Media coverage
Sawa News Agency · 2022-10-10
PalThink for Strategic Studies in Gaza launched the second training course of its debate programme, “Building Young Leaders,” in partnership with FXB, targeting 55 young male and female trainees selected from around 640 applicants. The programme aims to strengthen a culture of dialogue, critical thinking, debate skills, teamwork, and participation in decision-making, with trainees set to conduct 20 debates at universities and local institutions before the programme ends.
PalThink for Strategic Studies in Gaza launched the second training course of its debate programme, “Building Young Leaders,” in partnership with FXB, targeting 55 young male and female trainees selected from around 640 applicants. The programme aims to strengthen a culture of dialogue, critical th…
PalThink for Strategic Studies in Gaza launched the second training course of the debate training program, “Preparing Young Leaders,” targeting 55 young male and female trainees, in partnership with FXB Foundation, as a continuation of its efforts to promote a culture of dialogue and rational discourse among young people,
Opening the course, PalThink Director Omar Shaban said that this program is one of a series of ongoing programs aimed at producing a young generation of leaders for society, equipped with the skill of critical thinking and acceptance of others and their differing opinions. He added that “the goal of this program is to build strong personalities capable of expressing themselves and possessing the skills and knowledge that enable them to distinguish the good from the bad.”
For his part, trainer Talal Abu Rakba said: “Everyone has their differences because of diverse backgrounds, and what we seek through this program is to promote acceptance of difference and the language of dialogue and discussion.”
He added, “In the Gaza Strip, we lack genuine dialogue based on argument and persuasion on many political, social, and cultural issues, and therefore we need to re-entrench this relationship, as it is an entry point to a culture of tolerance and the protection of civil peace.”
He said that “such projects, specifically those related to debates and preparing young leaders in the subject of debates, are a very important entry point for enabling young people to become familiar with sensitive issues and equipping them with the skills of teamwork, working under pressure, research, and dialogue.”
The first meeting included an introduction to debates, their themes, and their scientific foundations. Participants also watched several video clips of academic debates and carried out group exercises in an atmosphere of positivity and teamwork.
Trainee Shahd Safi (21), a graduate of the English Department, said: “The program did not disappoint my expectations. We learned very important things about debates, their foundations, and their ethics, foremost among them respect for others’ opinions, in addition to how to manage debates and work within a team. I am very excited, after the end of the session, to return home and research more about all the matters covered in the meeting.”
For his part, Abdul Rahman Rabee (24), a graduate of the Faculty of Law, said that he learned about the program through PalThink’s social media pages, which he follows regularly, and wanted to participate in the program in order to learn “the art of debates, presenting argument and evidence, and the art of persuasion.”
He added, “I expect it to be a wonderful experience, especially since I love new experiences that add new skills, expertise, and knowledge to me.”
The program aims to enhance participants’ debate skills, life skills, and creative thinking to enable them to participate in decision-making. PalThink selected 55 out of as many as 640 applicants for the program, following the announced competency criteria. Before the end of the program, the trainees will conduct 20 debates in universities and various local institutions, and they will assume full responsibility for coordinating the debates, in order to strengthen their skills in communication, liaison, and coordination.
Text © Sawa News Agency — archived here with attribution to the source. — Machine translation for archival reference. — Original source