MASU presents: David Crane

David Crane Professor of Practice, College of Law, Syracuse University Diamonds, Guns, and Thugs… The West African Extreme From 2002-2005 Professor Crane served as Chief Prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, an international war crimes tribunal. Professor Crane’s mandate was to prosecute those who bear the greatest responsibility for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other serious violations of international human rights committed during the civil war in Sierra Leone during the 1990’s. Among those he indicted for those horrific crimes was the President of Liberia, Charles Taylor, the first sitting African head of state in history to be held accountable. Professor Crane served over 30 years in the federal government of the United States. Professor Crane teaches international criminal law, international humanitarian law, and national security law at the College of Law. Additionally, he is a member of the faculty of the Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism, a joint venture with the Maxwell School of Public Citizenship at Syracuse University. At 11:00 am Blood Diamonds a documentary will be shown in 100 Eggers Hall Blood Diamonds (46 min) is a documentary that explores the factors that led to the violence, tells the vivid details of the suffering, and speaks with the organizations that eventually exposed the link between diamonds and several brutal African conflicts. Blood Diamonds also looks at the steps eventually taken by advocacy organizations and the diamond industry to combat the problem.