The Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights is located in the Jabalia Refugee Camp of the Gaza Strip. Condemning Israel's "increasing amount of daily violations of [Palestinians'] civil and political rights," Al-Mezan's mission is "to promote, protect and prevent violations of human rights in general and economic, social and cultural rights in particular, to provide effective aid to those victims of such violations, and to enhance the quality of life of the community in marginalized sectors of the Gaza Strip."
Al-Mezan identifies the "Networks and Committees" with which it works closely as: the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network; the Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Network; the Palestinian NGO Network; the Coalition for Accountability and Integrity; the Middle East and North Africa Network to Stop the Use of Children as Soldiers; the Habitat International Coalition; the MENA Network to Stop the Proliferation and Misuse of Small Arms & Light Weapons; the World Organization Against Torture; and the Child Rights Information Network.
Al-Mezan's activities fall under the following categories:
Monitoring and Documentation of Human Rights Violations: This project focuses primarily on Israeli authorities' alleged human rights violations against Palestinians in the "Occupied Territories"; it also occasionally acknowledges abuses committed by Palestinians.
Awareness and Capacity Building: Al-Mezan's Training and Mass Communication Unit offers courses whereby schoolteachers, human rights activists, and health personnel can learn about the alleged evils of Israeli oppression. Al-Mezan's "Face the Public" program consists of meetings where representatives of the Palestinian Authority, the Palestinian Legislative Council, local government bodies, United Nations bodies, and NGOs can discuss specific economic, social, and cultural concerns. And its "Pass the Word" program aims, through workshops and lectures, "to raise consciousness" about alleged Israeli human rights abuses "among university students in the Gaza Strip."
Legal Aid and Representation: Al-Mezan's Legal Aid Unit represents Palestinians who are: incarcerated in Israeli jails; suffering the consequences of "land confiscation [or] home demolition" that was carried out under Israel's anti-terrorism efforts; prevented from traveling freely in Israel (again, a situation attributable to Israeli concerns about terrorism); and victimized by "violations of economic and social rights." In 2003, Al-Mezan took on more than 230 such cases. The Legal Aid Unit also reviews both proposed and enacted laws in the Palestinian Territories for their compliance with human rights standards.
Research and Analysis: This program focuses on "monitoring, researching and producing analytical reports on the situation relating to ESC [economic, social, and cultural] rights in the Gaza Strip"; the goal is to "raise awareness" of such matters locally and worldwide. Al-Mezan's reports are rife with accusations of "Israeli war crimes."
Resource Library: Al-Mezan has developed "a human rights library in the refugee camp of Jabalia that will be used as an information center for Al-Mezan staff, researchers, students, and the public … in this marginalized area."
