Accountability Now! – A Conference on the Goldstone Report

Accountability Now!

A Symposium on Human Rights and International Justice

Tuesday, 12^th January 2010, 2-4pm

Main Theater, Abu Dis Campus, Al-Quds University, Palestine

On occasion of the one year anniversary of Israel’s 22-day-long offensive on the Gaza Strip, and the momentum towards accountability created by the report of the UN Fact-Finding Mission on Gaza Conflict (the Goldstone report), Al-Quds University hosts the symposium “Accountability Now!”. The event provides a forum for discussion of the practical and attainable steps that need to be undertaken in order to begin the process of justice for the violations of international law committed in the context of the Gaza offensive as well as those generated throughout Israel’s 42-year-long occupation of the Palestinian territories.

The symposium, organized by the Al-Quds Human Rights Clinic, will include the launch of a letter campaign. The two open letters drafted by human rights activists and students, address the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, and the US President Barak Obama, highlighting the importance of accountability and justice for the peace process and thereby urging that all necessary measures are applied to monitor and scrutinize the implementation of the conclusions and recommendations of the Goldstone report.

Additionally, the Clinic and the School of Law are showing a photography exhibition titled, “War on Human and Law: Israel’s violations of IHL in the War on Gaza”.

Topics:

–     Accountability and International Justice: The Universal Significance of the Goldstone Report

–     Peace and Justice:  Inseparable Notions for Ending the Occupation of Palestine

–     The Role of Civil Society in Advancing the Process of Justice in the Occupied Palestinian Territories

–     Direction Needed for the Palestinian People to Obtain Justice

Speakers:

–    Professor Richard Falk, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights on Palestinian Territories occupied since 1967 (via video-conference)

–     Raji Sourani, Director, Palestinian Center for Human Rights, Gaza Strip (via video-conference)

–     Adv. Ingrid Jaradat, Director, Badil

–     Nada Kiswanson, UN Advocacy Officer, Al-Haq

For further information and to confirm participation in the conference, contact: Valentina Azarov (valentinaazarov@gmail.com) or Saleh Hijazi (hijazisaleh@gmail.com).