December 05 , 2008

JHr hosts first event at bethlehem university
By Dema Helou

More than 100 students and staff came out to support Bethlehem University’s newest student group last month at their first university event – the screening of a movie highlighting human rights issues in Africa.

The group, a chapter of Journalists for Human Rights (JHR), Canada's largest international media organization founded in 2002, was formed this year at Bethlehem University. 

The mission of JHR chapters is to work with media in order to expand and improve human rights coverage. JHR chapters exist in many universities in North America; the Bethlehem University chapter is the first in the Middle East.

The JHR team screened Blood Diamond, a movie that was nominated for five Academy Awards and tackles abuses related to the illegal diamond trade in Sierra Leone, an impoverished country in West Africa. 

The JHR team said they believe organizing such events is the best way to reach students in order to support their cause and also to fundraise.  As well, they hope to organize more events that will raise awareness of Palestinian students’ rights, which are regularly violated because of the illegal Israeli occupation.

“Screening this movie is a very good step to improve human rights,” said fourth-year student Rashid Odeh. “It will internalize them in Palestine and allow us to see the human side of each individual here in Palestine, by raising awareness since we as Palestinians, as well as many parts in the world lack this important sense of humanit.”

Another student, Maha Al-Baou, said she was very impressed by the movie and by the work of the JHR students.

"I hope one day the violations that Palestinians are exposed to will be taken seriously globally,” she said. “As well as the issue revealed in this movie since it is a human rights issue. Basically I believe that the efforts of this group might create a change and is a good beginning.”

Faculty member Franck Xavier, a Bethlehem University French teacher, thanked the JHR group, emphasizing: "I watched the film…and I must confess that it is a quite impressive work, clearly denouncing the links between the diamonds secretly sold by warlords to the so-called ''ethical'' diamond companies."

Contact JHR at: jhr.bu@hotmail.com or www.jhr.ca