Ma’an Network’s approach to foster Human Rights in Palestine

Human rights are inalienable; they are the foundation of human existence and co-existence. Human rights are universal, indivisible and interdependent. Human rights need to be understood, promoted and defended.

There are a number of human rights issues which need to be urgently addressed in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. In response to this pressing need, Ma’an Network has designed a revolutionary media project, aiming to expose injustice, strengthen Government accountability and empower citizens to defend their human rights and that of others.

Through its multiple media outlets (including online, television and radio) Ma’an Network will address human rights issues on a continuous basis, ensuring all citizens have access to information, irrespective of the means they use to obtain news/information.  From shepherds listening to portable radios while herding their sheep in remote hilltop villages, to corporate executives browsing the Ma’an News Agency website, all citizens will have equal access to information.

Contributing to creating systemic change, Ma’an Network with its partners will especially work to advance the achievement of Millennium Development Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women. Other urging examples of issues confronting Palestinians include:

• Human rights: A recent report published by the Independent Commission for Human Rights, Palestine reveals a number of human rights violations in the oPt including: occurrence of deaths due to different causes including clans’ disputes, neglect of public safety measures and deaths under mysterious conditions;  persistence of allegations of torture and ill-treatment in the prisons and detention centers of the West Bank and Gaza Strip;  non-enforcement and procrastination of courts’ rulings as well as assault on the right to peaceful assembly in the West Bank and Gaza Strip . In addition, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reports that Palestinians are exposed to abuses resulting from the internal power struggle between Fatah (in the West Bank) and Hamas (in Gaza). The OHCHR maintains that these developments are surfacing in an environment dominated by violence and impunity in the West Bank and Gaza.

• Women’s rights: Palestinian women face considerable obstacles in terms of gender equality. Challenges result from discriminatory laws, regulations and policies, including a lack of effective representation in the structures which enforce them. According to the Palestinian Authority Ministry for Women’s Affairs, there are numerous examples of discriminatory legislation in force, as well as cultural norms and traditions (such as those which govern the issues of inheritance, maintenance, property and available education and employment opportunities), that prevent women’s economic empowerment and make them more vulnerable to poverty . Violence against women is also a serious issue in Palestine.  According to the UNDP women are the main victims of family violence and widespread social stigma exists against reporting and seeking legal recourse against violence perpetrated by family members.

• Millennium Development Goals: While national support for the attainment of MDGs remains strong, the continuing social-economic and political crisis (in particular in Gaza) is anticipated to cause significant deterioration in MDG indicators, especially in relation to poverty and hunger, health and education.

With regard to the mentioned above, Ma’an Network’s ultimate objective is to vigorously defend and advance human rights in Palestine, using the media as a catalyst for positive social change.