By Jhr. Alexander W. Beelaerts van Blokland.
The Hague is world wide well known as the international city of justice and peace with its many international courts and tribunals. But also in other fields of justice and peace The Hague plays more and more an important role.
The Hague organization Justice and Peace The Netherlands is active in the field of local justice on a global scale and was the first Dutch so called ‘Shelter City’, followed by the Dutch cities of Amsterdam, Groningen, Maastricht, Middelburg, Nijmegen, Tilburg and Utrecht. What are Shelter Cities ?
Many countries in the world suffer under severe corruption, extreme violence and lack of human rights. But in all those countries there are very courageous leaders, journalists, attorneys, artists, scientists and others who risk prison or even their own lives by fighting against violations of human rights. These Defenders of Human Rights are real heroes. Those who take such risks need to be encouraged in their fight.
That is what the Shelter Cities do: they each give Defenders of Human Rights from all over the world in the first place a temporary shelter to recover their breath in a peaceful country like The Netherlands. Of course these Shelter Cities do more.
For instance: in september 2016 Justice and Peace The Netherlands will organize again the three month The Hague Training Course for Human Rights Defenders on Security. No less than 150 persons from 21 countries from all over the world applied; there has to be made a selection.
Justice and Peace The Netherlands organizes meetings and workshops for them with international organizations such as NGO’s, as well as with local organizations such as Universities, local governments, local inhabitants etcetera. The participants of the Training Course themselves exchange their experiences with each other and build a world wide network of Human Rights Defenders.
And the NGO’s and all the other organizations mentioned before learn about the usually terrible things the participants tell about the situation in their home countries, what they have done against it and with what results.
This is what The Hague organizes several times a year and so do the other seven Shelter Cities in The Netherlands.
About the author: Jhr. Alexander W. Beelaerts van Blokland LL.M., Justice (Judge) in the (Dutch) Court of Appeal and Special Advisor International Affairs, appointed in 2004 by the Mayor and Aldermen of The Hague
