05\05\2016 Open Letter for IFMSEI member organizations, Dear comrades and friends, In August 2016 at the IFMSEI Congress a new leadership will be elected, therefore I am writing this open letter to you all. In this letter I want to tell you a little about myself, my education, my activism and finally about my vision of IFMSEI that led me to decide and take the responsibility to stand for the position of Secretary General nominated by the Independence Youth Union (IYU). About myself I was born in Dubai in 1986 in a Palestinian family of 6 members, 3 daughters and one son. In 1992 my family was permitted to move back to Palestine, to their hometown Beitsahour, a city next to Bethlehem. In this city I finally was able to understand what does a family mean, a big family was not only the relatively small family I come from (my parents and siblings), my family means to me my uncles and my cousins and their sons and daughters, this big family of around 50 members in it, was led by a strong great woman, my grandmother that passed away in 2007. This big family was and still politically very active, in the local, national and international level, with most of them being left oriented. My education I have finished my high school education In Beitsahour, and then finished my Bachelor degree in scientific mathematics as Major, computer and information system as minor from Bethlehem University In 2009. Since I believe that mathematics is a way of thinking and science and politics are very close, I have continued my Master degree in European Studies from Heinrich Heine University in Dusseldorf, Germany in 2015. My academic education was very important for me, although I believe that what I have learned from being active in IYU and in IFMSEI was way much more than what the university degree had offered me. My activism I have started my activism from a young age in my hometown through IYU as a young leader for a children camp and through my school in shaping 4 classes per week and what are the topics we wanted to learn.
In 2006 I have become an official member of IYU in Bethlehem branch, 2007 I have been elected in the national board to represent Bethlehem region, and in 2008 I had become a member in the international committee. That led to participate in the first IFMSEI regional activity and becoming a member in the Regional Leading Group (RLG) of the Middle East region, this process in the region is based on the values of Peace and Dialogue that the IFM SEI stands for. In IYU s 2010 congress I was elected as Secretary General of the movement, being the second women in this position. Later same year I was elected as a political bureau member of the Palestinian Democratic Union FIDA, the political party IYU is affiliated with, being the youngest political bureau member in Palestine. In 2012 I have joined the international team of the Education Center Kurt Lowenstein (KLH) where IFMSEI and its sister international organizations participate in the international seminars that is planned and implemented by the International team. In 2013 I was elected as the chairwoman of the Democratic Youth Organization Network of Palestine, a network with 27 youth democratic organizations as full members. Being member in left youth movement in Palestine means to have two struggles, on the social level, fighting for social justice and children participation, and the second struggle is for freedom based on the values of nonviolence resistance, dialogue and peace education. My Vision for IFMSEI In these times the world is facing many problems, especially children and youth. Our main values and beliefs in IFMSEI is to change the world for a better one based on social justice, peace, solidarity, equality and democracy, and to spam the world with friendship, through socialist education as a tool to create the change and to be politically active in fulfilling these values. Children and youth are facing many problems, from living under war and armed conflict, becoming refugees, or being used in many different ways by the capitalist system. Children and youth all over the world are being excluded to raise their voice and participate in their society for several reasons, whether because of their Gender, sexual orientation, political beliefs or their young age.
