The legal clinic of the Faculty of Law and Political Science at An-Najah National University on Wednesday 20/11/2024, in cooperation with the Local Association for Rehabilitation in Balata Refugee Camp, held an awareness-raising workshop entitled "Child begging", which was part of the clinic's efforts to promote legal and community awareness and to highlight the phenomenon of child begging and its legal and social consequences.

The workshop was presented by Ms. Amna Ramadan and Ms. Alma al-Khatib, who volunteered the legal clinic. The meeting was initiated with a welcome attendance, with an explanation of the importance of this workshop in enabling participants to have the legal knowledge necessary to deal with and address this phenomenon.

The workshop discussed the concept of begging as a social and legal phenomenon, with a focus on Palestinian legislation guaranteeing children's rights. Legal procedures applicable to child beggars were reviewed and how to reduce the prevalence of this phenomenon. The workshop also discussed mechanisms for dealing with child beggars, taking into account the humanitarian and legal aspects.

The meeting saw a great interaction from the audience, where many inquiries were raised about the phenomenon and the mechanisms to address it. The discussions resulted in a range of important recommendations, including the need to strengthen parental control over children, to organize awareness-raising programs in schools to familiarize children with their rights, and to provide support and assistance to children begging by specialized institutions.

This workshop is part of the achievement of the sustainable development goals. It contributes to supporting several goals, including poverty eradication. The first goal is to discuss the causes of child begging and mechanisms for addressing them. Quality education is the fourth goal, by strengthening the role of schools in raising children's awareness and preventing school dropout. The workshop also supports gender equality Goal 5, ensuring the protection of all children regardless of their gender, and seeks to achieve peace, justice and strong institutions Goal 16 by strengthening the rule of law and combating child exploitation.

This workshop comes as part of the project to enhance the sustainability of the legal clinic, funded by Sawasya 3 program, implemented in partnership with UNDP, UN-Women and UNICEF. These efforts seek to promote social justice and support the most vulnerable in Palestinian society, in line with the principles of sustainable development.