The Programs of Addameer

Legal Aid Program: Since its founding, the backbone of the organization''s work has been legal aid for Palestinian detainees. The Legal Aid Program of Addameer has provided legal advice and representation to hundreds of Palestinian detainees by providing free legal services to prisoners, legal consultations for them and their families, and working on cases of precedent in the issue of torture and fair trials.

Regular Prison Visits and Social Counseling: Addameer conducts regular visits to Palestinian and Arab prisoners in order to ensure that basic living conditions and situations are adequate. It also offers legal counseling to detainees and their families in order to ensure that they understand their rights and are able to address violations.

Documentation of Palestinian Detainee Rights: Addameer documents statistics concerning the numbers of detainees, date and place of arrest, and any violations suffered by detainees.

Media Coverage and Outreach: Addameer regularly issues press releases and action alerts detailing the status of detainee rights and has activated its website, making accessible to the local and international community a wealth of information on the issue of detainees'' rights and the conditions in which they live. In particular, at the beginning of October 2000, Addameer launched a three-month project called the September 2000 Clashes Information Center that was considered the primary source of information regarding the situation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Advocacy: Through campaigning and advocacy work, Addameer works towards building local, Arab and international solidarity campaigns to oppose torture and arbitrary detention and to support and to defend Palestinian prisoners.

Addameer has been actively involved in the development of Palestinian civil society since its establishment. In particular, in its role as an executive member of PNGO, Addameer plays an important role in structuring the response of civil society to human rights violations, as well as directing strategies for increased community awareness. This has also placed the association in a unique position because of its strong commitment and relationship to the local community. Community involvement remains the backbone of the organization, in the form of volunteerism and support for all activities of the association and its campaigns.

The priority of Addameer is to ensure that the association is not merely a service oriented establishment, but rather a resource for the community to address human rights violations.