Mientras sus líderes se matan, los jóvenes palestinos ni terminan sus estudios

El drama del pueblo palestino: sus propios e inútiles líderes
Vast majority of Palestinians 'never finish school'
By James Farha
Special to The Daily Star
Friday, May 18, 2007

BEIRUT: Only 14 percent of all Palestinian children in Lebanon currently complete secondary school, according a workshop held Thursday on the predicament of young refugees in Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. "In Palestine, less than 1 percent of children were reported to be finishing their schooling due, largely, to Israeli security crackdowns that regularly interrupt their academic progress," said Ali Houaidi, secretary general of the Palestinian Organization for the Right of Return. "[In Palestine], if a child is absent from school for 14 days, they are not allowed to finish the year. Our aim is to increase their possibilities."

Houaidi was speaking at a two-day conference held Thursday at the Bristol Hotel in Hamra. The conference, which was organized by the Takaful child welfare charity, had the stated aim of "helping children to return to life after the suffering they have endured … and reducing the negative effects of the crises they have lived through."

Delegates gathered from across the region to discuss issues facing Palestinian children, who make up 50 percent of the refugee population. Problems relating to schooling and health care, and even everyday acts such as playing in the street were discussed - as was the

early exposure of Palestinian youth to violence.

"Their rights are violated," said Mariam Itani, a conference attendee and Lebanese researcher at Al-Zaytouna Center for Study and Consultation. "In a sense, you can say they don't have rights at all."

Houaidi said that after 59 years in Lebanon, "the Palestinian refugee is still treated as a foreigner in the absence of any laws that regulate the relationship between him and the Lebanese government."
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"Forty-five percent of the elementary students in the Chatila refugee camp suffer from sight problems due to the constant electricity cuts," he said.

Through a series of lectures and seminars the conference aims to raise the academic and public awareness of problems still facing refugees.

"We don't need subjective coverage," said Itani. "We need to present the facts and let people decide for themselves."

Mohammad Abu Daf, deputy dean of the Education Faculty at the Islamic University of Gaza, said Palestinian children in the region suffer from extreme personal pressures.

Conference attendees said that they were hoping for tangible results.

"The important thing is that decisions are followed up with actions," said Haytham Salam, a conference organizer.

Many delegates spoke of racism toward Palestinians in Lebanon. Under current Lebanese legislation, Palestinian graduates face restrictions such as not being allowed to work as doctors or engineers.

"For example, a Lebanese child with a problem at school is able to move to a new school if he wishes," said one delegate. "This is impossible for a Palestinian child."

Houaidi concluded by telling the conference that the region could do better.

"In the eighth year of the 21st century, we still do not afford Palestinian children official UNRWA papers," he said. "This is a crime against humanity."

comnetar 18 Mayo 2007