On 30 April, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights concluded a training course oncultural rights in light of the limited number of public libraries in the North Gaza district.
The workshop was held in Al Mezan’s office in Jabalyia refugee camp with 25 representatives from municipalities, culture and education ministries, public libraries, civil organizations, and interested specialists in attendance.
The attendees took a part in the workshop in clarifying the role of their institutions, discussing their visions, with suggestions, and recommendations regarding the establishment of new public libraries in the North Gaza district.
The workshop participants agreed on the following recommendations for adoption: To maintain cooperation between the Ministry of Culture and civil society organizations in view of building an integrated public library in the North Gaza district.
To set forth a comprehensive strategic plan to promote reading facilities and to arrange cultural campaigns that encourage reading.
These campaigns are to be implemented by ministries of education; culture; youth and sports.
To include library specialists in currently functioning libraries to ensure the enhancement and sustainability in provision of the library services.
To follow up these recommendations with Al Mezan by conducting a focus group meeting between the head of the North Gaza municipality and representatives of Ministry of Education and Land Authority with the objective of establishing a public library in the North Gaza district.
Hussain Hammad, head of Al Mezan’s office in Jabaliya, welcomed the participants, stating the necessity of the workshop and emphasizing the important role of the inhabitants of the North Gaza district, about 331,656 according to the 2013 report of Central Election Committee, in claiming their cultural rights.
Mr.
Hammad gave a brief overview of the cultural rights outlined in the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights.
Tahane Abd Al Rhman, the librarian of Al Mezan’s Jabaliya library, spoke about the importance of Gaza libraries, especially for students and academics.
But she emphasized the need to establish new libraries in the North Gaza district, comparing international standards with examples of Palestinian libraries in Rafah, Khan Younis, Abasan,An-Nuseirat, and Gaza City, in addition to Al Qattan library and Bahrain library in the North Gaza district that belong to UNRWA.
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