ABSTRACT
The main aim of this chapter is to contribute to the understanding of the interplay between community participation and human rights’ protection affecting the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon through the case of the advocacy campaign surrounding the reform of the legal regime regulating Palestinian employment in Lebanon. This campaign, in which the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) played an active role, has been characterized by its emphasis on the importance of community participation. Through discussion on the advocacy practices implemented, their participatory dimension and the decision-making process, this chapter aims at demonstrating that legitimizing advocacy via community participation activated the competition dynamics among community representatives, i.e., the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and political parties, thus further crystallizing the fragmentation of the Palestinian community. This conflict, in addition to Lebanese reluctance to a change of representation over the Palestinian refugees, had a detrimental impact on advocacy.
