Osama’s story

Osama is a law student in Gaza who uses the power of the pen for activism. He’s been an activist in his community for many years and his writing on human rights has appeared in various blogs and publications. Osama believes writing is important because ‘’when you write about human rights you write about yourself and your community. In Gaza the situation is difficult, it’s a necessary thing to speak about human rights.’’

Human rights in digital spaces

Osama often writes online because of the unique space it offers. ‘’I feel that I can speak more [on the internet] and no one can interrupt me. After people can answer, but it’s an effective way to reach out to my community.’’ The accessibility of online spaces is important too and he strives to develop ‘’online human rights mechanisms that are accessible to all.’’

Osama can also reach more people through his online work. Sometimes even people who disagree with him, which sometimes causes him challenges. ‘’I face many challenges that have at some point affected my personal safety.’’ But despite the risks and challenges, Osama remains committed to his work. ‘’In Palestinian society, there is a clear restriction on individual rights and constant violations, so at the very least, these violations must be known so in the future, we can claim some of these rights.’’