ABC of politics: Future politicians learn to ‘survive’

Training to provide opportunity to learn the ground realities.

ISLAMABAD:

A group of 30 young aspiring politicians have started a five-day residential training at a centre for learning that works with young leaders in the capital.

The training is designed to help future leaders understand the skills they will need to succeed in active politics. Speaking at the opening ceremony on Thursday, chief guest Pakistan Peoples Party’s Senator Raza Rabbani said the training initiative was commendable given that politics and politicians have historically been “demonised” in Pakistan, for which he blamed the civil-military bureaucracy.

Participants must take part in practical politics to understand its complexities, Rabbani stated. “As long as you do not struggle as a political worker, you won’t be able to understand the ups and downs of politics.”

Rabbani advised young politicians to struggle with honesty and commitment and base their politics on ideology. “The lack of leadership you see today is because most politicians did not go through a process of ideological training,” he said. “They do not understand the value of democracy.” Democracy is the only option for the survival of the federation, he added.

“The way to bring about actual change is political,” said Dr Fouzia Saeed, the chairperson of Mehergarh’s board of governors and a gender expert. “So we decided to provide people who want to join mainstream politics an opportunity to learn the ground realities of politics.”

Saeed said participants will be taught by politicians, election campaign managers, Election Commission officials as well as representatives from non-governmental organisations working on political and election-related issues.

Some participants have political affiliations, while others have run as independent candidates for local or provincial governments. During a brief introductions session at the ceremony, most of them showed a desire to contest upcoming local government elections.

Shahmeer Baloch, 24, from Turbat, Balochistan, said he was not discouraged by Pakistan’s notoriously corrupt political system because he believed the youth could solve the country’s problems.”No angel is going to descend from the heavens to solve our crises,” Baloch, who is a student of International Relations at the National University of Modern Languages, said. “These are our problems and we must solve them.”

Just like Baloch, other participants appeared to be not only politically ambitious but also enthusiastic about learning skills they can use to build their political careers. Nusrat Begum, from Lower Dir, who is affiliated with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf but contested the NA-34 elections as an independent, said she wants to work for women’s rights. “Women can do more and better work than men and I got into politics because I want to help women get their basic rights.”  Radha Bheel, a social worker and aspiring political leader from Mirpur Khas, Sindh, said she was hoping the training would help her understand the system of governance better. “I expect to learn strategies I can use to mobilise people in my area when I run for local government elections in Sindh.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 31^st, 2013.