2008 Programs and Events
Consulate Focuses on U.S. Presidential Elections
Elections experts and Consulate staff speak to Palestinian audiences in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza
U.S. Consulate Informs About U.S. Elections
In order to provide context for the current U.S. elections, the U.S. Consulate General has organized a series of presentations with audiences throughout the West Bank and Gaza about the U.S. electoral process and the current presidential campaigns. The series is being conducted by elections experts and Consulate staff who are visiting college campuses and other local groups to improve understanding of American democracy. The listing below is a sampling of the events that have been held:
American Corner Jericho Challenges Students to Predict Electoral College
The Consulate teamed up with the American Corner in Jericho to raise awareness of the U.S. elections process among Jericho youth, and challenge them to predict the final outcome of the Electoral College votes on October 24. Consulate Public Diplomacy Officer Jacqueline Deley provided a general overview of the elections process and the Electoral College by presenting the Arabic version of a U.S. State Department produced PowerPoint. After previewing a variety of projections on how individual states will vote on November 4, blank maps of the United States were distributed to students, asking them to predict the final Electoral College outcome by coloring states red or blue. The three students with the most accurate predictions will receive prizes.
Consulate Staff Talk to Bethlehem University Students about Experiences in Political Campaigns
Two Consulate staff members spoke to over 90 Bethlehem University students about their experiences working on political campaigns in the U.S. on October 23. The presentation was followed by a lively question and answer period during which students asked questions covering a wide spectrum of issues, ranging from policy differences between the candidates, fundraising and campaign financing, gender, and race. University administrators and faculty commented that the program helped the Palestinian students better understand the U.S. political system.
Ramallah Youth Attend Consulate Seminar on U.S. Elections
On October 22, the Consulate organized a seminar on the U.S. presidential debates and the general U.S. election process for 50 members of the Sharek youth non-Governmental organization in Ramallah. Elections expert Jamil Rabah, a local pollster, academic and political consultant with two political science degrees from U.S. universities moderated the discussion. The students first watched selected segments of the first two presidential debates, complete with simultaneous translation. Mr. Rabah then provided American political, historical and cultural context for each segment, helping students understand the debates from the American viewer's standpoint. The students peppered Mr. Rabah and Public Affairs Officer (PAO) Micaela Schweitzer-Bluhm with questions about the American political system, the concerns of American voters, and the issues addressed by the candidates in the debates.
Consulate Public Affairs Officer Engages Palestinian Opinion Leaders in Debate on U.S. Presidential Campaigns
On October 20, in the third in a year-long series of roundtable discussions organized with the Palestinian non-governmental organization MIFTAH, Consulate Public Affairs Officer Micaela Schweitzer-Bluhm briefed Palestinian opinion leaders on the current state of the two U.S. Presidential campaigns. The participants then engaged Ms. Schweitzer-Bluhm in a lively debate about campaign tactics, the results of U.S. opinion polls, and election predictions. Ms. Schweitzer-Bluhm also advised the participants on key elements to watch on Election Day, such as results in swing states and key senate races.
Hebron University and Al Najjah University in Nablus host Consulate Elections Seminar
Students and professors of Hebron University were treated to a special seminar organized by the Consulate on the topic of the U.S. Presidential Debates and the general U.S. election process on October 20. Local political expert Jamil Rabah moderated the discussion attended by over 100 students and professors from the University's English, Political Science, and Economics departments. The seminar was covered in depth by Hebron University's media department who shared footage with two Hebron-based TV stations and aired a special feature on its college radio station, in addition to posting an article about the event to its website.
On October 15, Al Najjah University in Nablus hosted a similar event. Using video from the first and second U.S. presidential debates with simultaneous translation into Arabic, the event allowed over sixty students and professors from the University's media, political science, English language and other departments to hear the candidates speak for themselves. Mr. Rabah then provided American political, historical and cultural context for each segment, helping students to understand the debates from the American viewer's standpoint.
Consulate Staff Elections Speaker Addresses Birzeit University Audience
U.S Department of Treasury Finance Attaché Ben Davis at the U.S. Consulate addressed an audience of students and professors at Birzeit University about his experiences working on the election campaigns of several candidates for local legislatures and the U.S. Congress. Davis spoke to more than forty students and professors from two political science and international studies classes at the Ramallah university on October 16. In addition to describing behind the scenes work of American political campaigns, Davis explained the mechanics of the American political campaign and electoral process. After the event, professors of the Post Graduate International Studies program expressed significant interest in supporting current university efforts to create an American Studies program.