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The Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) About the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung • The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung is a non-profit German political foundation, related to Social Democratic Party in Germany. • The foundation was founded in 1925 and is named after Friedrich Ebert, Germany's first democratically elected president. • It is committed to the advancement of public policy issues in the spirit of the basic values of social democracy through: Education, Research, and International cooperation. Headquartered in Berlin and Bonn FES Offices in Germany FES Offices Worldwide FES Facts and Figures • Two headquarters in Berlin and Bonn • 14 Regional offices in Germany • 107 Foreign offices work for the promotion of democracy and social justice (2012) FES Facts and Figures • Annually about 3,000 educational seminars, discussion forums, expert conferences, and exhibitions, which attract over 220 000 participants. • 2,650 graduate, undergraduate, and PhD students supported with financial assistance and programs, of whom approximately 280 persons come from abroad (2012) FES Main Objectives Worldwide • Contributing to international understanding and cooperation wherever possible in order to avert a fresh outbreak of war and conflict • Furthering a democratic, pluralistic political culture by means of political education for all classes of society • Facilitating access to higher education and research for gifted young people by providing scholarships About the FES Office in Palestine • In the Palestinian Territories, the FriedrichEbert-Stiftung got involved at a very early stage. • Since 1987, cooperation was built up through FES office in Amman, Jordan. • After the Oslo peace negotiations, it was a matter of course for the FES to open an office in East Jerusalem as the first German political foundation (Stiftung). • In April 2005 the branch office in the Gaza Strip opened. Aims of FES in Palestine • The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung in Palestine works in pursuit of pluralism and democracy and supporting stable and continuous economic and social development in the Middle East. • Equal rights for women and the promotion of broad human rights are of special significance. Aims of FES in Palestine • The FES office in Palestine supports democratic forces and actors in their work to create peace. • This takes place, for example, through the organization of political forums in which approaches to solving the conflict and political intervention strategies are discussed. • The FES thereby supports the discourse between Europe, Germany and the regions in conflict on central questions of political transformation. Major Areas of FES in Palestine The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung in Palestine has four major areas of focus: • • • • Political Transformation Economic and Social Policy Support for Civil Society International Dialogue Activities of FES Palestine • • • • • FES Palestine cooperates with a wide range of local partner institutions from civil society and the political sphere to establish platforms for democratic dialogue, organize conferences, hold workshops and publish policy papers on current political issues. Democracy means Participation Social Justice Empowering Youth Promoting Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Consultations with the support of German experts Thank You Dr. Usama Antar Program Manager Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Gaza - Gaza Strip • • Activities FES Amman cooperates with a wide range of local partner institutions from civil society and the political sphere to establish platforms for democratic dialogue, organize conferences, hold workshops and publish policy papers on current political questions. • Democracy Means Participation • Democratization requires a political process, in which all groups of society participate. FES Amman promotes open political discussion, supports the efforts of civil society organizations and furthers active participation of previously marginalized groups such as women and youth. A prerequisite for active participation is information. FES thus aims to contribute to the strengthening of independent media and the training of journalists. In addition, FES facilitates regular dialogue between political decision-makers and experts from Germany and the Middle East. • Social Justice • Social justice is a key factor for inclusive growth and political stability in the Middle East. Together with its partners, FES Amman works towards shaping political and economic processes according to the principles of social justice and tackling challenges such as unemployment. FES also cooperates with local, regional and global trade unions and their federations. • Empowering Youth • With the majority of the Jordanian and Iraqi population being under the age of 30, promoting the participation of youth in social and political processes is a crucial part of FES activities in both countries. FES educates young people on political, social and economic challenges faced by their country and the region, and trains them to become active members of society. • Promoting Women’s Rights and Gender Equality • Women are entitled to the same civil and political rights as men. Moreover, sustainable political and socioeconomic development cannot take place without the participation of women. FES Amman assists civil society organizations in Jordan and Iraq in developing and implementing strategies to strengthen women’s rights and increase female participation in politics and the workforce. • Energy and Climate Policy • FES Amman serves as a regional link for MENA activities under the FES Energy and Climate Program. This program supports the search for suitable policies to promote energy savings and energy efficiency and encourages a transition towards an energy supply based on renewable energy sources. FES strives to contribute to new energy policies, which could generate green and fair jobs, promote economic development and energy justice, as well as lead to a solution to the many water issues and air pollution in the region. • Consultations with the support of German experts for local political actors The activities of the FES are comprised of the following areas: • Implementation of long-term projects and short-term activities • Workshops and consultations with the support of German experts for local political actors • Exchange and dialogue programs with young adults • Promoting the participation of Palestinian academics and experts in discussion forums in the region and abroad In the planning and implementation phases of the activities the Gender mainstreaming is taken into consideration.