PCDCR Trains Awareness Cells in Gaza City Shelter Camps on Mediation and Peaceful Conflict Resolution
The Palestinian Center for Democracy and Conflict Resolution (PCDCR), with support from ACT for Conflict Resolution, implemented the initiative “Building Awareness Cells in Gaza City Shelter Camps: Training Camp Administrations and Human Rights Activists in Mediation and Peaceful Resolution” as part of the project “Promoting Alternative Dispute Resolution in Gaza Strip Shelter Camps.” Led by Mr. Mohammed Omar Al-Habbash under the Center’s umbrella from 11 July to 11 August 2026, the initiative aimed to spread a culture of mediation, arbitration and peaceful conflict resolution inside shelter camps by building local capacity that raises this awareness from within the camp itself and remains in place after the initiative ends.
The initiative targeted 13 men and women, selected through an open call among shelter camp administrations and human rights activists who monitor and document violations of the rights of widows and orphans. Participants received 15 hours of training between 21 and 23 July 2026, delivered by trainers Saed Munir Shehada and Rabie Mohammed Hammouda, including two practical simulations drawn from real disputes inside displacement camps: a full mediation session, and an arbitration session with a panel, parties and witnesses.
Pre- and post-test results showed the average score rising from 8.38 to 9.54 out of 10, with every trainee meeting the pass mark. The largest gains were in specialised concepts: knowledge of when arbitration is appropriate rose from 46% to 85%, and knowledge of the limits of intervention, including not mediating in inheritance and custody cases, rose from 69% to 100%, reflecting a sharper understanding of when a mediator should step in and when a case should be referred to the competent authorities.
After the training, the graduates formed six awareness cells, which held six workshops for camp residents, four for women and two for men, attended by 144 people: 85 women and 59 men. Participant satisfaction reached 100%, with an average rating of 4.74 out of 5; the highest-rated items were the clarity of the facilitators’ explanations and how closely their examples reflected life in the camp.
The initiative was accompanied by a digital campaign on the Center’s Facebook and Instagram pages, including an awareness video titled “A Dispute Inside the Camp… So What Is the Solution?” and five awareness posters. The campaign reached 111,000 people and generated 212,400 views and 38,252 interactions.
The six awareness cells remain active in their communities after the initiative’s end, and its impact has reached other camps: the administration of the Halawa camps cluster, which includes 12 camps, and Al-Nakheel 2 camp in Khan Younis have asked to benefit from the experience, making the initiative a local model that can be scaled up to other camps and governorates.
