*Welkom* to our blog! We are the 2008 Group Study Exchange team representing Rotary District 7620 which includes Central Maryland and Washington DC. We will be visiting District 1600, located in the southwestern part of the Netherlands as a part of a professional exchange with members from their district. This exchange is a part of the greater goal of the Rotary Club to promote world peace through the exchange of ideas and the understanding of other cultures. District 1600 includes Rotterdam and The Hague, which are the second and third largest cities in the Netherlands, following Amsterdam. We will be in the Netherlands from April 26 through May 24, during which, we will live with host families, give presentations to several Rotary Clubs and visit vocational sites related to our respective professions. Most of all, we will be immersed in Dutch culture and have many wonderful experiences. We hope you will enjoy reading about our experiences and adventures! *Dank u*

Sunday, May 11, 2008

The Peace Palace and the International Court of Justice


Last Wednesday, I had a private tour of the Peace Palace and the International Court of Justice, which was awesome. The idea for a Peace Palace began back in 1899 with the first international peace conference, which was held in the Hague and was the first of the "Hague conventions." However, it wasn't until 1906 when construction on the Peace Palace began, funded by Andrew Carnegie. It officially opened in 1913. The Palace includes: the International Court of Justice, the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the Hague Academy of International Law, and the Peace Palace Library. I was very lucky to receive a tour from a security guard who works for the International Court of Justice. This was great because I didn't have to crowd in with 100 other tourists and I was able to see things I may not have otherwise seen. The palace is gorgeous! It has many different types of marble, lots of stained glass, and statues or other gifts from all countries. The United States gave a statue of Lady Liberty which is placed at the top of the main staircase. The International Court of Justice is the judicial organ of the United Nations. It settles conflicts between countries and also gives advice to countries when asked. The Great Hall of Justice is quite impressive. It is where the 15 judges sit to hear these cases. For example, a recent case was between Ecudador and Colombia regarding herbicides. I also visited the Peace Palace Library, which is the largest collection of international law books and publications. We then had tea and coffee (because that's just what you do here) and then went to the beautiful gardens. It was all very surreal. Why the Hague? No one could give me a definite answer except that the Netherlands has remained fairly neutral in all European conflicts. There is a peace flame which burns continuously outside of the palace as a symbol for world peace. It was really a great experience!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Very cool. Would have loved that! I used to work with a lot of the Hague Conventions when I was at the State Deparment. Miss you and love you. Gary