The Dr. Haydar Abdel Shafi Center for Culture and Development commemorates the sixteenth anniversary of the passing of the great national leader, Dr. Haydar Abdel Shafi.
The Dr. Haydar Abdel Shafi Center for Culture and Development commemorated the sixteenth anniversary of the passing of the great national leader, Dr. Haydar Abdel Shafi, at its headquarters in Gaza City.
The event began with welcoming remarks from the event coordinator, Mr. Baraa Al-Far, who welcomed the attendees and spoke about commemorating the sixteenth anniversary of Dr. Haydar's passing as a proud occasion. He emphasized Dr. Haydar's national and humanitarian stature, his work in promoting democratic principles, human rights, and national reconciliation as the foundation for building a cohesive Palestinian society.
Mr. Mohsen Abu Ramadan, the director of the Dr. Haydar Abdel Shafi Center, also welcomed the attendees and expressed the center's commitment to commemorating Dr. Haydar's legacy. He highlighted Dr. Haydar's dedication to national unity, democratic principles, human rights, and humanitarian development, as well as his values of transparency, credibility, and integrity.
He emphasized the center's pride in bearing the name of the great national leader, Dr. Haydar, whose ideas and concepts continue to resonate among the Palestinian community. He reiterated Dr. Haydar's focus on unity, democracy, education, youth empowerment, respect for public freedoms, judicial independence, and the fight against corruption.
The commemoration reaffirms the importance of national unity in confronting occupation, apartheid, and the unjust blockade on Gaza. It underscores the need to address internal Palestinian divisions, rebuild Palestinian representative institutions, and enhance youth and women's participation to achieve national unity democratically and inclusively.
The event also stressed the importance of promoting volunteerism, investing in human capital, and dedicating time and resources for the common good and combating emigration.
Mr. Salah Abdel Shafi, the chairman of the board of directors, lamented the enduring Palestinian division, which remains a festering wound in the Palestinian body. He criticized the failure of Palestinian factions to address internal Palestinian affairs effectively.
He expressed regret over the current predicament facing the Palestinian cause, characterized by Israeli aggression, land confiscation, settlement expansion, and institutionalized apartheid. He emphasized the need for Palestinian factions to prioritize national interests over partisan agendas and work towards unity and reconciliation.
He affirmed the Dr. Haydar Abdel Shafi Center's commitment to upholding Dr. Haydar's values of integrity, ethics, public interest, transparency, and continuing to focus on youth empowerment, citizenship, democracy, and human rights.
Participants praised Dr. Haydar Abdel Shafi's values and principles, which have positively influenced them through the center's activities and events, emphasizing citizenship, participation, human rights, and democracy.