Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs announces 3rd ‘Political Awareness Forum for University Students'

In collaboration with United Arab Emirates University

H.E. Tariq Hilal Lootah: Current edition focuses on aspects related to Federal National Council Elections in 2015

Al Ain, November 8, 2014: The Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs will organize the third edition of ‘Political Awareness Forum for University Students’ under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and Chancellor of the United Arab Emirates University, on November 10-11, 2014, at the headquarters of UAE University in Al Ain.
  
Announcing this at a press conference today, the ministry said this year’s forum follows the huge success of its previous two editions which contributed to promoting culture of political participation among universities students.

During the press conference, His Excellency Tariq Hilal Lootah, Undersecretary of the Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs, said: "This forum is part of a series of initiatives and programs carried out by the ministry in collaboration with stakeholders to strengthen the political culture in the state. These initiatives are targeted at all segments of society as part of the ongoing efforts to achieve the ministry’s strategic objectives of promoting a culture of political participation and building political awareness with the support of all state institutions.”

H.E Lootah said: "Taking forward what we have already started in the earlier editions of the forum, and based on the level of participation in the electoral process, the third edition of the forum will help prepare the ground for the FNC elections in 2015. It therefore covers procedural aspects as well as key topics such as the role of Emirati women and the role of traditional and social media in the elections. It will also highlight role of formal and informal institutions in the elections.”

H.E. Lootah added that through the forum, the ministry aims to enhance political awareness among young people about the importance of the FNC elections, in order to create a comprehensive understanding among university students about the electoral process. The FNC represents a platform to discuss opinions and issues of concern to universities students as they are an essential component of the UAE society, H.E. Lootah said.

The forum consists of six sessions held over two days. The first sessions is titled “FNC Elections - procedural and substantive aspects,” while the second session addresses "The Organization of Election Campaigns’. 

The third session is on the topic ‘Women and the Elections - a practical experience to participate in the Federal National Council elections’. The 4th session is on ‘Women and the Elections - assessing the experiences of women in the elections of 2006 and 2011’, while the 5th session will focus on ‘The role of traditional media and the social platforms in the FNC election’, and the last session is on ‘The role of formal and informal institutions in the Federal National Council elections’. In addition, the closing session will cover the discussions that took place over the two days and declare the final recommendations of the forum.