Ref: 12/2010

During the last few days, the Democratic Development Unit (DDU) of the
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) organized four workshops on the
concepts of democracy and political participation in different areas of the
Gaza Strip in cooperation with civil society organizations (SCOs).

The last of these four workshops was held this morning, Thursday, 4
February, in cooperation with Sharek Youth Forum at Sharek’s offices in Rafah.
Salah Abu Hatab, a social activist, facilitated the workshop. He gave a
presentation on democracy and political participation to 23 female and male
youth.

On 1 February, a workshop was held with 42 young people in Sharek’s
offices in Beit Lahia, in the northern the Gaza Strip. Salah Abu Hatab also
facilitated this workshop and gave a presentation on democracy and political
participation.

On 27 January, PCHR’s DDU organized a workshop on “Democracy and
Political Participation” in cooperation with the National Society for Democracy
and Law (NSDL). The workshop, in which a number of journalists, lawyers and
activists in SCOs participated, took place in NSDL’s offices in Rafah. Ahmed
Abu ‘Asaker, NSDL’s Executive Manager, facilitated the workshop. Salah Abu
Hatab spoke about the principles of democratic government. ‘Imad Muhsen,
journalist and political affairs researcher, presented a paper on the emergence
and evolution of democracy. Participants were given the opportunity to discuss
the application of democracy to the Palestinian situation, as well as the the
legitimacy of powers after the expiration of the terms of the President and the
Palestinian Legislative Council.

PCHR’s DDU also organized a workshop on democracy and political
participation in cooperation with Youth Information Gathering in the
Gathering’s offices in al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza. Twenty five
participants were present. A number of members of the Youth Information Gathering
attended the meeting. Salah Abu Hatab gave a presentation on democracy and
political participation.

It should be noted that these workshops are a part of a series of
activities organized by PCHR in order to enhance and promote democracy in Palestinian
society, in cooperation with local civil society organizations. These workshops
aim at raising public awareness about the concepts of democracy and means of
reinforcing democracy in the Palestinian society. Such activities are
increasingly urgent in light of Palestinian citizens’ deteriorating trust in
the democratic process as a result of the international community’s boycott of
the results of the last legislative elections and due to the internal division
and its destructive ramifications for Palestinian society.