Pal-Think opens the «Preparing Young Leaders» training programme

Continuing its efforts to strengthen the culture of dialogue and rational discourse among youth, Pal-Think for Strategic Studies opened a training programme titled “Preparing Young Leaders”, targeting 55 young trainees of both sexes, in partnership with the FXB organisation.

The training was opened by the projects coordinator at Pal-Think, Ms Sally al-Sammak, welcoming the audience and saying the programme aims to strengthen the participants' skills in debating, life skills, and creative thinking to enable them to take part in decision-making.

She noted that the institution chose 55 applicants from among 250 applications, following the announced criteria of competence.

Al-Sammak added that “the trainees will carry out 20 debates in the universities and various local institutions, and will take on the full coordination of the debates, to strengthen their skills in communication and coordination.”

For his part, Pal-Think's director Mr Omar Shaban said his institution aims through these trainings to graduate a young generation of leaders for society, armed with the skill of critical thinking and the acceptance of others with their different views.

He added: “We are among the institutions pointed to with pride in the Middle East that devote all their resources to training young people in soft skills, critical thinking, and the writing of research papers. We are proud to have graduated dozens of young men and women who have taken up important and influential positions in local and international organisations and institutions, and others who obtained scholarships to study for master's degrees and doctorates at the world's finest universities.”

He noted that what distinguishes Pal-Think is that it preserves its relationship with its trainees after the trainings end — involving them in its workshops and political conferences and encouraging them to write research papers.

For his part, trainer Dr Talal Abu Rokba said: “Most young people in the Gaza Strip lack the language of dialogue and reject the other because of the growth of hate speech and fanaticism resulting from the political division. This training therefore came to instil the culture of peaceful dialogue among youth through debate, which teaches them the use of logical arguments to build a balanced, scientific discourse and to refute the discourse of others.”

The first day's meeting comprised an introduction to debates, their axes, and their scientific foundations; the participants also watched several video clips of scientific debates and carried out group exercises amid an atmosphere of positivity and teamwork.

Trainee Shahd Ismail Abu Dahrouj, 23, a psychology graduate, said: “The moment my colleagues told me about the announcement of the capacity-development training, I did not hesitate at all to rush to register for this training with all enthusiasm and passion — especially as my colleagues who received earlier trainings told me much about the skills and knowledge they gained through their involvement in community activities.”

She added: “I also joined because I aspire to become a strong debater by learning the skills of debating, the methods of searching for information, documenting and presenting it, and the different means of persuasion.”

For his part, trainee Abdullah al-Baba (23), a graduate in medical-equipment engineering, said he feels excited about the programme's training axes, adding: “I saw young graduates of an earlier debating programme Pal-Think implemented training other young people in debates. I want to acquire debating skills, become an activist like them, and pass these skills and knowledge to others.”

He concluded: “I want to learn to accept and discuss with those who differ from me in opinion, because this is essential in my personal and professional life — and even in my relationship with my family.”