C C D C E SPRING 2006:ISSUETHREE C C UPDATES VOCATIONAL TRAINING RIGHT MY IT’S HR WORKSHOPS FREEDOMMOVE TO LEGALISATION AMNESTY NFI UPDATE DBAYEH CAMP a participant a of theDRChumanrights DITOR ONTENT ESIGN human rights human rights ASSANDRA YNTHIA YNTHIA ASSANDRA they consist . : never heard workshop (see page 3) page (see workshop : ..we always ..we but wehad but hear about : quote from from quote P P what of…

LEBANON NEWSLETTER

ETRIGH ETRIGH M M

ATHIE ATHIE

LEBANON NEWSLETTER

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MARCH 2006 Gaza. He held an Egyptian from originating ian refugee Palestin- an undocumented STORY: A SUCCESS authorities. Lebanese bers withUNRWA andthe forallfamilymem- tification andiden- proper registration the familylivesandtopermit these filestoLebanonwhere transferof authorise the to authorities Lebanese DRC isadvocating forthe recognised refugees. despite bothparents being existence anylegal not have children, born in Lebanon, do dren; consequentlyunlisted the include chil- istrations ever fewofthese familyreg- had such aregistration. How- reported18cases UNRWA Gaza, Jordan, and ). RWA fieldoffice(West Bank, anotherUN- in registration UNRWA to verify aprevious 43 cases were submittedto authorities. and therelevant links betweentherefugees its attemptstore-establish UPDATE: FOCUS ONLEGALAID generation non-ID non-ID generation are second 64% Information based on 139interviews already processed from the South &Bekaa. Profile is updated regularly refugees Updated profileof non-ID Palestinian refugees in Lebanon DRC has continued

Ahmad is

households havea Lebanese spouse Based on 139 households, or 692 persons or692 139 households, on Based of heads 16% camp. These obstacles were Ahmad exitandre-enterhis toallow inLebanon delegation nese authorities via theEU request wasmadeto the Leba- In response to his concerns, a to traveloutsideof his camp. cle wasencountered-his fear anadditionalobsta- for Ahmadto collect hisnew However, when the time came succeeded. which ultimately Beirut torenewhisdocuments Consulatein the Egyptian DRC presenteda requestto passport thathas nowexpired.

beneficiaries live beneficiaries live of DRC non-ID of DRCnon-ID of DRCnon-ID in theBeqaa in theSouth 78% 22% refugee refugee ISSUE THREE: SPRING 2006 THREE: SPRING 2006 ISSUE

dren. the statusofhisthreechil- to pursue his case tolegalise DRCis in Lebanon. continuing Ahmad hasnow a work permit His file wasaccepted and context ofcurrentamnesty. nese authorities under the totheLeba- Lebanon tion in legalisation ofAhmad’s situa- afilefor Association presented Najdeh ofpartner support Subsequently, DRC with the ceived his Egyptian passport. resolved and Ahmad hasre-

of non-ID refugees are originally from from are originally 17% Gaza

ISSUE THREE: SPRING 2006 Page 2

A NON-ID CASE STUDY PROFILE: FROM DBAYEH CAMP DRC has recently expanded permit which would perma- Parents its Legal Aid project to in- nently legalise his status. clude non-ID refugees DRC is advocating for throughout Lebanon. Suleiman and working to- Suleiman, a new beneficiary wards the acquisition of alone is one of the approximate identification papers. 150 active cases currently being pursued by DRC. Closed Doors: A recurrent scenario for NOTE: The geographic the majority of non-ID refugees Suleiman lives in Dbayeh spread of the DRC Legal Aid decide on camp and does not hold any Project will be extended to valid form of identification. Suleiman’s only identity pa- include all Lebanon. The pers are non-authenticated His father, now deceased, birth and baptism certifi- project will continue to be was a Palestinian from Haifa cates. He was recently is- implemented in the Beqaa who resided illegally in Leba- everything sued a non and married a Lebanese and the South, due to the “laissez-passer” from the citizen. In spite of being the current security status refu- General Security that he is son of a Lebanese mother, gees from other areas will be required to renew annually. current Lebanese regula- offered assistance through that tions do not provide for Without a valid passport it partner NGO’s or by visiting Suleiman to attain his has been impossible to date, the Beirut office. concerns mother’s citizenship. for Suleiman to obtain a stay Lebanese Legalisation Amnesty NFI UPDATE 98 families (617 persons) Until April 5th 2006, per- tion. benefited from the December a child ? sons who entered Lebanon DRC facilitated the adminis- 05 distribution which in- illegally are being given a trative process and paid the cluded hygiene kits, heating chance to legalise their fees for undocumented ref- fuel and ‘It’s My Right’, the situation. uges who met the set crite- game on Human Rights cre- ria. The Lebanese Authorities ated by DRC. announced that individuals Four families have already A second round of Non Food who could provide evidence received their papers, includ- Item distribution in March of an employment contract, ing one individual for whom reached 62 families (403 a bank deposit and could DRC obtained his release persons) in both the Beqaa pay a fine and legalization from detention prior to sup- and the South. Recipients What do fees for a work permit would porting his legalisation proc- be considered for legalisa- ess. received gas bottle refills for you heaters issued previously. The distribution was imple- FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT mented by local partner Na- think? jdeh with the collaboration of Freedom of movement is currently issuing attestations GUPW. one of the issues confronted for undocumented refugees. daily by non-ID refugees in The attestations provided to

