On Thursday, 19 June 2008, PCHR Training Unit concluded the fourth in a
series of training courses in human rights and gender, which was designed
for young volunteers at community groups in Deir al-Balah District in the
central Gaza Strip.
The training course was held at al-Maghazi Cultural Center in al-Maghazi
refugee camp in the period 15-19 June 2008. The number of participants in
the 20-hour course was 19 representing 7 active community groups in Deir al-Balah
District.
Mr. Bassam al-Aqra’, Director of PCHR Training Unit, stated that the
training course covered a variety of human rights topics, including the
International Bill of Human Rights (Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
Covenant on Economic, social, and cultural rights; Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights), Second Protocol Additional to the Convention against the
Death Penalty, International Criminal Court, Convention on the Rights of the
Child and Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women; gender; the rule of law; and the independence of the
judiciary.
In his concluding speech, Mr. Bassam Shaheen, Director of al-Maghazi
Cultural Center, highly appreciated PCHR’s role in the promotion of the
culture of human rights among the youth, hoping that the participants have
got maximum benefits from the course and wishing that they would share the
knowledge they have gained with their colleagues at their respective
associations.
In his speech, Mr. ‘Abdul Halim Abu Samra, Public Relations Officer at PCHR
sub-office in Khan Yunis, stated that such course aim at promoting the human
rights culture, emphasizing that knowing the rights is the first step
towards realizing them. He further indicated that PCHR has a specialized
library, which is open for all.
The participants highly appraised the theoretical information included in
the course and the methods used in training, which enriched the training
sessions and encouraged discussions. In the end, certificates were awarded
to the participants.
The training was conducted by a number of specialized trainers who use
various training techniques that promote effective participation and
fruitful discussion: Bassam al-Aqra’, Director of Training Unit; Muna al-Shawa,
Director of Women’s Rights Unit; Majeda Shihada and Lawyer Sameer Hassaniya,
from the Women’s Rights Unit; and Lawyer Shareef Abu Nassar, from the Legal
Aid Unit.
