Abidjan: Training political parties (I)

The workshop also fell within the activities for actualizing two ECOWAS policy documents. The first is the 2001 Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance of the Economic Commission for West African States ECOWAS which provides for Constitutional Convergence and Democratic Elections Principles. The second is the ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Framework (ECPF) which ‘requests Member […]

The workshop also fell within the activities for actualizing two ECOWAS policy documents. The first is the 2001 Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance of the Economic Commission for West African States ECOWAS which provides for Constitutional Convergence and Democratic Elections Principles. The second is the ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Framework (ECPF) which ‘requests Member States, in cooperation with ECOWAS, and with the full participation of the civil society, to assist political parties with financial resources and know-how to strengthen internal party democracy and participation, and to mobilize resources to assist them in crafting of manifestos that promote national cohesion, participatory democracy and sustainable develop-ment.’
The training workshop was organised for political parties at Ohinene Hotel in Abidjan, the capital city of Cote D’Ivoire from November 25-26 2014. It was earlier scheduled for September but the ebola crises and the restrictions on travel around West Africa delayed its implementation. The theme of the workshop was Mainstreaming Youth and Women in Party Activities, Media Relations and Effective Campaign Strategies and it was attended by forty five participants drawn from various political parties.
It began with an introductory remark from Mr Eyesan Okorodudu  the Head Democracy & Good Governance ECOWAS who represented the ECOWAS Commissioner for Peace Building and Human Security, Mrs Salamatu Hussain Suleiman. He underscored the fact that capacity building is a vital strategy for deepening democracy and fulfilling the ECOWAS mandate. He reminded participants that in 2010, the ECOWAS Commission launched the process of strengthening the capacities of political parties, through the establishment of a Forum of West African Political Parties (FOWAPP). The main objectives of FOWAPP includes reorientation of political parties to embrace democratic values, attitudes and practices in the management of their internal affairs; strengthening of the quality of democratic practices and ensuring effective democratic consolidation in Member States; contribution to shaping and strengthening of political dialogue and consensus-building at the national level through Inter-Party Dialogue Forums; facilitation of capacity building programmes to address challenges facing political parties; and contribution to the process of building trust, stability and social inclusiveness in the political process.
In his welcome address, Ambassador Jonathan Coker, the Special Representative of President of ECOWAS Commission in Cote D’Ivoire observed that ‘over the last few years, the West African region has made steady progress in its quest for the consolidation of democracy. Though the pattern is uneven, the region has recorded relative progress in areas of political liberalisation, including the development of competitive political parties. He noted that the workshop was timely given that five ECOWAS are scheduled to organize elections in 2015 and require support to ensure peaceful elections and smooth leadership succession. Other ECOWAS officials at the event were Ambassadors Abraham Doukoure and Bandele Awolaja Banjoko.  A goodwill message was delivered by the Chairman of the Cote D’Ivoire National Electoral Commission, who was represented.
The workshop adopted a participatory methodology. The sessions were facilitated by Professor Oshita O Oshita, the Director General of the Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution Abuja, Madam Nora Noviekou of West African Network for Peace, Lome, Togo; Francis Laleye of the European Parliamentarians for Africa AWEPA Cotonou Benin Republic, and my humble self.  
Some of the sessions were on Conceptualising Political Parties, Features of the Political Landscape in West Africa Political Parties: Structure, Membership and Ownership, Mobilising and Consolidating Membership/Support base. Other sessions focused on Media and included Communicating Party Manifestos and Programmes, Political Parties and the Media: Changing Images of Media in Politics Political Parties and the Mass Media and Agenda-Setting. Given the importance of integrating peace in political party activities, the other sessions discussed Political Parties and the Hate Media Phenomenon, Dealing with Prejudices and Stereotypes in Political Parties and the Impact of Effective Communication in Political Parties Advocacy, Prog-ramming and Campaign Messaging.
On the first day while taking participants through the media component, the facilitators asked participants to brainstorm on changing perceptions and their images of the media. They brainstormed on the images that the political parties have when the media is mentioned. The purpose was to gauge the perception of the political parties on the media and to ensure that they understand the different roles that political parties and the media play in setting the agenda for development in various communities. Participants were also asked to reflect on an issue or topic that originated from a political party or the media, and track the debate that the issue had attracted over a period. The aim was to make participants understand how political parties can engage the media constructively to build peace or destructively to cause violent conflict and insecurity. The sessions on mainstreaming gender and integrating youth in political activities which were scheduled for the second day of the workshop and facilitated by Madam Nora Noviekou and my humble self will be discussed next week.