Ramallah – 1/11/2021 – MIFTAH completed its three-day youth camp on October 30, aimed at creating a space for dialogue between youth groups, national figures, women and youth leaders and experts in election affairs.

The camp included several activities and dialogue sessions to discuss various election-related topics such as: the map of active social forces in local elections; the position of civil society institutions on local elections and its proposed legal amendments; the role of youth leaders in elections; the 2005 Local Elections Law No. 10; the launching of a digital campaign to support youth participation in local elections; showcasing global democratic experiences; and a dialogue session entitled: “The role of political parties in supporting youth participation in local elections and the role of women in local government, the election process and procedures.”

Representatives of MIFTAH’s Political and Social Active Youth Network participated in the camp from all West Bank districts, including Jerusalem, as a means of promoting their involvement in local elections, raising their awareness on the enacted election laws and regulations in Palestine and discussing opportunities and challenges to the participation of youth and women. The camp constituted a social incubator for supporting youth efforts to compete within electoral lists running in local council elections.

The camp is part of MIFTAH’s interventions, geared towards the empowerment of youth leaders, to promote their political participation in the upcoming local elections, based on Cabinet decision No. (123/18) of 2021. The camp was carried out in cooperation with the Norwegian Representative Office and the Arab Palestinian Investment Company, APIC.