GGR’s Alvarez named European Coordinator by international human rights foundation
Gibraltar Equality Rights Group GGR announced today that Felix Alvarez, the group’s Chairman, has been appointed European Coordinator for an internationally based human rights organisation.
This organisation is the Beirut-based Foundation for the Defense of Prisoners of Conscience (Syria) (FDPOC). Mr Alvarez’s main role will be in strategizing their campaigns with EU institutions in Brussels and networking with other international and EU human Rights NGOs and foundations.
Confirming the announcement today, Mr Alvarez commented:
“My work in Gibraltar will continue. However, it is true to say that responsibilities on the international front increasingly require my attention.â€
The Director of the FDPOC, Mr Wissam Tarif, explained that Mr Alvarez “will contribute to the Foundation’s work in various ways”.
“Mr Alvarez’s credentials and standing across the whole spectrum of political and human rights issues, as well as his depth of regional knowledge and connections, will be a very real asset.
In this role, Mr Alvarez will be working closely with European politicians in order to augment EU external policy toward the Middle East focusing particularly on the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, exploring more efficient ways of making EU funds spent in the Middle East work in favour of EU policy goals.â€
In their statement today, Mr Tarif concludes that “FDPOC and I are glad to have Felix on board our international team”.
“We are looking forward to working with him in the coming weeks and months in London and Europe during the course of joint meetings with a range of policy makers, think tanks and Middle East regional experts.â€
Director Tarif, who is of Lebanese nationality, is both a staunch pro-democracy campaigner and a well-regarded political analyst with strong ties in regional diplomatic circles, as well as a known media commentator and writer. He has coordinated human rights issues within Arab political circles and NGOs, the White House and the European Union and is a frequent visitor to London, Berlin, Brussels and Washington DC. He is considered a policy expert on Syrian affairs.
The FDPOC’s mission, as described on their website, is to bring to the attention of the international community the shameful and inhuman treatment being meted out by the Government of Syria to dissidents and diverse human rights activists.
“On this website you will see details of just a few of the victims of the undemocratic Syrian regime. We urge you to press your representatives to not turn a blind eye to what is happening to these - and to so many other - conscientious individuals fighting for their human, political and social rights in Syria.
None of these people or their loved ones deserves to suffer or to be in jail, and much less to be tortured. The Syrian authorities should free them without further delay. They must allow their people the basic freedom to speak and express themselves in their own country.”
Source: Equality Rights Group GGR Press Release - 26 May 2008
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Foundation for the Defense of Prisoners of Conscience (Syria) (FDPOC)
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