Ref:
11/2011

On 17 March 2011,
the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights’ (PCHR) Training Unit concluded a training course on human
rights and democracy in cooperation with the Allied Cultural and Social
Association in Rafah. The five consecutive day training course took place in
Rafah Services Club in Rafah city between 13 and 17 March 2011 (20 training
hours). Twenty five participants from five community based organizations in
Rafah participated in the course.

The course
addressed several international human rights agreements including the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on civil and political Rights, the
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and
the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The course also
addressed other topics such as the rule of law, the independence of the
judiciary and democracy in concept and in practice.

A team of
specialized trainers from PCHR including Majda Shehata, researcher at PCHR’s
Women’s Rights Unit, Sharif Abu Nassar, lawyer at PCHR’s Legal Unit , Bassam
al-Aqra, Director of PCHR’s Training Unit, and Khalil Shahin, Director of
PCHR’s Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Unit, managed the training course.

In his closing
speech, Bassam al-Aqra explained that this training course is a part of
continued efforts made by PCHR to uphold human rights in the Palestinian
society in cooperation with civil society organizations. He also explained that
it is a part of a three-year project titled ‘Improving Awareness and Respect
for Human Rights in the OPT’ and funded by the European Union and Oxfam Novib.
Al-Aqra invited the participants to benefit from the services provided by PCHR,
stressing that PCHR doors are open to everyone. He said that he hopes that this
training course is a part of the continued constructive relationship between PCHR
on one hand and other civil society organizations and Palestinians on the other
hand.

Participants
appreciated PCHR efforts aimed at disseminating the culture of human rights in
the Palestinian society. Ula Ghanem, one of the participants, said that the training
course contributed to raising participants’ awareness about human rights. She
stressed that the course addressed rich topics, noting that it will positively
reflect on them at professional and social levels. She praised the capabilities
of the trainers and the interactive different training methods which were
employed during the training course. She added that the effective
participations and discussions which were allowed during the course benefited
her. At the end of the last training day, certificates were distributed to the
participants.