Program Structure and Content

The training program is designed to enhance participants’ knowledge of party practices in order to foster the institutional development and capacity building of political parties in Palestine. The course will focus on practical training and hands-on exercises in relevant fields and concepts and is structured as follows:

Preparation. Prior to the seminar the selected participants will be provided with a reading package, which will enable them to become familiar with the course material. Each participant will be required to write a brief paper on a subject related to the seminar.

Intensive Seminar. During a five-day intensive seminar experts will introduce key issues in the field of party development and party politics and establish a fundamental background on the concepts and practice of related issues (e.g., communication skills, leadership skills, party formation, financing, membership, policy formulation etc.). The five day-seminar will be followed by an extra five workshop days dealing with specific issues such as elections, campaigning, and parliamentary work. Participants will learn from exercises and case studies. More specifically, this course will tackle the following issues:

Seminar Topics include:

• Definition of ‘party’ and ‘party system’
• Role and work of political parties
• Formation and establishment of opposition parties
• Party Law and System in Palestine
• Legal and constitutional frameworks of party formation
• History of Palestinian political parties
• Institutional and Organizational Requirements of Parties
• Party leadership
• Membership recruitment
• Organization of party congress or events
• Coalition Building
• Leadership Styles and Skills
• Developing messages, party policies and strategies
• Communication and Media Skills
• Issue and policy research
• Party financing / Fundraising
• How Parliament Works
• Parameters of Political Debate
• Political Parties and Elections

Conclusion. At the close of the training program, certificates will be awarded by PASSIA to participants who successfully complete the program.

Application Requirements

The training program is designed for Palestinian candidates, aged 25-45 years, who are involved in one way or the other in political parties or intend to get involved and who want to enhance their knowledge and skills. Applicants must be able to commit themselves full-time throughout the required period – a total of 10 days – and to undertake preparatory reading and written work.

Procedure

Completed application forms must be submitted to PASSIA by Wednesday, 17 May 2006. PASSIA will then invite short-listed applicants to interviews. Applicants will be notified of the results and, upon selection, participants will have to confirm their commitment to full-time participation in writing as well as submit a letter from their employers confirming that they will be exempted from work during the required period.

The PASSIA Training Program will take place from 8-12 June 2006 in Ramallah. Accommodation will be provided for participants from Gaza.

June 8, 2006

9:30 a.m. – 10 a.m. – Welcoming Address / Opening Remarks

Dr. Mahdi Abdul Hadi, Head of PASSIA, Jerusalem

10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. – Introduction

Dr. Ali Jirbawi, Professor of Political Science, Birzeit University

11:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. – Break

11:45 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. – Introduction, contd.

Dr. Ali Jirbawi

1:15 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. – Lunch

2:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. – Party System in Palestine – A Historical Overview

Dr. George Giacaman, Director of Muwatin, Ramallah

June 9, 2006

9:15 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. – Party Formation (I): Social cleavages and their transformation into political cleavages/programs; Why do new parties form?; Impact of the institutional and political environment on the formation of parties

Prof. Dr. Peter Loesche, Professor of Political Science at Göttingen University

10:45 a.m. – 11 a.m. – Break

11 a.m. – noon – Party Formation (II): Legal and constitutional frameworks; Provisions and rules governing the creation, registration, operation, financing and dissolution of political parties.

Ammar Dwaik, Chief Electoral Officer, Central Elections Commission

noon – 2:30 p.m. – Lunch

2:30 p.m. – 4 p.m. – Party Formation (III): History of Palestinian political parties

Dr. Mahdi Abdul Hadi, Chairman of PASSIA

June 10, 2006

9:15 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. – Institutional and Organizational Requirements of Parties (I)

Prof. Dr. Peter Loesche and Carsten Stender

10:45 a.m. – 11 a.m. – Break

11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – Leadership Styles (leadership types, various personalities, convincing others, leaving an impression, understanding what makes a leader. Motivating others, leadership in cultural and situational contexts, leadership ethics)

Dr. Mahmoud Baidoun, Psychologist and Clinical Supervisor, Ramallah

12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. – Lunch

1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. – Leadership Styles, contd.

Dr. Mahmoud Baidoun

June 11, 2006

9:15 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. – Institutional and Organizational Requirements of Parties (II)

Carsten Stender, Chief of Staff of the Secretary General of the SPD

10:45 a.m. – 11 a.m. – Break

11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – Communication and Media Skills (Communication strategies and techniques; presentation skills; public speaking; selecting media-outlets and target audiences; interpersonal communication)

Shadi Othman, Civil Engineer, Master in Business Administration, Ramallah

12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. – Lunch

1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. – Communication and Media Skills, contd.

Shadi Othman

June 12, 2006

9:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. – Intra-Party Politics; Issue and policy research; Development of party policies and strategies; Dealing with intraparty conflicts; Recruit candidates

Ghassan Khatib, Lecturer at Birzeit University and co-editor of Bitterlemons

10:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. – Break

10:45 a.m. – noon – Intra-Party Politics, contd.; Party financing / Fundraising / Financial Reporting

Iyad Masrouji, Vice-President, Jerusalem Pharmaceutical Company, Ramallah

noon – 1:30 p.m. – Lunch

1:30 p.m. – 3 p.m. – Discussion with local party practitioners

Qais Abdul Karim (Badil – Alternative), Bassam Salhi (PPP) and Hatem Abdul Qader (Fateh)

3 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. – Evaluation of Part One of the Training Program