Conflict Resolution praises the efforts of the social support committee in Nablus governorate

Nablus, Publication and Information Unit:

The Palestinian Center for Democracy and Conflict Resolution praised the distinctive efforts of the social support committee in the programme for supporting and empowering women victims of violence in Nablus governorate. This came during a special meeting bringing together the committee's members and the Centre's management in the governorate on Thursday 12/1/2012, with the participation of the team of the project for supporting and empowering women victims of violence.

At the start of the meeting, the director of the Centre in Nablus governorate, Ahmed Abu Ayyash, expressed his pleasure at the achievements and activities of the social support committee in supporting the successes of the Conflict Resolution Center in the West Bank. He pointed out that since its launch the committee has been keen to follow up family and community cases in complete confidence in order to address them and to help strengthen the social fabric within Palestinian society.

Abu Ayyash noted the possibility of holding study days for the committee's members to discuss a number of legal subjects and issues so as to make use of them in resolving the cases the social support committee handles. He added: "Today we are keen to unify efforts on legal and clan terminology within Nablus governorate in order to strengthen the rule of law and justice."

For her part, the coordinator of the project for supporting and empowering women victims of violence, Nisreen Zalmout, welcomed the committee's members and their effective role in creating an atmosphere of familiarity and affection for the Palestinian families the Centre works with. She reviewed the main statistics of the project's work with the committee's contribution in 2011, which included court representation and following up 304 legal cases, while psychological and social cases reached 676, between cases and counselling provided to citizens.

For their part, the committee's members spoke about the great attention the Conflict Resolution Center gives to resolving community issues and how far the committee's activities complement the project for supporting and empowering women victims of violence, as well as the Centre's adoption of support for national reconciliation efforts within the homeland. They stressed that the Palestinian division has had negative reflections in the rising rate of divorce cases because of differing political party allegiances between spouses, which has contributed to increased family and social breakdown.

In this framework, the preacher Asaad Ramadan, a member of the social support committee, said they constantly advise citizens to go to the Centre to address their social and legal cases and problems, given the Centre's commitment to confidentiality with community cases. He explained that they, the social support committee, need training courses to refine their skills in handling arbitration cases and the laws that help build society.

It is noted that the Conflict Resolution Center has been carrying out the project for supporting and empowering women victims of violence with funding from the Norwegian People's Aid programme (NPA) for three years in a number of governorates in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.