Doha: Over 200 students from around the world are participating in Al Fakhoora Campaign - an international students campaign aimed at supporting education in Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
The three-day conference titled Post Cast Lead: Defending the Freedom to Learn, kicked off on Sunday at the Mariott Hotel in Doha.
The forum will discuss the plight of Palestinian students in Gaza after the horrendous Israeli assault on the Hamas-ruled territory in December 2008.
Ayman Mohye Al Deen, a correspondent for Al Jazeera Network based in Gaza Strip, who had covered the Israeli offensive in Gaza Strip last year, was the keynote speaker of the opening session.
He described the deteriorating humane situation in Gaza Strip, whose citizens have limited or no access to education, healthcare and pointed out the alarming rise of unemployment.
"Today the Palestinian people of Gaza, a people rich in tradition, history and culture, are being forced into destitution never seen before," Mohye Al Deen said.
"More than 280 schools were damaged and 18 were destroyed and more than 1,400 people died, 300 of which were children," he added.
Student representatives from Qatar, UAE, Gaza Strip, Egypt, UK, United States and other countries in the Middle East, who attended the conference to spread awareness on the Palestinian issues, addressed the audience urging them to realise the seriousness of the living situation in Gaza Strip.
They gave insight on the current situation in Gaza Strip and provided guidelines and guidance on how they can help their less privileged fellow students in Gaza Strip, secure their minimum right to education.
"Although Operation 'Cast Lead' has officially ended, the war against the Palestinian right to education is ongoing. And as students with full freedom and access to education, I feel it is our duty to ensure the same freedom for our fellow students in Gaza and the West Bank," said Nabeel Gaber, a student at the Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service in Qatar.
The conference will offer workshops that teach students valuable communication and dialogue skills, as well as techniques for planning and implementing awareness campaigns.
The Al Fakhoora Campaign was established on January 8, 2009, as an international initiative led by students with the support of Her Highness Shaikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al Missned, Unesco Special Envoy for Basic and Higher Education.
Rania Al Hussaini is a journalist based in Doha
