Ref: 03/2014

The Training Unit at the Palestinian
Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) organized 2 training courses this week on human
rights and mechanisms of access to justice and judicial remedy for Palestinian
farmers and fishermen in the central Gaza Strip. Each one-day course took 4
hours.

The first training was held in 15
January 2014 in al-Maghazi Cultural Centre in al-Maghazi, where 16 fishermen
working off the central Gaza Strip shore attended.

The training included 3 session, as Mr.
Bassam al-Aqra’, Director of PCHR’s Training Unit, gave a brief introduction
about PCHR and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).
Al-Aqra’ facilitated the first session that addressed the concept of human
rights and components of the International Bill of Human Rights.

The second session tackled the concept
of the right to adequate housing, land and property under the international
humanitarian  and human rights laws. Ms.
Ahlam al-Aqra’, lawyer at PCHR’s Legal Aid Unit, facilitated the second
session. She addressed mechanisms of legal aid offered by PCHR to fishermen,
who are victims to the Israeli violations of human rights and explained the
nature of the unit’s work. She also talked about the mechanisms used by the
unit to defend those victims and the mechanisms of observing and documenting
human rights violations, especially those against fishermen in the sea. Ms.
Al-Aqra’ displayed a number of cases relevant to violations against fishermen
and how PCHR succeeded in legally following them up and gaining positive
results. She called the fishermen to go to PCHR in case a fisherman’s rights
were violated in order to follow up his case and offer him the legal aid
needed. At the end of the training, Ms. Ahlam allowed discussion and raising
questions by fishermen and offered them a number of legal consultations.

On 16 January 2014, the second course
was held in al-Maghazi Cutural Center. 
19 farmers working in agricultural lands, east of al-Musader and
al-Maghazi, attended the training.

The one-day training included three
sessions.  Mr. al-Aqra’ talked in brief
about PCHR and the NRC. Mr. Bassam facilitated the first session, during which
he addressed the definition of human rights and the International Bill of Human
Rights (the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. During the second session,
Mr. al-Aqra’ discussed the right to adequate housing, land and property under
the international human rights law and international humanitarian law. 

The third session facilitated by Ms.
al-Aqra’ talked about the mechanisms used to achieve judicial remedy for
farmers.  She also addressed the
importance of monitoring and documenting these violations as a prelude to
achieve justice for victims and legally follow them up.  At the end of the training course,  they discussed legal aid mechanisms and the
role of PCHR in protecting fishermen’s rights as Ms. al-Aqra’ provided legal
consultations to the farmers.

It should be mentioned that these
training courses are intensive ones addressing farmers and fishermen and took
only 1 day each.  The training unit
designed a training program addressing the needs of both categories and in
conformity with their harsh conditions and educational level.  These courses are also part of an 8-month
joint project titled as “Improving Access to Justice.” It is implemented by
PCHR and NRC and targets farmers and fishermen in the Gaza Strip.