Dr. Marwan Dwairy, Chair of Adalah’s New Board of Directors: “In this Charter, Adalah will ask to expand the boundaries of the law to protect human rights.”

On 1 April 2005, Adalah’s General Assembly held its annual meeting, which was attended by the majority of the organization’s members. The General Assembly discussed and approved the basic principles of Adalah’s draft “Charter of Human Rights,” which will be completed and issued in 2005. The main goal of this charter is to set forth freedoms and rights for the public which Adalah thinks must be guaranteed in the laws or the constitution of the State of Israel. The charter will be based on international human rights conventions as well as new constitutions of democratic states.

The General Assembly also reviewed and discussed Adalah’s Annual Activities Report for 2004, which details over 60 legal representations in the areas of land and planning rights; education, social and economic rights; civil and political rights; and prisoners’ rights, as well as publications issued and public conferences held. The General Assembly approved the audited financial reports for 2003 and 2004, in addition to the budget for 2005, which amounts to US $960,000. The Control Committee also presented its report before the General Assembly.

The General Assembly elected the members of Adalah’s new Board of Directors and Control Committee. In the first board meeting held on 16 April 2005, Dr. Marwan Dwairy was unanimously elected as the chairperson of the new board. The members of Adalah’s new Board of Directors are:

Dr. Marwan Dwairy, Chairperson – Senior clinical, educational, and developmental psychologist, and lecturer in the academic colleges of Emeq Yizrael and Oranim.

Dr. Moussa Abou-Ramadan – Faculty of Law, University of Haifa, specializing in international human rights law and the rights of minorities.

Ms. Suhad Aga, Advocate – Public Defenders' Office, Haifa.

Ms. Samar Khamis, Advocate – Private law office, Haifa, and board member of Assiwar - The Palestinian Feminist Center in Support of Victims of Sexual Abuse.

Prof. Muhammad Haj-Yahia – School of Social Work, Hebrew University, and researcher on the issues of violence and the Arab family.

Mr. Salman Natour – Author and playwright; Editor of Madar, a journal published by the Palestinian Center for Israeli Studies in Ramallah, and Director of the Emil Tuma Institute for Israeli and Palestinian Studies in Haifa.

Dr. Mahmoud Yazbek – Department of Humanities, Middle East History, University of Haifa.

The members of the new Control Committee are:

Mr. Muhammad Miari, Advocate – Former Knesset Member, and a founder of the Progressive Movement for Peace.

Mr. Wael Rabi, Advocate – Private law office.