Hence our work in IFMSEI is highly important, being in the local level (in the member organization) or the regional level of IFMSEI or at the international level, in order to achieve this cumulative work to create the change in the world, networking international solidarity, and education are major keys in our work. If I get elected as a Secretary General my main motto will be IFMSEI as a socialist movement of movements, using networking and socialist education as tools to change the world and bring equality. As a socialist coming from an unprivileged region, I believe that in order to change the world we need to start within our own small world the IFMSEI, this means starting to reflect on power structure. We are the mirror of the world we live in, and no matter if we like it or not it is ruled by capitalism, this means there is no real equality between different regions, some are more privileged than others, and those privileged regions can use their own privilege as a tool to serve the socialist world we aim to reach. I aim to put great effort to try and bring more equality between the regions, this will be achieved through sharing good practices, experiences and getting to know the work of each member organizations and regions, which will bring the movements in IFMSEI closer. Getting more closer will lead to more regional work and cooperation in different topics, chosen by the regions themselves, and to more cooperation between different member organizations in different regions. This all combined together demands cumulative work and effort from every movement, region, the secretariat and the presidium in order for us to achieve equality and international solidarity in our small world, and change the world to better place where IFMSEI would be the reference to children's voice and rights. We are in the process to draft our work plan for 20162019. I am part of the development team for this work plan draft, we tried to make as inclusive as we were able to. I will be fully committed to implementing this plan, after it will be decided in the congress. Being said that, I need to clarify that Peace, Dialogue, standing in solidarity, children participation, and gender equality will be in my priority, this has to do with my beliefs and background as a child who lived under a conflict, a woman coming from a male dominant society, and speaking the language of the religious that is being used politically, in order to justify horrible and unacceptable acts. I believe that IFMSEI can make a major change in the children's life in the world, maybe not in the coming three years, although I believe we all together can make small steps through our cumulative effort.
I am doubtless that IFMSEI previous Secretary General did an amazing work in bringing stability and implementing the work plan that we decided on the last congress. I want to continue this work by adding my background and experience to it. I am oriented by the values and beliefs of IFMSEI which is my values and beliefs, IYU as an IFMSEI full member organization had educated me as a child, youth and as an adult. I was raised within the frame of IFMSEI although I come from local and regional activities of our movements. I am keen to hear from all IFMSEI comrades about your visions and expectations towards the new secretary general of IFMSEI. I would be honored and happy to be contacted to discuss my candidature through different means of communication starting by an email to organize it. Please email me at: rubahilal@hotmail.com and then we can organize a way to call. In Friendship, Solidarity and peace Ruba Hilal
XXVII IFMSEI Ordinary Congress 58 August 2016, Reinwarzhofen, Germany To be completed by nominee I hereby express my willingness to run for the position of Secretary General and if elected, I commit myself to carrying out the responsibilities as laid out in the job description. Signature: Date: 05\05\2016 Independence Youth Union (IYU) (name of the nominating organisation) nominates Ruba Hilal (name of the nominee) for the position of Secretary General and commit ourselves to support her/him to fulfil their responsibilities in this position. Name of the person responsible for this nomination: Ali Ihlail Position International Secretary Signature: Date: 05\05\2016 Stamp of the IFMSEI Member Organisation: Please return to the Nominations Commission by 05/05/2016. If nominated by two additional member organisations, the deadline is 18 th June 2016. Nominations@ifmsei.org 1
Ruba Hilal Esteeh Street 7, 149 Beitsahour, Palestine Email: rubahilal@hotmail.com Mobile: +970597542468 Place and Date of Birth: Dubai United Arab Emirates, November 8, 1986. Education: Master Degree Graduated September 2015: European Studies. Faculty of Art Heinrich Heine University, Dusseldorf, Germany Universitätsstr. 1 40225 Düsseldorf Phone: +49 211 8100 Bachelor Degree Graduated June 2009: Mathematics major, Computer and Information System minor. Faculty of science Bethlehem University Email: info@bethlehem.edu Phone: +97222741241 Fax: +97222744440 Bethlehem, Palestine 1
