Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit - FNF Workshop: Creative Ways for Political Parties To Attract Public Involvement

Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit - FNF Workshop: Creative Ways for Political Parties To Attract Public Involvement [Druckversion]

FNF Workshop: Creative Ways for Political Parties To Attract Public Involvement

There are several ways political parties with little funding can strengthen their public image while at the same time attract involvement and support from voters.

“Lack of money is no excuse for lack of activities,” said Manfred Richter, a 61-year-old board member of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation. Local branches of political parties can, for example, organise debates on issues that are of primary concern or current interest to people in their respective community.

Even if the party is not represented in the local authorities, its representative can serve as a neutral facilitator for the debate before declaring the party’s stance. He could say, for example, what the party would do if it won the mandate. It could also volunteer to raise the matter with so-and-so governmental agency or local authority, Mr. Richter added. He was speaking at the workshop, titled “Organisational Development in A Changing Political Environment” on 22-25 June 2009 in Bangkok. It was attended by staff from the Democrat Party’s headquarters and branch offices.

Political parties can publish draft copies of their policy papers on different issues or government projects on the Internet and invite members of the general public to read and post comments. They can also invite relevant interest groups for a face-to-face meeting to comment on a particular draft policy paper. For example, teachers might be invited to comment on education policy papers and doctors on public healthcare policy papers.

Comments are then assessed and selected to appear in the final copies of the policy papers. From his long experience as an MP and executive of a political party, this method works and often results in about 20% of the meeting participants voluntarily signing up for party membership.

Insufficient staff is also no excuse for not conducting activities to stay in touch with the local community. Political parties can recruit volunteers who are willing to put their skills to good use. There many ordinary citizens out there who want to participate but don’t know what and how they can get involved; hence, the job of the political party to inform the public, said the former mayor of Bremerhaven.

Political parties can also contribute to the organising of sports events to strengthen ties with people in the community. All these activities require little funding, which is a common problem with many political parties. They also open up channels of communication between the party and local voters, Mr. Richter said. The party will learn what the local people need and design strategies, plans and activities accordingly.

To be effective, the political party must first decide what kind of public image it wants to project and the core common message that it wants to communicate to voters in all of its activities. It should not get involved in just any kind of activity for the sake of having an activity with the local people.

Public involvement benefits not only the party but also the local citizens themselves. It is an important element of liberal democracy in which people are free and willing to participate in democratic process. They have the right to express their opinion in solving common problems and exercise it in a democratic manner. Overtime, this practice will develop into a culture of citizen involvement and in turn strengthen democracy in their country.

Dr. Rainer Adam, head of the FNF regional office for Southeast & East Asia, presided over the opening of the workshop. Ms. Arporn Rong-ngeun, deputy director-general of the Democrat Party, gave a briefing on the current situation of the ruling party, including its strengths and challenges.

The workshop was divided into several topics with input and responses from the speaker and the participants. They included “Organisation – The Road to Political Success,” “Reducing the Party’s Weaknesses,” “An Overseas Case Study - Strategic Organisational Goals of the Free Democratic Party of Germany,” “Achieving and Sustaining Competitive Advantage,” “Learning from Strategies of Commercial Enterprises,” and “Charting the Course from Good to Great.”

Participants worked on group assignments to assess the party’s strengths and weaknesses in relation to rival parties, comment on internal communication within the party, express their ideas of a dream party branch, and draft plans to organise low-budget activities. Each group presented their findings and learned from their colleagues.

Mr. Richter emphasized that communication--whether within the party or between the party and the general public--has to be two-way to be effective. People want to be heard and get involved. Political parties can benefit from new and interesting ideas by simply opening up channels of communication and being open-minded, he concluded.