22/03/2011 - Ramallah - The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) received a delegation from the Arab Youth Media Forum at the center’s headquarters in Ramallah.
The delegation discussed the current realities faced by media providers and journalists in the occupied territories, the role of MADA in defending media freedoms.

MADA center director Mousa Rimawi welcomed the delegation and highlighted the importance of documenting the extent of violations committed against journalists and media institutions in the region, and discussed the reality of media freedoms in Palestine; where MADA monitored 218 violations last year - over 80% of which were committed by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF).

Rimawi explained that 2011 has seen no improvements in the development of media freedoms in the Palestinian territories with a condensed account of the continued IOF and Palestinian Security Service violations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, where in the past two weeks alone security forces in GAZA Strip committed numerous violations. The meeting was followed by a question and answer session, after which Rimawi expressed his gratitude to the delegation for their visit and interest in the center.

Arab Youth Media ambassador Haitham Yousef led the delegation and expressed his appreciation for MADA as a defender of media freedoms and a reliable source of reports and data. The visit was coordinated by George Qanawati and facilitated by Haitham Yousef, Sara Ben Hameed from Tunisia , Saja Al Abdali from Iraq, and Ziad Yaghi and Leilaf Talqamoni from Jordan.

The meeting concluded with MADA center staff signing their names on a campaign banner brought by the delegation calling for an end to the internal Palestinian division, and an agreement that both parties will maintain communication and discuss future prospects and joint 
cooperation.
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Contact
Riham Abu Aita
Public Relation Officer
riham@madacenter.org
www.madacenter.org