Ref: 33/2007

Date: 15 July  2007

PCHR Starts Training Course of Young Media Specialist on International Human Rights Law and Humanitarian Law

On Sunday, 15 July 2007, PCHR, in cooperation with Community Media Center (CMC), started a training course on international human rights law and humanitarian law designed for young media specialists.

In her opening speech, Ms Andaleeb Edwan, Board Member of the CMC, highly appreciated PCHR’s efforts to promote the culture of human rights and the rule of law among media specialists, especially young ones, and its constant willingness for cooperation to serve young media specialists. She further expressed wishes for the participants to get maximum benefit from the course.

In his speech, Mr. Raji Sourani, Director of PCHR, emphasized that the issue of human rights is significantly important as it has become a necessity rather than a theoretical issue, hoping that that a new generation of media specialists who are aware of human rights issues will be created. He also urged media specialists to get benefit from PCHR’s publication and library. Mr. Sourani pointed out that PCHR organized a training course for media specialists from the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and Palestinian territory occupied in 1948 in Amman in 2003, in cooperation with Arab human rights organizations

In his speech, Mr. Bassam al-Aqra’, Director of PCHR Training Unit, pointed out that the 20-hour course would be held at PCHR’s office in Gaza City from 15 to 19 July 2007. He further stated that 26 young media specialists working in several media institutions in the Gaza Strip would participate in the course.

The training program of the course was designed in consultation with the CMC to meet the needs of the participants. The course covers 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; and Covenant on Civil and Political Rights); Convention on the Rights of the Child; Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women; the rule of law; the independence of the judiciary; and freedom of expression.

The training is conducted by a number of specialized trainers who use various training techniques that promote effective participation and fruitful discussion: Raji Sourani, Director of PCHR; Bassam al-Aqra Director of Training Unit; Hamdi Shaqqura, Director of Democratic Development Unit; Muna al-Shawa, Director of Women’s Rights Unit; Hanan Matar, a lawyer from the Women’s Rights Unit; and Jaber Wishah, Deputy Director of PCHR.  Dr. Bassam Abu Hashish, a lecturer at al-Aqsa University in Gaza, also contributes to the training.