Ramallah: following an invitation by Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services, the Human Rights and Democracy Media Center “SHAMS” presented its experience of collaboration with sharia students, before the annual meeting of the organization. For more than 10 years of extensive work with this central and influential category in the Palestinian community. The center explained that building mutual values based on tolerance and acceptance of others, generalizing them in the community and among youth and encouraging its acceptance socially will result in removing stereotypical images. Besides, enhancing cultural values as human values in the community to be promoted within all sectors and as a part of the Palestinian culture will lead to consolidation of solidarity and friendship. In addition to respect others’ human rights, preserve diversity and pluralism, reinforce dialogue, fight against fanatic thought and strengthen the community and people against hatred calls and speeches.
The annual meeting was initiated by the welcome speech of the priest Dr. Rev. Andrea Zaki, the General Director of Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services. Then followed by conducting the elections of the networks’ management for the four coming years and setting the annual plan of the network. It is worth noting that Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services headquarter is located in Cairo, and it is the secretary of Dialogue Network in the Arabic region which combines 22 organizations from Palestine, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
The network held the event for 2 days and combined representatives of civil society organizations in the member states, in addition to parliamentarians, media figures, journalists, politicians, academics, writers and human rights activists. As well as both Muslim and Cristian religious people.