2017-01-30

West Bank & Gaza

Human Rights Defenders / West Bank / Gaza

Aiming at reaching an agreement on how the PHRDs members will implement future activities, MUSAWA and the PHRDs Network work jointly together to organize and hold monthly meetings for the members. In January 2017, eight meetings in eight different areas (Ramallah, Jerusalem and Jericho; Salfeet and Nablus; Tulqarm and Qalqilya; Jenin and Tubas; Bethlehem and Hebron; Gaza and North Gaza; Gaza’s Middle Governorate; Khan Yunis and Rafah) were carried-out and attended by a total of 94 members, including 48 female participants.

The meetings addressed several issues: a monitoring and documentation training course for Gaza’s members; a short film made by the PHRDs members to shed light on the status of Palestinian HRDs and their rights, which will be then disseminated through social media channels; TV and radio episodes (local or satellite channels) that tackle the vital role of HRDs and their rights, and introduce the Network and stress its importance.

A booklet and Code of Conduct were developed for the purpose of regulating the Network’s membership criterion, in addition to badges/name tags for the members so as to ensure that their job is facilitated. Another point that was pointed out during the meetings revolved around a meeting that will be held to gather the PHRDs members from all governorates in order to plan for the international conference to be held next month. Committees will be formed to coordinate the conference’s activities and distribute tasks among the members.

These meetings come as part of a project to empower Palestinian human rights defenders, conducted by MUSAWA both in the West Bank and Gaza, and supported by the European Union.