The International Human Rights Law Summer Study (IHRLSS) took place on July 19-28, 2010 in Vilnius (Lithuania) with the participation of the Lithuanian Minister of Justice Remigijus Šimašius in the closing ceremony on July 28.
The Summer Study is a two-week intensive program providing comprehensive exposure to International Human Rights Law. As a rapidly developing interdisciplinary field, International Human Rights Law is gaining importance in an increasingly globalized and ever more interconnected world.
According to the Lithuanian Minister of Justice R. Šimašius, human rights and freedom is the basis and guarantee of democracy. It is one of the most relevant issues within sovereign countries and in the context of international relations. The implementation of universal human rights and freedom reinforces peace, provides security by preventing aggression, corruption and crime. Therefore, it is very important to improve legal system and develop international cooperation in order to provide security for people and allow for using their rights in any country.
This year 31 students and 18 lecturers from Belarus, Canada, France, Georgia, Lithuania, Russia and the United States participated in the program. The program featured intensive classroom instruction with classes conducted by practitioners, professors, and experts in the fields of international and human rights law. Classroom instruction was enhanced by experiential components such as workshops, field work and site visits.
The Summer Study was introduced in 2008 through a unique partnership involving the Elon University Center for Public Affairs (USA), NGO Bring Human Rights Home (USA), Human Rights Monitoring Institute (Lithuania), and Mykolas Romeris University (Lithuania). The European Humanities University (Belarus-Lithuania) joined the partnership in 2008.
