The Palestinian Center for Conflict Resolution organises the New Hope festival

Gaza, Publication and Information Unit
At midday today the Palestinian Center for Democracy and Conflict Resolution organised a festival entitled "New Hope" to mark 25 years since the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, attended by Mona Abed, representative of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and Mr. Iyad Abu Hjair, director of the Gaza branch of the Palestinian Center for Democracy and Conflict Resolution, alongside dozens of children and parents .
 In his address Iyad Abu Hjair said that the Gaza Strip suffers calamities that are reflected in its children, the group least able to bear these difficult circumstances .
Abu Hjair explained that the celebration was held to ease the burden on children through activities and programmes that give them a measure of psychological and social support to overcome the difficult circumstances they live in, adding that the celebration was held on World Children's Day so that they feel there are people who care about them and feel for them .

Abu Hjair pointed to the need to combine the efforts of organisations and officials in order to ease the burden on children and to provide the best health, social and educational services they need.

In his message to the world Abu Hjair said: "The children of Gaza will rejoice despite the pain. This is a feast, and we will not give up joy on this day." .
He called on officials in the Fatah and Hamas movements to end the division in order to speed up reconstruction and bring the smile back to these children .
The celebration included a range of artistic and performance items in which many children took part, such as dabke, theatre, performances and other activities .