To view the report please click on the link (in German)

Lord Ralf Dahrendorf, chairman of the board of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation from 1982 to 1987, died one year ago, on the 17th of June, 2009. Given the circumstances of Germany, his was an extraordinary career that demonstrated that, on the one hand, science and politics can exist symbiotically, as well as that Germany can still produce world-class philosophical thinkers.

Born as the son of a social-democrat, Ralf Dahrendorf first made the world notice him as an innovative sociologist, before he started his foray into politics by way of championing education policies during the 1960s. Because of his deep insight into the oeuvre of Karl marx, works, Dahrendorf transformed from a social democrat to a liberal, entered the Free Democratic Party (FDP) and quickly advanced up the ranks to represent his constituency on the regional, as well as on the level of the German Bundestag.

He provided essential theoretical work that paved the way for the famous „change of power“ of 1969, but grew weary of the constraining nature of politics, particularly in his capacity as state secretary in the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs and as EU Commissioner in Brussels. and EU Commissioner. This led him to abandon politics in favour of higher education, becoming head of the London School of Economics in 1974 and later on, of a renowned college of Oxford University.

In the mid-1980s, Dahrendorf became head of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation. Even though he worked tirelessly to promote the interaction of Anglo-Saxon and continental thinking throughout his tenure, during the later years he was drawn more and more to Great Britain, receiving the honour of being ennobled and receiving a seat in the House of Lords.

To honour his memory, the Foundation has created the Lord Ralf Dahrendorf Lecture. This lecture, with the cooperation of the Badische Zeitung as well as the “Zeit-Foundation Ebelin and Gerd Bucerius” and the newspaper DIE ZEIT, took place for the first time on the June 17th, 2010. The themes that were discussed are also an homage to Dahrendorf: He himself had dedicated the later years of his work to inter-religious and intercultural dialogue.

For several years, the Foundation has sponsored a regional project titled “Laws Reform” which aimed at promoting the freedom of association in selected Arab states. Members of the recently established Arab Council for the Freedom of Association have participated in a visiting program to Germany. From Palestine Dr. Azmi Shuaibi, Commissioner on combating corruption at AMAN organization, participated in this visiting program from 29 May until 2 June. Within this program, an international conference took place in Potsdam, Berlin on 3 and 4 June which aimed at creating a forum of exchange between the Arab civil society groups and their European counterparts. From Palestine, Mr. Mueen Barghouthi, lawyer and Instructor at Bir Zeit University on Law and Human Rights, participated in this international conference along with Dr. Shuaibi.

For more information please click here

(available in English & Arabic)

To read more please click on the link

A study done by our partner the Palestinian Center for Research & Cultural Dialogue. The title of the study book is “The role of civil society organizations in promoting political participation in Palestine”.

Click here to view the study.

Available only in Arabic.

A booklet guide done by our partner AL MARSAD – Arab World Democracy & Electoral Monitor, in cooperation with FNF and funded by the GTZ. The booklet’s title is: “Electors’ Educational Guide 2010” .

Click here to view the guide.

Available only in Arabic.

]]> http://www.fnst-jerusalem.org/2010/05/12/electors%e2%80%99-educational-guide-2010/feed/ 0 http://www.fnst-jerusalem.org/2010/05/12/status-of-freedoms-in-palestine-future-and-perspectives/ http://www.fnst-jerusalem.org/2010/05/12/status-of-freedoms-in-palestine-future-and-perspectives/#comments Wed, 12 May 2010 19:11:48 +0000 anne http://www.fnst-jerusalem.org/?p=1521 Status of Freedoms in Palestine Future and Perspectives

A booklet done by our partner the Freedom Forum Palestine (FFP) and funded by FNF. The book reviews the FFP annual conference which took place on the 18^th and 19^th of  December 2008 titled “Status of Freedoms in Palestine Future and Perspectives”

Click here to view the book.

Available only in Arabic.

On Tuesday evening, May 18th, a public project presentation will take place in the “Forum Leverkusen” in cooperation with the VHS Leverkusen (Local College of Further Adult Education). Tami Hay, the director of the sports department of the Peres Center for Peace and Sulaiman S.A.Khatib, executive director of Al Quds Foundation for Dialogue and Democracy will present their joint football project to the public.

To view the invitation in German language, please click here

Three Palestinians will participate in the Network of Arab Liberal (NAL) workshop titled “Strategies to unite and support liberal youth organizations in the Arab World” in Tunis, Tunisia from April 26-29, 2010. They are: Ms. Dima Qamhia, Ms. Inas Tineh, Mr. Hamad Suleiman.

Two Palestinians will participate in the Network of Arab Liberal (NAL) workshop titled “Parliaments in the Arab World” inRabat, Morocco from 25-27 March 2010. They are Mr. Aref Jaffal and Dr. Walid Shomaly from the Freedom Forum Palestine (FFP).