We have continued to keep a watching brief on the wider Middle-East region and have undertaken several missions to build bridges of peaceful cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians and to support civil society in the Occupied Territories of the West Bank and Gaza.In the mid-1990s we started hosting a series of Round Table Discussions in Jordan to bring together people from across the region and beyond. The experience gained and contacts we have developed have helped us play a role in negotiating consensus across the various sides of the Middle East conflict on a number of critical issues. These provide a firm foundation for the establishment of our planned Peace Centre in Jordan.

Training for Palestinian NGOs: Building a Constructive Relationship with the Palestinian Authorities.

In September, 1999, Rights and Humanity was invited to speak at a meeting organised by the British Council in East Jerusalem. The meeting, at Al Quds University, was called to explore mechanisms for cooperation and promoting mutual understanding between Palestinian human rights NGOs and the Palestinian Authorities.

Throughout the Israeli occupation, these groups had been monitoring Israeli violations of human rights of Palestinians, for instance those held in detention. However, once the Palestinian Authority was established, they displayed their objectivity by continuing to monitor the situation of detainees, and to draw attention to violations committed by the Palestinian Authority. This was causing tension which was impeding participatory democracy.

Our President was invited to share the experience of other counties in managing state/civil society relations. She was joined in this by Mr. Kassie Neou, Director of the Cambodian Institute for Human Rights which has adopted a similar positive approach to that of Rights and Humanity. The constructive engagement techniques they presented provided examples that could usefully be employed by Palestinian NGOs. Ms Häusermann explained the manner in which the Human Rights and Development Forum convened by Rights and Humanity prompts governmental/NGO analysis and discussion.

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