On Thursday 2 June 2011, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights commenced a specialized training course for lawyers entitled 'Developing the Legal Skills of Lawyers in Palestinian Law, International Humanitarian Law, and Human Rights Law'.
27 practicing lawyers are attending the course which is being held at Al Mezan's main office Gaza City.
The course consists of 120 training hours to be delivered over two months.
This is the ninth year in succession that Al Mezan has delivered such a course.
Al Mezan’s director, Mr.
Issam Younis and Mrs.
Shirin Al Shobaki, coordinator of the training and mass communication unit at Al Mezan, opened the course by welcoming the participants and telling them that they hoped that the course would meet their expectations.
   Mrs.
Al Shobaki thanked the participants for their commitment to the course and for their efforts to make it a success.
She hoped that the course would increase and develop their skills and add to their practical and theoretical knowledge.
She also emphasized the importance of ongoing communication with Al Mezan in order to be updated with its publications and activities.
She said that Al Mezan would always welcome future cooperation with all participants in this course as well as other courses implemented by Al Mezan.
Mr.
Younis said that the course comes in the context of serving human rights issues, democracy, and the rule of law in the oPt.
He added that this course aims to increase the awareness of lawyers of human rights concepts which is crucial in the oPt where Palestinians  are living  under continuing Israeli military occupation and human rights violations against civilians are a regular occurrence.
Mr.
Younis emphasized the importance of the lawyers' role in prevailing justice and the importance of lawyers' becoming knowledgeable about international humanitarian law (IHL) and human rights law in order to be able to confront the flagrant violations committed in the context of the Israeli occupation.
He hoped that the results of Palestinian reconciliation would have a positive affect at the social, political, and judicial levels.
 Finally, Mr.
Younis wished the participants luck and hoped that this course would mean the beginning of a continuing relationship between the participants and Al Mezan.
End