Ideas from the CBC: A History of Human Shields

The use of human shields is likely as old as war itself. In contemporary times we often see the use of involuntary human shields in war and conflict by both regular armies and militias — a practice forbidden under international humanitarian law. But there is also a long history of people voluntarily putting their lives at risk as a way to protect and show solidarity with a person or ideal or to lay bare a difficult political or social reality. In this episode, we take a look at the history of human shields and how they've been used both as a weapon of war and a weapon of peace.