YLDA concludes Political Communication Training in Bangkok
2008-06-10

Never allow yourself to be on the defensive. Be short and to-the-point. Be committed to what you say and show your commitment by actions.

These thoughts are just some of the kernels of knowledge young and aspiring facilitators took home from the five-day seminar-workshop on facilitation and moderation organized by the Young Liberals and Democrats of Asia in Bangkok, Thailand.

Be bold and unique. Give your listeners something to look forward to, something to hope for, reasons to support you, and reasons to be politically active. The learning just never stops.

The sixteen participants from eight countries learned these rudiments of political communication by doing practice sessions and group dynamics. Led by workshop facilitator Dr. Stefan Melnik, the participants shared and learned through observations, discussions, sharing of experiences, and hands-on training and practice on public speaking, managing events, debating, and delivering political messages to different kinds of audiences.

In his parting words during the brief closing ceremony, Friedrich Naumann Foundation Regional Representative for Southeast and East Asia Mr. Hubertus von Welck congratulated the participants for their spirited participation and urged them to apply in their respective country the lessons they learned in Bangkok. He stressed that Asia belongs to the youths and the youths must not only be ready but also be prepared to take on the challenges laid our before the countries in the region.

Flowing with idealism and boosted by their newfound confidence, participants vowed to spread the liberal-democratic messages of tolerance, human rights, peace, and social justice to their colleagues. Mr. Sann Seakkin of the newly created Sam Rainsy Youth Party explains, "the things we learned here in Bangkok will come in handy when we face the Cambodian people next month and convince them to vote for us in the coming national elections."

Indeed, organized to capacitate member organizations on planning and managing political events like political and electoral campaigns, YLDA looks forward to the practical outputs of the workshop as participants return to their own countries and utilize the lessons gained in Bangkok when they deliver the liberal political message across Asia.

YLDA Secretary Jan Argy Tolentino succinctly puts this expectation in perspective when he declared, "Through this workshop, YLDA has equipped member organizations necessary skills to become effective communicators. Now we can be sure the liberal message will reverberate more soundly in Asia amongst its youths in the years to come."

Take every single person who fires questions at you seriously and treat them all with respect. Always argue from the affirmative side. You are more likely to win if you argue from the offensive.

The learning never stops. So does the campaign to bring the liberal message to young Asians.

Garda Bangsa Garda Bangsa was formed in 1998 following the successful political reform spearheaded by students and other campus activists to depose the tyrannical regime of President Suharto. The organization was founded by Abdurram Wahid, a former adviser of President Suharto who resigned following an escalation in government corruption and political management by the administration. He championed "Responsible Openness" within the government system and proposed the establishment of a Reform Committee in order to mitigate poor governance within the administration. His calls were left unheeded and so he eventually withdrew support for the government and joined the efforts advocating for reform in the government. Read more...