Introduction

The Al-Quds Human Rights Clinic (AQHRC)

The First Accredited Clinical Legal Education Program in
Palestine and the Arab World

AQHRC was created in 2006 by law school graduates to respond to the serious lack of adherence to and enforcement of international law, particularly international human rights law (IHRL) in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; both in terms of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and the treatment of Palestinian citizens of Israel. The absence of international law as a guiding principle to conflict resolution has led to neglect of the subject in the discourse of the general public and the education of young lawyers in particular. Although many NGOs utilize the discourse of international law, especially human rights and international humanitarian law to advocate and further the Palestinian cause, in (higher) education the subject has received too little attention. So, while human rights, as a set of knowledge, legal practice and communal function is a practically useful and empowering tool for Palestinians, especially youth, it is inefficiently utilized.