UW News

October 20, 2004

UW Bothell Professor and Snohomish County Red Cross present panel on Humanity in War

A panel discussion entitled “Humanity in the Midst of War” will be presented at 7 pm  Thursday, Oct. 28 at the University of Washington, Bothell. The event is a co-production of UW Bothell Professor Bruce Kochis and Bea Mansker of the Snohomish County Red Cross and will be held in room UW2 005 on the campus of UW Bothell. The public is invited to attend. For directions call UW Bothell at 425-352-5000 or visit www.uwb.edu.


Kochis and  Mansker will compare and contrast humanitarian law (Geneva Conventions) and human rights law (treaties and conventions, e.g., on the prevention of torture). Both kinds of law are at play in Iraq with varying results. Violations of human rights law are addressed in court systems, while there are no legal consequences for the breaking of the Geneva Conventions. The International Red Cross is responsible for overseeing adherence to the Geneva Conventions, while human rights law is both multi- and transnational.


Some issues that will likely come up in this spirited discussion are the treatment of Guantanamo Bay detainees, the situation at Abu Ghraib prison, the trial of Saddam Hussein, and the role of the International Criminal Court.


The speakers are interested in engaging audience members in discussion about these issues and questions are encouraged.


Bruce Kochis, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Policies Studies in the Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences Program of the University of Washington, Bothell. He teaches courses in international human rights, political culture and public policy, and Eastern European democracies.


His current research is a comparative analysis of the construction and implantation of human rights in developed and developing societies. He is a founder of the University of Washington’s Human Rights Education and Research Network and is current director. Professor Kochis received a University of Washington Distinguished Teaching Award for the year 2000.


Bea Mansker is an American Red Cross national instructor of International Services and Armed Forces Emergence Services, as well as a case manager in both programs. Mansker has been a volunteer with Snohomish Counter Chapter American Red Cross for 22 years, and has been recognized for her outstanding volunteer services in the community.


She was awarded the Volunteer of the Year Award in 1992 by the United Way, the Snohomish County Chapter Glasberg Award in 1992 and was the recipient of the J.C. Penny Gold Acorn Community Award in 2000. She continues to serve her community by volunteering with American Red Cross of Snohomish County and other agencies.