Ten years ago, most students of American foreign policy would have agreed that forcible intervention abroad by the United States for humanitarian purposes was both unlikely and illegal in most circumstances. However, interventions during the last decade, e.g. in Somalia, Haiti, and Kosovo, challenge the inviolability of state sovereignty. We are now witnessing a move towards a new international order where foreign restitution of human rights overrides state sovereignty. In a series of events throughout the semester, nationally renowned policy makers and scholars will explore these important questions, laying out contending positions and proposing bases for future policy actions.
All events are free and open to the public.
According to many observers, U.S. interventions in Somalia, Haiti, and Kosovo are evidence of a significant shift in international law and practice toward acceptance of the right of forcible intervention when massive violations of human rights are occuring within a state s borders. This proposition, however, demands careful specification of the conditions that can legitimately override a nation's sovereign rights. These questions will be the focus of a panel discussion with national experts and policy makers. Mr. Hashmi s research focuses on international ethics. Washington D.C. Ms.