International Human Rights Day 2023

International Human Rights Day was celebrated on December 11, 2023 at Loreto College, Kolkata with a Special Lecture on “Child Rights and the Gaza War.” Debi Chatterjee, Retd Professor, Department of International Relations, Jadavpur University shared her thoughts on the application of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) in armed conflict with the students and faculty of the college.

A PPT presentation prepared by the students was screened with images depicting a distressing lack of respect for IHL during armed conflict. International Humanitarian Law, embedded in the fundamental principles of humanity and the dictates of public conscience, is not concerned with making war impossible or preventing war but with setting limits to it to prevent excessive and unnecessary suffering.

Prof. Chatterjee noted how grave breaches of humanitarian law have resulted in children being the worst victims of the ongoing war in the Gaza region. She emphasized that protection of non-combatants and normalization of life in all its parameters should be seen as an urgent imperative, and that a collective responsibility of states, communities, and individuals is the need of the hour. Alongside the warring parties, UN as the voice of the international community has an important role to play.

The programme concluded with a tribute to the Late Professor Ashish Kumar Ghosh, an environmentalist and true humanist who taught the people of Sundarbans how to adapt to climate change and grow saline-water-resistant food crops for sustainable livelihood. A presentation on his life and work was shared with the students in the hope that it would inspire them to help those who are most vulnerable.

The college and the Department of Human Rights is indebted to Sr. Dr. Christine Coutinho for her encouragement and enthusiasm year after year in observing this day to uphold our solemn obligations to human rights.