Ref: 20/2008
Date: 19 June 2008
PCHR Concludes 4th Training Course for Community Activists
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.
