[Berlin/Gütersloh/Beirut]: To strengthen liberal political parties and their respective youth organizations is a primary strategic objective of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty. The Arab World is no exception and in mid-April, a delegation comprising eight leading youth representatives of the Lebanese Future Movement visited Germany upon the invitation of the foundation to participate in a study tour on “Strategies for Successful Political Youth Work”.
Accompanied by FNF Project Director Ralf Erbel (Amman), the group travelled to Berlin for the first leg of the week-long visit to Germany. The highly interactive and varied program was kicked of by a political city tour of central Berlin. Similarities and differences between Berlin and Beirut captivated the attention of the foundation’s guests, with both capitals having had to face the immense challenge of reuniting formerly divided cities over the past two decades.
- Visit to Foundation’s head office
The first visit to be paid by the partner organisation Future Movement to the Foundation’s historic premises on Lake Griebnitz in Potsdam was elevated by the warm welcome extended to the delegation by FNF Executive Director Rolf Berndt and MENA region project manager Paul Seelentag. Rolf Berndt: “We can provide some support to our liberal friends all over the world, but at the end of the day, they have to find the right way themselves towards a society that upholds fundamental human rights and recognized values.”
- Political Communication: Dialog with party officials and MPs
However, it was the topic of successful political communication in general and “social media communication” in particular – motivated by the social media’s impressive role during recent uprisings all over the Arab World - that stood at the centre of most meetings held between the foundation’s Lebanese guests and high ranking officials at the Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the Young Liberals (JuLis).
“The Free Democrats are witnessing a time of crisis”, underlined Gabriele Renatus, the FDP’s Federal Executive Director, underlining that “successful political communication will help restore credibility and approval ratings for the party in the face of a harsh media campaign.” Trying to ponder the role of social media in politics carefully, the FDP’s dialogue and campaign expert Andreas Pauker added that “in Germany, the social media are no substitute – yet – for conventional media. While social media allows you to reach young and often highly educated opinion makers, most regular citizens continue to be best reached through newspapers and television”.
This opinion was seconded by Manuel Höferlin, Member of the German Bundestag and IT expert, who sees the importance of social media also in “its potential – if used smartly - to somewhat reduce the perceived distance between political decision makers and citizens, thereby reducing political apathy”.
The meetings with young members of the Bundestag constituted a highlight for the foundation’s Lebanese guests. While political leadership skills dominated the conversation with Christoph Schnurr (MP), foreign policy issues came to the fore during the meeting with Dr. Bijan Djir-Sarai (MP). Djir-Sarai: „The developments in the Arab world took us by surprise. We admire the vitality of the movements that we are witnessing, but we also fear that it is by no means certain that the outcome of current developments will be functioning and stable democracies. I am much interested in hearing your assessment as Arab liberals”. In reply, the young political leaders stated their belief that “current developments will lead to more democracy and freedom, and that the Arab countries will restore their status – which was hijacked by corrupt and authoritarian regimes - among the international community.”