Lebanon. the head of the family, de- The inability to commute to pendants over 18 years and work or venture beyond the boys over 15 years, state perimeter of camps without that DRC is providing refu- fear of detention and interro- gees with the necessary gation has a profound im- This question comes from DRC’s assistance to legalize his or board game ‘It’s My Right’, a game pact on the lives of these designed to educate and promote refugees. her situation in Lebanon. discussion concerning the In response to this issue and To date, DRC has provided Convention on the Rights of the Child. For your copy of the game motivated by the request of 366 attestations for families please contact our office. a non-ID beneficiary, DRC is in the South and the Beqaa.

ISSUE THREE: SPRING 2006 Page 3

HUMAN RIGHTS WORKSHOP : A PALESTINIAN PERSPECTIVE

There is a sizable void be- considered a range of issues tween the existence of and and were able to make spe- the practical implementation cific connections to the appli- of Human Rights within Pales- cable rights. tinian communities in Leba- The workshop sessions in- non. cluded: Having recognised this gap Documentation and freedom and following an orientation of movement for Palestinian workshop DRC and partner co- refugees, Registration, Em- facilitators designed a work- ployment and the impact of shop in order to begin to the new legislation and regis- bridge this divide and increase tration process, Vocational the level of understanding. training, Violence against 42 participants, refugees, women and children and Child NGO staff and UNRWA repre- rights. sentatives attended the first Participants commented that of a series of three workshops the workshop offered them in Rashidiyeh camp on 27th Freedom of Expression: participants create paintings during the workshops that the opportunity to inform and 28th January 2006. represent their personal interpretation of human rights. themselves about their rights The major objective of the and empowered them to as- workshop was to impart hu- under 18 without any reserva- national law were also util- sess their issues and identify man rights knowledge specifi- tion was used in the modules. ised. In addition, attention applicable solutions and proc- cally pertinent to the lives of Other conventions and trea- was drawn to new regulations esses in real life situations. ties ratified by Lebanon - the favourable to refugees such Palestinian refugees in Leba- New workshops based on the Universal Declaration on Hu- as the Ministerial decree of non. For this reason the work- same content and facilitation man Rights, International Hu- shop modules were based on June 2005 on employment. techniques will be delivered in manitarian Law (Geneva Con- laws applicable in Lebanon. Through a series of interactive the Beqaa and the South in To this effect the Convention ventions of 1949) and the sessions, incorporating role March and April. on the Rights of the Child, Convention on the elimination playing, painting and a series signed by Lebanon and appli- of all forms of discrimination of vivid debates, participants cable to all the population against women (CEDAW) and

