Eight local matrics are today winging their way to central Europe to attend the Model International Criminal Court (MICC) held in Krzyzowa, Poland, and Berlin, Germany.
Eight local matrics are today winging their way to central Europe to attend the Model International Criminal Court (MICC) held in Krzyzowa, Poland, and Berlin, Germany.
The MICC program held from 4-10 May invites students from various nations which have suffered gross human rights violations, including Poland, Germany, The Netherlands, Portugal, Argentina, Vietnam, Uganda and South Africa.
The Kreisau-Initiative, which was set up by East and West Berliners, before the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989, partnered with the Rhodes Law Clinic to select eight matrics from various schools in Grahamstown to attend the human rights-promoting event.
The students are Nomathamsanqu Zono from Mary Waters, Anelisa Valela and Ntsikelelo Charles from Ntsiki High School, Simotha Qinisile, Teneal Potts and Nita Harry from Victoria Girls High school and Lwazi Kamana and Mbasa Ngcoza from Graeme College.
They will arrive in Berlin and drive to Kryzyzowa, which held the first concentration camp in Poland.
The MICC was created as a result of atrocities committed during World War 2 and aims to bring to the fore human violations in countries which have suffered similar atrocities.
This is done by exposing students to simulation trials, where they are placed in multi-national teams and feature as prosecutors, members of the defense, judges or the media.
Workshops will be held on human rights and students will also receive legal and rhetorical training to learn how to adequately argue their roles in cases during simulations.
According to the MICC document brief, “Students get to know more about the background of the conflict, learn who was responsible, but also learn that a fair trial is the basis for sustainable justice and the protection of human rights.”
