Amman, Aug. 26 (Petra) – A dialogue in Amman on Wednesday highlighted the need to expand opportunities for youth to participate meaningfully in political parties, strengthen party branches in the governorates and involve young people in developing programs and solutions that address local needs.
Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Political and Parliamentary Affairs during the dialogue, Secretary-General Ali Khawaldeh noted that legislation governing political parties has created new opportunities for youth as part of the political modernization process under Royal patronage.
He stressed that political parties should develop programs that respond to the needs and challenges of individual governorates, while their local branches should play a proactive role in helping communities identify priorities and develop practical solutions.
The dialogue, titled "Organizing Youth Wings and Activating Their Role in Party Branches in the Governorates," was held under a program supporting democratic reforms in Jordan, organized by the Karak Castle Center for Consultations and Training in cooperation with Expertise France, the French agency for international development and cooperation. It brought together representatives of the Ministry of Political and Parliamentary Affairs, the Independent Election Commission, the Senate, and young men and women.
The first session featured a policy paper under the same title, examining the role of party branches in the governorates and the importance of strengthening parties' programmatic influence on decision-making.
The paper focused on leveraging young people's capabilities to identify local needs, enabling party branches to contribute to addressing governorate-level issues and strengthening the branches' organizational and programmatic roles.
Khaled Khawaja, a representative of Expertise France, underscored the importance of empowering youth within political parties and involving them in political work and program development to strengthen their presence in public life and expand their ability to influence decision-making.
He stressed that youth participation should be driven by service to the nation and public interest rather than the interests of specific groups. He also called for stronger youth engagement at the governorate level to help translate party programs into practical initiatives addressing local priorities.
Israa Mahadin, founder and executive director of the Karak Castle Center, highlighted the importance of expanding opportunities for women and youth in the governorates to participate in public and political life.
She noted that meaningful political participation goes beyond simply increasing the presence of youth and women in public life to giving them a role in shaping policies and influencing decisions. She added that governorates have considerable talent and potential that require genuine opportunities to translate into participation and influence.
The second session brought together Ali Khawaldeh, Secretary of the Political Parties Registry at the Independent Election Commission, Ahmed Abu Zeid, and Senate National Youth Dialogue Initiative Committee Chairwoman Mahasen Jaghoub to examine ways of strengthening party branches and youth participation.
The discussion emphasized moving youth participation beyond numerical representation toward meaningful involvement in decision-making, program development, and candidate selection. Participants noted that such engagement could strengthen young people's confidence in political parties and encourage greater participation in elections based on party platforms.
They also stressed that youth participation is essential to the continuity and renewal of political parties and that effective party work should remain focused on serving the nation and public interest while translating political programs into practical action.
//Petra// AJ
