from March 2014 through December 2016. He has published in various legal fields including constitutional law, national security, criminal justice, civil rights, and law and literature. Find out more about David here.
Liz Hume – Vice President of the Alliance for Peacebuilding
Elizabeth (Liz) Hume is the Vice President at the Alliance for Peacebuilding. She is a conflict expert and has more than 20 years of experience in senior leadership positions in bilateral, multilateral institutions and NGOs. She has extensive experience in policy and advocacy and overseeing sizeable and complex peacebuilding programs in conflict-affected and fragile states in Asia, Eastern Europe and Africa. Read Liz’s full bio at the Alliance for Peacebuilding.
Stacey Schamber – Senior Program Officer at the International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN)
At the International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN), Stacey Schamber provides technical assistance on the Better Peace Initiative, the Women’s Alliance for Security Leadership (WASL), and issues of protection and psychosocial support. She is trained as a licensed Clinical Social Worker, with a specialty in trauma, and worked in healthcare and mental healthcare settings in the US. She has trained Social Workers internationally in Ethiopia, Lebanon, and India. Read Stacey’s full bio at ICAN.
