The juvenile justice project begins a course to strengthen the capacities of reconciliation figures in dealing with juveniles in Gaza

Gaza, Publication and Information Unit:

The Palestinian Center for Democracy and Conflict Resolution, within the juvenile justice project, has begun a training course entitled "Developing the administrative and legal capacities of those working in the field of juvenile justice", with the participation of 11 reconciliation figures and mukhtars, comprising 12 training hours over four days held in the Centre's training hall.

At the opening of the training course, the coordinator of the juvenile justice project, lawyer Ahmed Al-Masri, explained that his project focuses on supporting juveniles in conflict with the law by reinforcing all the legal, psychological and social bodies that deal with this group, saying: "The opening of this course today will help strengthen the administrative and legal capacities of reconciliation figures so that they can deal with juveniles better in the future."

Al-Masri explained that the participants in the training will receive a range of important material, including familiarity with the juveniles law and the Palestinian Child Law and their mechanisms, as well as the law on arbitration and dispute resolution and criminal procedure, with the participation of trainers and experts specialising in law. He called on the reconciliation figures to benefit and to apply what they learn in their community dealings with juveniles in the Gaza governorates.

For his part, the projects director at the Conflict Resolution Center, Abdel Moneim Al-Tahrawi, stressed that the course comes within the joint cooperation between the Centre and Terre des hommes Switzerland, aimed at studying the situation of juveniles at the Al-Rabee institution and at producing a legal study on the reality of juveniles. He pointed out that the legal study will include recommendations enabling both sides to develop joint work that helps improve the environmental, psychological and legal situation of juveniles on the one hand and develop the capacities of those working with them on the other.

Al-Tahrawi explained that in the coming period the Conflict Resolution Center will work on developing the capacities of staff at the Al-Rabee rehabilitation institution and of the law enforcement officers concerned with juveniles, from the legal and psychological standpoint. He said that joining efforts with Terre des hommes Switzerland will strengthen the provision of better legal and psychological services to juveniles in all the Gaza governorates.