Ref: 29/2009

Date: 01 July 2009

PCHR Organizes 2 Panel Discussions in Rafah and Jabalya

On Wednesday 1 July 2009, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights’(PCHR) Democratic Development Unit (DDU) organized 2 panel discussions in Rafah town and Jabalya refugee camp.

The first panel discussion was organized in cooperation with the National Association for Democracy and Law (NADL) in Rafah town. It focused on “political Participation within the Democratic Regime.”  The discussion was attended by around 20 university students and volunteers working in civil society organizations. Salah Abu Hatab, a social activist, presented a paper on political participation within the democratic regime. The participants were then invited to an open discussion on manifestations, characteristics and limitations of the political participation.

The second panel discussion was organized in cooperation with the Jabalya-based Women’s Activities Centre.  It was attended by 35 female activists. During the discussion, Mahmoud al-Efranjy, a researcher in PCHR DDU presented a paper on the right to freedom of expression.  The participants were then invited to an open discussion on the international standards and domestic laws regulating the right to freedom of expression under PNA rule.

These meetings are part of a series of activities organized by PCHR in the context of efforts to promote and develop democracy in the Palestinian society. These meetings aim at raising public awareness with respect to democratic concepts and ways to enhance them in the Palestinian society. PCHR considers such activities essential in light of Palestinians’ deteriorating faith in the democratic process in the last few years.  Such deterioration has arisen consequent to the international community’s boycott of the results of the Palestinian legislative elections of January 2006, and as a result of the internal fragmentation and its consequent destructive impacts on the Palestinian national cause.