Special workshop: «Diversity and pluralism in Palestinian society»

Gaza – 19/09/2013 – Pal-Think for Strategic Studies organised a workshop titled “Diversity and pluralism in Palestinian society” in cooperation with the Women's Affairs Team, with the participation of a number of representatives of civil-society organisations, the political forces, academics, interested persons, and youth activists. Both Pal-Think and the Women's Affairs Team aimed, by organising the workshop, at shedding light on the reality of Palestinian society at the present time regarding pluralism and diversity, and strengthening the idea of pluralism, accepting the other, respecting their opinions, and accepting their political, social, and economic participation — which encourages the ending of the state of division and the reaching of national unity. The workshop was moderated by Ms Dhikra Ajour, the project's coordinator at Pal-Think, and she welcomed the participants and the speakers, and indicated that the workshop is one of the activities of the project “Toward strengthening the public policies of good governance and respect for women's rights and the values of tolerance in the Gaza Strip”, funded by the Swiss government. She praised the joint organisation of the workshop with the Women's Affairs Team, springing from the two sides' belief in the necessity of collective work and networking with the institutions for the benefit of Palestinian society, and shedding light on the hot subjects related to the political, economic, and social situations of the citizens. The workshop was opened by Mr Faisal al-Shawa, chairman of Pal-Think's board of directors, affirming Pal-Think's general principles providing for strengthening and entrenching the attention to research work, forming new networks of experience and competence in the multiple fields of research, and networking with the international research centres and universities to widen the research perspective on the issues. Mr al-Shawa also affirmed that Pal-Think believes in the legitimacy of plurality and difference in Palestinian society, making clear that Palestine is small and has no room for discord, but has room for difference. In her turn, Ms Nadia Abu Nahla, director of the Women's Affairs Team, welcomed the guests and the speakers, and noted the necessity of holding such workshops that carry bold subjects in light of the current events, whether at the Palestinian or the Arab level. She affirmed that the Palestinians were among the first peoples who took the initiative in strengthening the values of pluralism and accepting the other: the Palestinian national movement rested fundamentally on the idea of pluralism, and built a pluralistic national identity that accepts difference. Ms Abu Nahla indicated that the Palestinian political system rests on pluralism, as the Declaration of Independence document entrenched a set of the Palestinian systems, and she affirmed that the Palestinian elections law guarantees a quota for women and the Christians. The workshop included four fundamental axes: the lawyer Salah Abdel Ati, the researcher and rights activist, spoke in the first axis, carrying the title “Cultural pluralism in the Gaza Strip”; while Ms Faten al-Bayoumi, the capacity-building coordinator at the Women's Affairs Team, touched on an important axis titled “Women and pluralism”; as for the third axis, Dr Marwan Tarazi, director of Gaza College and businessman, spoke in it about “The Christians and pluralism”; and the workshop concluded with the last axis, which was titled “Pluralism and human rights”, presented by Dr Abdel Qader Jarada, the judge and university lecturer. The workshop concluded with a set of constructive recommendations, represented in the necessity of breathing the culture of tolerance, accepting the other, and pluralism into the children's study curricula; that the politicians and decision-makers must possess the boldness to defend diversity in all its forms in Palestinian society and renounce repression and violence; setting aside the Palestinian-Palestinian discord and consolidating the manifestations of national unity to end the social and political division; strengthening the rule of law to solve the communal problems and not relying on the authority's force; not repressing the public freedoms nor assaulting whoever expresses their opinion by peaceful ways; besides entrenching the principles of democratic dialogue for the purpose of encouraging coexistence in the shade of a democratic society that respects the other and strengthens the principles of pluralism and communal partnership.