Ref: 24/2013

The Democratic Development Unit
(DDU) of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) organized three
seminars in cooperation with the National Palestinian Association for Youth
(Benaa’) in Gaza City in the last two days. 
Those meetings which targeted groups of youth addressed with two tpics:
the right of political participation and the right to freedom of opinion and
expression.

On Sunday, 31 March 2013, the DDU
held a seminar at the association’s office in Gaza City on the right to freedom
of opinion and expression, which was attended by 21 participants, including 17
females. On Thursday, 28 March 2013, the DDU organized two seminars on the
right of political participation for two youth groups, half of them are
females.  These meetings facilitated by
Mr. Mohammed Abu Hashem, a human rights activist.

Noteworthy that SINCE the beginning of 2013,
the DDU has organized 16 seminars for youth groups  in cooperation with local organizations such
as the Palestinian Institute for Communication and Development, the Human
Rights club at Palestine University, Dar al-Shabab Association in Jabalia, Afaq
Association for Development in Gaza City. The meetings dealt with the following
topics: the rights of political participation, the right of political
participation for women, Democracy in Palestine, the right to freedom of
opinion and expression, abolishment of the death penalty, and transitional Justice. The number of participants in those
meeting has been 360, including 260 females; most of them are university
students who are activists at civil society organizations.

These meetings
are part of PCHR’s continuous efforts
to promote the culture of democracy and human rights in the Palestinian
society.