As part of the webinar series on the Interface between Buddhism and International Humanitarian Law (IHL), the Transnational Network of Theravada Studies in collaboration with Shan State Buddhist University, King’s College London, International Association of Buddhist Universities, International Association of Theravada Buddhist Universities and the ICRC, organised a webinar on 19 February 2021.

At Buddhism’s core is the recognition of suffering and the promotion of means to alleviate it, by challenging our understanding and making changes to our conduct. It has applied these means both to the quest for salvation and to the troubles that afflict society and has grappled with the reality of war throughout its long history.

This suggests a possible convergence of some of the aims of Buddhism and IHL. But what guidance does Buddhism provide to those caught up in the midst of hostilities, and how do Buddhism and IHL compare in this respect? It is timely and relevant to explore these two distinct bodies of ethics and legal traditions from inter-disciplinary perspectives.

Ms. Charya Samarakoon (Centre for Policy Alternatives, Colombo, Sri Lanka) presented on the topic of “Conflict-Related Sexual Violence and Buddhist Principles” and after her presentation, the session was opened up to questions from attendees.

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For listening to the webinar in:
– Bahasa Indonesia, please click here.
– Sinhala, please click here.
– Thai, please click here.