The Role of Thought Centers in the Making of Public Policy in Palestine

News from the island

• Qahtani still has influence in the royal court
• Academic Freedoms in the UAE in the Microscope of an American Society
• Banks and real estate are pushing Dubai and Abu Dhabi down
• Mai lost the vote of the bricast .. What is next?
• Rise in the death toll of the "youth" attack on the complex in Nairobi

The role of research centers in developed societies is no longer marginal but has become a key role, especially for decision-makers or senior officials. They do not have sufficient time or knowledge in certain areas or issues that are the subject of decision or policy-making, whether economic, social, political or Security or otherwise. In this context, Palestine is no different from the rest of the other societies in terms of the role that think tanks can play in public policy making, taking into account the specificity of the Palestinian situation, both in terms of its sovereign independence and the political division of Palestinian society Makes these centers perform contradictory political roles for reality, or put forward political views subordinate to partisan visions or ideas.

In this context, I will discuss the role of the Palestinian think tanks in the formulation of public policy within the Palestinian society from several tracks :
Track 1: (Policy Intervention).
The second track: (prioritization agenda).
Track 3: Political Awareness.

Track 1: Intervention in public policies

Given the lack of sufficient time for decision-makers or senior officials, lack of specialized knowledge in some areas, decision-making issues, or policy-making, whether economic, social, political, security or otherwise, research centers intervene and conduct research instead. In this context, Howard points out that research centers play an important role in presenting new ideas and creative visions based on their research in the rationalization of public policies or tend to play the role of consolidation or conciliation in the disagreement or conflict between the government bureaucracy over the preparation of a particular policy. Unified or consistent in their policy positions and visions, research centers usually play a compromise role between the divergence of these attitudes and policies or views.

One of the important roles that research centers can play in interfering in public policy making is to be an indirect or informal channel of communication between political figures or senior officials, especially parties or external or international figures, to identify their dissertations or political views and the nature of their interest , In order to know their trends in the field of economic, political or other issues, or invite such persons to participate in conferences or seminars held by these research centers.

For example, the Palestinian Center for Policy and Strategic Studies (Pathways) invited a delegation of Palestinian factions in cooperation with the Finnish Crisis Management Initiative to discuss several practical proposals to remove the obstacles that prevent the end of the division and the restoration of national unity. In addition, it can provide an important source of information or knowledge to senior Palestinian officials or leaders through the ability to follow up the latest studies and translate publications and publications produced by institutions and research centers in other countries.

In this context, the Jerusalem Center constitutes an important model for the translation of publications issued by the Israeli State and submitted to Palestinian public opinion or to Palestinian officials in the form of translated reports on various topics that may be of a political, economic or security nature and submitted to the Palestinian public opinion or Palestinian officials in the form of In addition, the Palestinian Center for Research and Policy Studies offers several research publications, both in terms of the Palestinian issue, the study of the Zionist project, or the study of the Arab or international system.

In addition, research centers provide an important source of information and knowledge for officials and decision-makers. They may sometimes play the role of the globalized elite, which is always seeking to provide advisory services to the government sector and its institutions on many issues that require specialized knowledge and speed of implementation. A group or network of experts or researchers who have the capacity to provide research data for decision-makers or administrators when needed.

For example, specialized researchers may be assigned from Palestinian centers to prepare brief reports to decision-makers and senior leaders on specific issues, such as the Palestinian negotiations, the peace process, or the proposal to end the Palestinian division and achieve national unity. For example, the initiative presented by the Center to End the Palestinian Divide by pressing credible Palestinian figures to ensure its implementation.

Track 2: Prioritize

The Palestinian government or some of its officials rely on some research centers close to the decision makers, or on some experts and researchers working for them to conduct media interviews, to express immediate messages, indirect diplomatic signals, or to express certain proactive positions to some parties on issues Or political crises.

In this context, satellite TV hosts some of the workers in the Palestinian research centers, such as Hani al-Masri, Omar Shaaban, with the aim of providing political, economic or social signals to the Palestinian street or even to express positions that are new and controversial. The Palestinian street, such as the question of Palestinian reconciliation, and the issue of social security recently, which sparked controversy in the media and politically on all levels and levels within the Palestinian society.

The importance of the Palestinian government's reliance on some experts or those working in the expression of some political issues or crises that occur within the Palestinian street reflects the importance of these centers and their credibility in front of the Palestinian public opinion, as well as their ability to keep abreast of all political and social developments and their delivery to the Palestinian street efficiently and professionally. Somewhat.

The study of such subjects and their identification by some think tanks will lead, in the near or long term, to a significant change in the Palestinian street, especially in the field of increasing the political awareness of citizens

Reuters

Track 3: Political Awareness

We must take into account the issue of political awareness is very important:
The first is the nature of the programs, studies and research articles issued by these centers, which must be often in contact with the local reality in all its details and aspects. This is what some research centers in Palestine are doing. The Center for Strategic Studies, Always ensure that their activities are diverse and diverse and not limited in one direction.

Second: The nature of the people working in research institutions who have a heavy burden in developing these programs and research studies so that they reach the decision makers and officials in the Palestinian affairs in a more professional and realistic way. Moreover, the political awareness of the two previous examples is not limited to the use of the local community with the outputs of these programs in terms of quality, efficiency and importance on the ground in creating new programs more vital and productive as previously recognized that most research centers focus on studies Women, and youth in general. To further examine new and vital topics such as strategic capacity building for NGOs in Palestine, promote mutual education, nonviolence philosophy and culture, capacity building.

The study of such subjects and their identification by some thought centers will lead, in the near or long term, to a significant change in the Palestinian street, especially in the field of increasing the political awareness of the citizens and out of the conventional pattern, or how the Palestinian decision-maker With those particular topics in field practice.