During the speaking tour our organization will be represented by Mr. Ala Jaradat, Programs Manager at Addameer. His stop in Vancouver is currently scheduled for 24th and 25th October. While in Vancouver, Mr. Jaradat is scheduled to meet with government representatives, hopefully a number of parliamentarians as well as the NGO / activist community. We are therefore very interested inr reaching out to your audience, which is why I am writing to you. I was wondering whether you would be willing to organize an interview for the radio station?
While the focus of Addameer's speaking tour in Canada is Israel's use of administrative detention and the heightened levels of criminalization against human rights defenders seeking to advance Palestinian rights in the OPT and Israel, Mr. Jaradat would also like to raise other issues such as the systematic forms of human rights abuses of Palestinian prisoners' rights and the failures of the Israeli military courts system. He would also be happy to expand on these issues in order to accommodate additional interests you might like to address.
ADDAMEER (Arabic for conscience) Prisoners Support and Human Rights Association is a Palestinian non-governmental, civil institution which focuses on human rights issues. Established in 1992 by a group of activists interested in human rights, the center's activities focus on offering support for Palestinian prisoners, advocating the rights of political prisoners, and working to end torture through monitoring, legal procedures and solidarity campaigns.
Addameer is a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestinian NGO Network, the Palestinian Council of Human Rights Organizations, and works closely with international human rights organizations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, OMCT and FIDH to provide regular information on the situation of Palestinian political detainees.
Addameer believes in the internationality of human rights based on the respect of human dignity as a priority, the totality of which is constructed upon international laws and conviction.
Addameer also believes in the importance of building a free and democratic Palestinian society based on justice, equality, rule of law and respect for human rights within the larger framework of the right to self-determination.
Addameer strives to:
* Oppose torture as well as other instances of brutality, inhumanity, and degrading inflicted upon Palestinian prisoners.
* Abolish the death penalty.
* Oppose arbitrary arrest and guarantee fair and just trials.
* Support and endorse prisoners of conscience through supporting the efforts of political prisoners and providing them with psychological, legal and media support.
* Support families of Palestinian detainees and the community at large in addressing issues of human rights violations.
* Contribute in lobbying towards the issuing of laws which guarantee human rights principles and basic freedom, as well as ensuring their implementation on the ground.
* Participate in raising awareness locally and internationally regarding the issues of human rights, democracy and the rule of law in order to promote greater community participation in securing human rights.
The Programs of Addameer
1. Legal Aid Program: Since its founding, the backbone of the organization's work has been legal aid for Palestinian detainees. The Legal Aid Program of Addameer has provided legal advice and representation to hundreds of Palestinian detainees by providing free legal services to prisoners, legal consultations for them and their families, and working on cases of precedent in the issue of torture and fair trials.
2. Regular Prison Visits and Social Counseling: Addameer conducts regular visits to Palestinian and Arab prisoners in order to ensure that basic living conditions and situations are adequate. It also offers legal counseling to detainees and their families in order to ensure that they understand their rights and are able to address violations.
3. Documentation of Palestinian Detainee Rights: Addameer documents statistics concerning the numbers of detainees, date and place of arrest, and any violations suffered by detainees.
4. Media Coverage and Outreach: Addameer regularly issues press releases and action alerts detailing the status of detainee rights and has activated its website, making accessible to the local and international community a wealth of information on the issue of detainees' rights and the conditions in which they live. In particular, at the beginning of October 2000, Addameer launched a three-month project called the September 2000 Clashes Information Center that was considered the primary source of information regarding the situation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
5. Advocacy: Through campaigning and advocacy work, Addameer works towards building local, Arab and international solidarity campaigns to oppose torture and arbitrary detention and to support and to defend Palestinian prisoners.
Addameer has been actively involved in the development of Palestinian civil society since its establishment. In particular, in its role as an executive member of PNGO, Addameer plays an important role in structuring the response of civil society to human rights violations, as well as directing strategies for increased community awareness. This has also placed the association in a unique position because of its strong commitment and relationship to the local community. Community involvement remains the backbone of the organization, in the form of volunteerism and support for all activities of the association and its campaigns.
The priority of Addameer is to ensure that the association is not merely a service oriented establishment, but rather a resource for the community to address human rights violations.
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