Students to showcase Bahrain abroad

Manama, Aug. 28 (BNA): Information Affairs Minister Ali bin Mohammed Al Rumaihi and Chairman of Bahrain Institute for Political Development (BIPD) said the "student-ambassador" programme was launched as part of the training programmes offered by the BIPD to Bahraini students. The programme provides the students with political and legal culture to act as the best ambassadors in presenting the bright image of Bahrain, its history, democratic reforms and civilisaiton. Speaking on the occasion of the launch of the training programme conducted on August 21-25 and attended by 25 students, the minister expressed his trust and pride in Bahrain's diligent and intelligent young men and women noting their sense of patriotism and loyalty to the leadership and their commitment to their Arab, Islamic identity values. He asserted the importance of imparting high-achieving young students with knowledge and the know-how about democratic practices and the principles of rights consolidated by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa's reforms, modernization and comprehensive development scheme since the National Action Charter was endorsed by 98.4% of the people in 2001. The course aims to enable the students to express the true facts about the Kingdom's democratic and developmental accomplishments at the various regional and international platforms and to respond through urbane conduct and awareness to willful, misleading or defamatory campaigns against the nation or its citizens abroad. The minister cited the contribution of political, jurisprudence, legal and media experts in boosting students awareness, pointing out that Bahraini students by virtue of their upbringing, culture and the rich diversity of the Bahraini society enjoy an inherent competitive edge regarding accepting opinions, the prevalence of the spirit of amity, forbearance and peaceful co-existence among civilisations, religions and cultures, that facilitate their integration in foreign societies. The minister said the participating students gain rational communication skills and the capacity to influence public opinion through legal, rights and political knowledge and to boost their capabilities and presence abroad and to inform other peoples and cultures about Bahrain's political, economic, societal and cultural accomplishments. The "student-ambassador) programme covers five important themes. They include the constitutional and legal theme which defines the principles of the National Action Charter and the Constitution of the Kingdom of Bahrain and the laws that granted the right to political participation and the political societies. The political theme is related to the history of Bahrain's political regime and the reforms of His Majesty the King and the kingdom's accomplishments in terms of establishment of the modern civic state and the state of the law and the institutions. The media theme deals with communication skills and influencing public opinion, while the societal theme focuses on the definition of the foundation of social crisis management and the skills for formation of the civic society. The fifth theme deals with the rights of foreigners, scholarship students in international conventions and agreements, the laws of sending countries, and the relationship between the scholarship students with the Bahraini diplomatic missions abroad.