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بيان صحفي: خلافات حادة بين الحضور وإنسحاب واتفاق على مبادئ عامة وعلى مجموعة تحركات في المؤتمر الوطني للدفاع عن الحريات الفردية والعامة وحقوق الإنسان في لبنان
بيان صحفي: خلافات حادة بين الحضور وإنسحاب واتفاق على مبادئ عامة وعلى مجموعة تحركات في المؤتمر الوطني للدفاع عن الحريات الفردية والعامة وحقوق الإنسان في لبنان
Beirut, Lebanon.
1/12/2010
On November 28th, 2010 the national congress for the defense of Civil
Liberties and Human Rights in Lebanon was held at the ”Muntada”
conference center, in Information International, Downtown Beirut,
Martyrs Square upon the invitation of the Council Of Citizens- The
Constituting Assembly. A group of activists, academics, jurists and
representatives of local human rights associations and other Arab
associations who came from outside Lebanon and who served as
observers attended the congress.
63 people gathered to discuss the causes of human rights’ violations,
the reasons behind the failure of civil society and the means that the
Council Of Citizens proposed to stop the violations by forming four
institutions which will address the causes of these abuses instead of
their results.
The congress was supposed to declare a legal document titled the
manifesto of change, however heated arguments among the audience
over the principle of which is more supreme, the Lebanese law and
Constitution or the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, took more
time than what was expected and had the organizers to interfere and
asked anyone who did not believe that the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights prevails above all other laws to retreat from the
discussion panels. Few people left the conference, some in good terms
with the organizers and some other took it as an insult and withdrew
their representation.
In general "the congress achieved its objectives. It proposed new
theories of change to the status quo in Lebanon in order to put an end
to human rights violations in Lebanon. The attendants also decided to
hold a second conference in the month of March next year and had
established three panels accordingly: to manage with the media, to
deal with changes needed to be brought about to the manifesto and to
organize the next congress" According to one of the organizers.
The organizers of the event stressed that the Council Of Citizens wants
to cooperate with all members of the civil society in Lebanon, and will
communicate with all parties in order to include the largest possible
Some parts of the congress were filmed and those who wish to view
the recordings can log in to the website of the Council of Citizens:
www.thecoc.org.