Peace and Justice in The Hague

A unique part about the DIS study abroad program is the integrated traveling with your primary or core class. From the 3rd to the 9th of October I was travelling with my class on the politics of the European Union to The Hague (Netherlands) and Brussels. In contemplating my strategy for telling my adventures I thought about writing one massive post and then decided against. Instead I will tell the stories chronologically, which is also according to location.

Our long study tour started off the way that study tours typically do, with a long bus ride. After driving all day Sunday we arrived at our hotel at 8:30pm. Not wanting to waste any of our short time in the Hague everyone in the class dropped off their luggage in their room and headed into the city. It being a Sunday evening there was not too much going on, but we did manage to find a plaza with some bars and cafes.Monday morning we were all up for breakfast at 8 am and were on the bus by 9 to head to our various meetings.

Before these meetings we had some time to explore the city. We discovered things like royal palaces, royal stables, churches, Netherlands government buildings, a plaza dedicated to William of Orange and of course a good amount of cafes. Below is a picture of a beautiful canal that we came across..

Below is a picture of another place we found while wandering. Here are The Hague government buildings.

After making many discoveries within The Hague, we headed to the Peace Palace where we were to have a tour. The Peace Palace is home to the International Court of Justice, which is the highest judiciary organ within the United Nations, and the Court of Arbitration. Walking up to the Peace Palace one notices extreme amounts of security measures, the gorgeous yet powerful structure which is the palace, and the World Peace Flame. Around the flame are stones with UN member states names, which are subject to the rulings of the ICJ and court of arbitration.

I apologize for it being hard to see the flame. The significance of the flame with the surrounding stones should not be lost due to the flames size.

This is the Peace Palace past the various stages of security. It is absolutely stunning both inside and out. I do not think that I have ever seen a more beautiful building, and within its construction what is designed to be so beautiful is also symbolic of the peace which is the goal of this structure. For example on the outside there are carvings of owls and doves instead of gargoyles; the doves representing peace, and the owls representing wisdom.

Due to security reasons and confidentiality reasons we were not allows to take pictures inside, but oh do I  wish I could of. Imagine yourself being in a marble foyer next to a 8 ft stone vase which was a gift from the russian czar in front of marble double stairs that sweep elegantly downwards towards a marble statue of american lady justice in all her glory, standing before italian stain glass windows on an elegant persian rug that has supported the weight of the world's struggles for generations past. That is what it is like to take in the inner sights of the peaces palace. All carpets, art work, and other decorations are donated by member states, containing a large amount of stories in these pieces. For instance there is a statue overlooking the stairs of Jesus. When asking why the ICJ seems to be endorsing one religion over another, a story is told. Two unnamed countries engaged in the elimination of the other's power went to the Court of Arbitration. Here the conflict was settled eliminating the need for further lose of blood. As a symbol of good faith towards the world community and each other, they melted down ammunition from both sides, and created the statue of Jesus which sits at the top of the Peace Palace stairwell. It is for this reason, displaying success of the court that the statue was given such a prominent location within the palace. Below is a picture of myself in front of the peace palace.

After a quick cup of tea in the belly of the Peace Palace, we headed to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Unfortunately no form of electronics are allowed into the building so I was not able to get any pictures. After a lesson on the events leading up to and in the war, we went up to the court to watch a witness testify in the current case before the court.

The observation room was separated from the court proceedings by a bullet proof glass wall. The witness was additionally protected from identification by being curtained off from the observation section. not only this but the voice of the witness was modified to the point that you couldn't tell if its owner was male or female. They really went to extraordinary measures to make sure that this man would be able to testify in the case without fear of being hunted.

After these unique experiences we headed on the bus for Brussels, with a unique experience of a different sort along the way.

In the world of beer there is a type called Trappiste beers. Trappiste beers are made at 7 monasteries within the world. 6 are in Belgium, and 1 called La Trappe is brewed in the Netherlands. On our way to Brussels we were entertained for two hours by the monks at La Trappe, complete with a three course dinner and beer tasting. Needless to say it was a great experience!

 Here is the monastery from behind the gate. Being one of the 7 makers of Trappiste beers they are able to maintain wonderful grounds.

The visit to La Trappe ended our class's adventures in the Netherlands. As we traveled contently in our bus away from the monastery we headed across the border, and into the realm of the subsequent post.