Reference: 3/2011
On Wednesday, 12 January 2011, Al Dameer Association for Human Rights conducted a radio episode entitled “Palestinian Right to Water and Sanitation Services”. This radio episode forms part of the “Palestinian Right to Water and Sanitation Services project, implemented by Al Dameer with support form the Emergency Water, Sanitation and Hygiene group (EWASH).
Eng. Munzer Shublaq , Director of CMWU, Eng. Riyad Jenina, director of Palestinian Hydrology Group , and Miss Zekra Ajour, Coordinator of Right to Sound and Sustainable Environment Program at Al Dameer participated in the episode. Miss Zekra Ajour presented the purpose of conducting this episode. The episode aims to raise environmental awareness of the Palestinian people, particularly youths and children. The episode was conducted as part of the EWASH-supported project Miss Ajour introduced The Emergency Water, Sanitation and Hygiene group (EWASH),a coalition of almost 30 organisations working in the water and sanitation sector in the occupied Palestinian territory. Its members include international and national NGOs and UN Agencies. She added that EWASH is a coordination body seeking to improve the water and sanitation sector and the living conditions of Palestinian people.
Miss Ajour said that Al Dameer will start the implementation of the project from today and it will last for three consecutive months. Several activities for youths and children all over the Gaza Strip are going to be implemented during the period of the project. These activities are as the following: organizing educational sessions for children and youths in a number of institutions and schools, supporting and promoting the formation of a link between Palestinian child parliament of Al Dameer and members of child parliament of Juzoor for Health and Social Development in Jerusalem via video conference in order to discuss the current environmental situation that is related with the Palestinian right to water and sanitations in the OPT, implementing a special campaign in order to revive World Water Day by organizing a silent sit-in for youths and children in order to claim the Palestinian right to water and sanitations, and painting a mural on water and sanitation situation in Palestinian by the children and youths.
The radio episode addressed three main issues. First, the concept of the right to water and sanitation. Miss Ajour, presented the international conventions and treaties that are concerned with the citizen’s right of access to adequate sanitation services. She also clarified the intervention mechanisms of human rights organizations in reflecting the situation of water and sanitation sectors to the outside world, in addition to their roles in highlighting the different violations that prevent Palestinian people to enjoy their right to water and adequate sanitation services. Miss Ajour concluded the first axis of the episode by clarifying the intervention mechanisms of Palestinian organizations in order to reduce the Israeli violations committed against water and sanitations sectors in Palestine.
Second Eng. Shublaqq gave an overview of the water situation in the oPt, focusing particularly in the Gaza Strip. He detailed the obstacles facing the sector. emphasizing therole of =youth in leading change. He warned that continued denial of Palestinian right to water and sanitation will have serious consequences in the future, including the deterioration of the aquifer and inability to satisfy growing needs
The third part of the episode addressed the role of local civil society organizations and international human rights organizations in promoting the Palestinian right to water and sanitation . Eng. Riyad Jenina talked about the obstacles that limit the ability of local and international organizations to implement projects on the ground. Palestinians are deprived from their right to water due to the crippling Israeli siege imposed in Gaza, and the internal Palestinian fragmentation. Additionally, water and sanitation infrastructure in the OPT are suffering from deterioration due to difficulties in bringing in maintenance materials through the Israeli crossings.
The radio episode ended with a call toyouthfor them to join the activities of the campaign implemented by Al Dameer during February and March 2011. In, addition, local youth were called upon to participate in promoting and raising public awareness on the Palestinian right to water and sanitation services by communicating with Al Dameer, and EWASH via the following emails: zekra.najee@aldameer.org ، و ewashps@gmail.com.
End
Al Dameer Association for Human Rights
For further information, please contact:
Name: Zekriat Ajour- Coordinator of Child and Environment Programs
Tel: 082826660
Mobile: 0598316837
E-mail: zekra.najee@aldameer.org
May 1, 2011 at 3:22 pm
That’s way more clever than I was expecting. Tankhs!