VOCATIONAL TRAINING UPDATE Twelve DRC beneficiaries celebrated completing a True or False? Joint Council of Churches (JCC) vocational training agricultural course as part of DRC’s ‘Protection and Assis- A refugee SHOULD remain tance for Non-Registered Palestinian refugees and a refugee for life? youth in Lebanon’ project. The 12 women, along with A participant tends to new seedlings This is one of the questions tributed to local and interna- their trainers shared lunch in UNRWA teachers will con- tional NGOs, youth centres the garden of the training income generating opportu- sider in a workshop on ‘It’s the Lebanese Higher Council centre in South Lebanon nities. As a result of the My Right’, the Human Rights on Childhood and UN agen- surrounded by the results of course some participants board game developed by cies. the two and a half month have already established DRC. The workshops, start- course. home gardens in order to 80 copies of ‘It’s My Right’ ing at the end of March, will The training was a combina- provide organic food for their will be distributed to Leba- focus on the aim of the game tion of both practical and families and are working non UNRWA schools with towards selling their pro- and how to create debate theoretical organic farming children aged 10 and over. duce. and activities based on hu- modules encompassing Sylvia Haddad of JCC com- man rights within the UN- UNRWA has tested the game skills from preparing soil for planting, raising seedlings to mented “ It’s a happy project RWA curriculum. in the West Bank and Gaza farming without the use of with happy beneficiaries”. and ordered 50 copies to be Such sessions are organised chemical fertilizers. DRC is supporting 50 benefi- distributed in its Gaza for youth centres, schools, Armed with this new knowl- ciaries in vocational training schools. NGOs and other agencies edge, enthusiasm and hope courses in the South in areas working with refugees. For your copy of “It’s My beneficiaries are now skilled including computers, ac- counting, hairdressing, nurs- Right”, contact our office. to work towards becoming Copies of the game are dis- self sufficient and creating ing and photography.

ISSUE THREE: SPRING 2006 Page 4

he Danish Refugee images of and by Non-ID Refugees. The photographic exhibition by Australian pho- T Council is a private, NON tographer Cassandra Mathie & co-ordinated by DRC has been exhibited in UMAM humanitarian organisation Documentation and Research Centre and De Prague Café, Hamra. Upcoming venues include Virgin Megastore from June 12th—June 24th. founded in 1956. DRC is • • • • working for refugee protec- has conducted the following advocacy missions as part of the ongoing Legal Aid tion using a rights-based DRC activities. Lebanon: UNRWA, Directorate for Palestinian Refugee Affairs (DPRA), Gen- approach, and is currently eral Security, Ministry of Labour. Syria: UNRWA, General Administration for Palestine Arab Refu- gees (GAPAR). Europe: UNHCR Geneva and the European Parliament have recently been ap- present in 23 countries proached. worldwide. • • • •

one of the 12 members NGO’s who implement projects funded by ECHO for Palestinian As refugees in Lebanon, DRC continues to contribute to the joint effort for services to Pales- DRC has been working in tinian refugees in Lebanon. Lebanon since 2004, with • • • • the support of the European has joined the efforts of a coalition working for a change in Lebanese legislation, to Commission Humanitarian DRC allow women pass on their citizenship. DRC supported the case building by providing 21 cases of non-ID Palestinian families who have a Lebanese mother. If the campaign is success- Department (ECHO), and in ful 15% of non-ID refugee cases could be solved. A law proposal was submitted to Parliament in partnership with the local March to this effect. NGOs General Union of Pal- • • • • estinian Women (GUPW), part of its advocacy efforts and through its partners DRC is sensitizing the members of the Lebanese-Palestinian commission over the issue of non-ID refugees. The commission is Najdeh and Popular Aid for As working on various issues concerning the situation of the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. Mem- Relief and Development bers form both sides are approached to make sure the issue of undocumented refugees is tack- (PARD). led. DRC has documented case studies and prepared a note explaining the problem for each case and suggesting solutions.

• • • • DRC’s focus in Lebanon is on providing legal aid, advo- cacy, human rights aware- ness and humanitarian assistance to undocu- IN OUR LIBRARY... mented Palestinian refu- gees, of whom there are an DRC has published a series of reports, posters, brochures and a board game available for distribution. estimated 3000 in Leba- To receive a copy of any of these contact Sana. Ph: 01 738 293 Email: [email protected] non. Survey Report on the Situation of non-ID Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon Summary Brochure; English, March 2005 Electronic/Hard Copy

Survey Report on the Situation of non-ID Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon Report: 51 pages; English & , March 2005 Electronic/Hard Copy/Download (English Only) www.drc.dk

Iraqi Population in Lebanon Survey Report Report: 98 pages; English, July 05 192 Spears Street Electronic/Hard Copy Union Nationale Building Needs Assessment of Palestinian Refugees in Gatherings in Lebanon 8th floor Report: 188 pages; English, August 2005 Sanayeh, Beirut Electronic/Hard Copy Ph/Fax: +961 1 738 293 [email protected] DRC Newsletter: Winter 05 www.drc.dk Newsletter: 3 Pages; English, December 2005 Electronic/Hard Copy/ Download from www.drc.dk

It’s My Right Board Game; English and Arabic, 2005 Boxed

Posters: No ID — No Future x 2 Posters A2; English, 2005 LEBANON OFFICE