Gaza: EU funded website on the right to freedom of association in the Gaza Strip

Source: Al-Dameer Association for Human Rights

Funded By European Union

Gaza / on Monday, 5 July 2010, Al Dameer Association for Human Rights in cooperation with PNGO Network in the Gaza Strip launched a website in Arabic and English versions on the right of freedom of association as part of the EU funded project entitled " Contributing Respect, Protection, and Promotion of the Rights of Freedom of Association in the Strip."

The website will work through a special link from the website of PNGO Network http://www.pngoportal.org/rpra/arabic The aim of this website is to raise community awareness on the right to form associations in the OPT. This website will provide services to those who are interested and concerned with the work of charitable associations and local bodies.

The launch of this website comes after signing a memorandum of understanding between Al Dameer and PNGO Network on Sunday, 4 July 2010. The website was designed in a way to allow exchange of information and resources between the charitable associations and local bodies in the Gaza Strip. It will also allocate a space to those interested with the subject.

Al Dameer and PNGO Network are concerned to reach the target group of this website. They call on the NGOs in the Gaza Strip to visit the website and to communicate with the project team on related issues as contributing to providing protection and intervention mechanisms that will enable them to defend any violation committed against charitable associations and local bodies in the Gaza Strip.

It is noteworthy that the launch of this website comes in the context of implementing launched an awareness, advocacy, and lobbying campaign on the situation of charitable associations and local bodies in the Gaza Strip. This campaign was launched on Sunday, 4 July 2010.

This campaign will last for six consecutive weeks. The campaign aims to raise the level of awareness and knowledge through advocacy and lobbying on the obstacles that face the work of charitable associations and seeks to disseminate sufficient knowledge on the Law of Charitable Associations and Community Organizations no. 1 of 2000 to the members of the administrative board of a number of associations. This will be achieved by implementing awareness meetings with the representatives of charitable associations all over the Gaza Strip.

Also, the campaign will include the issuance of two legal reviews on the Palestinian legal systems that are concerned with disbanding the associations. Moreover, a semi-annual report on the situation of charitable associations in the Gaza Strip during the first half of 2010 will be issued.