Online meeting on the effects of the escalating violence in the region

ACT institution for Conflict Resolution, in partnership with the Civil Coalition for Promoting Civil Peace and the Rule of Law, held today, an online meeting on the effects of the escalation of violence, the cohesion and the unity of the Palestinian community.

The meeting took place in light of the increased incidents of violence within the Palestinian society, including incidents where arms were used and cases of murder, which threaten the state of civil and social peace in light of the exceptional living conditions, and the state of emergency declared to prevent the spread of the Corona pandemic.

The meeting discussed a number of papers focusing on the issue of violence and civil peace, and interventions on the legal, educational, media and traditional tribal aspects that can contribute towards protecting civil peace and security. The discussions addressed also the causes of problems that threaten civil peace, and the influences that increase societal violence such as verbal and domestic violence, in addition to the hate speech. The participants highlighted the role of media in verifying the information and ensuring reliability and accuracy in light of the spread of ‘citizen journalism’ and rumors taking into account the need to protect the privacy of Corona patients by not sharing their names and protecting their human rights. Further discussions revolved around mechanisms for combatting violence.

The participants came out with a set of recommendations, the most important of which was to highlight the domestic peace especially in light of the state of emergency and the COVID-19 crisis that forced many men to stay at home without work, leading to increased domestic problems.

The meeting lasted for two hours, and was attended by a group of jurists, mediators, arbitrators, media professionals, psychologists and social workers.