Work and volunteer: 1) Institution: Duration: Description: Independence Youth Union IYU Youth section Of FIDA party Ramallah Palestine P. O. Box 247, Tel: +970 (2) 295 4072 Website www.iyup.org 2005 Present June 2007 member in the political secretary of IYU : Responsible for all educational projects. Preparing content, methodology, and organizational needs for a seminar. Preparing and training the team for seminars. Implement the seminars and supervise the team. Documentation, financial reports and evaluation of the seminars. Preparing open days and voluntary work. Planning content activities about non violence resistance. February 2008 member in the international committee of IYU Receiving delegations of other organizations. Preparing the programs for the delegations of other organizations. Implementing the visit of the delegations logistically as well as guiding them and reporting about the visit. Starting new relation with other organizations. Preparing and implementing a voluntary activity with the delegation in marginalized areas. Politically presenting the organization in national and international meetings. February 2010 2014 Elected as Secretary General of the IYU Plans and organizes all of the activities of the Board and the branches including: the preparation for, and the conduct of, Board meetings; the formation of Board committees and the integration of their activity with the work of the Board; the evaluation of the Board s effectiveness and implementation of improvements; The ongoing formal and informal communication with and among the branches. 2 Financial management of the organization including budgeting
2) Institution: and bookkeeping. March 2011 Elected as a member of the political office of FIDA party to represent the youth section. Willy Brandt Center Jerusalem P.O. Box 1315 91012 Jerusalem Tel: +972 (0)2 673 2171 Fax:+972 (0)2 673 5639 Email: Duration: April 2008 present 3) Description: Institution: Responsible for preparing and implementing educational activities with youth and young adults. Financial administrative and financial reporting of the activities. Providing WBC with content documentation of the activities, including manuals. Jugendbildungstätte Kurt Löwenstein Education Centre Kurt Loewenstein Freienwalder Alle 810 16356 Werftpfuhl Tel: +49.(0)33398.899918 Fax:+49.(0)33398.899913 Title: Member in the international educational team. Description: Preparing the year topics of the international seminars Preparing and teaming in the international seminars Implementing and conducting the topics Group building Evaluating and monitoring the activities 4) Institution: Palestinian Youth Union PYU Ramallah, Al Nuzha st., Green Tower Building, 1 Floor 1323 Ramallah Tel: +972 2 2981313/4 Fax:+972 2 2957810 3
Title: Advocacy Coordinator Duration: May 2013 present Description: Develop and administer training programs and social, political and cultural awareness program Develop and supervise implementation of advocacy and lobbying campaigns Supervise and develop media campaigns of youth Plan and supervise activities, volunteer initiatives, public awareness and collective activities Capacity building and guidance and establishment of youth and feminist centers in accordance with strategy of the union Sponsor and administer cultural activities, including cultural exchange activities. Trainings Participated in Training Course in Global Youth Work CEULAJ, Mollina, Spain in the university of Youth and development organized by the NorthSouth Centre of the Council of European Cooperation with International Coordination Meeting of Youth Organizations (ICMYO). Representing the IFMSEI September 2009 Participated in a study session in cooperation with the Council of Europe European Youth Centre in Budapest and the International Falcon Movement Socialist educational International IFM SEI. The title of the study session was: Human Rights Education for Children: Compasito as a key tool for children s groups, Budapest. March 2009 Participated in the Euro Mediterranean training course organized by Catalonia national youth council under the title : STRUCTURED PARTICIPATION IN DEMOCRATIC PROCESSES Barcelona. February 2015 Participated in the Closing meeting and joint assessment of the project Structured Participation in Democratic Processes in the 3 rd Mediterranean University on Youth and Global Citizenship under the title Youth Opportunities in Hammamet, Tunisia. June 2015 4
Languages: Arabic (Mother Language) English (Very good in reading, writing and conversational) German ( Goethe B1 ) 5
اتحاد شباب االستقالل Independence Youth Union 05\05\2016 Nomination For secretary General Dear Comrades and friends, Independence Youth Union (IYU) would like to candidate Ruba Hilal as Secretary General of IFM SEI at the upcoming Congress August 2016. Ruba was elected as secretary General for IYU 2011, she managed to develop the role of the movement in the society through working hardly with the national board of IYU in developing different educational tools and campaigns, and developing the cooperation with the organization nationally and internationally. Ruba was elected as secretary general for (Palestinian Democratic Youth Network) which consist of 27 youth organizations who have a socialist, left ideologies and she managed to strengthen this network by increase the cooperation between the member organizations and bringing fund for different projects to empower the young people in the Palestinian society, to struggle for social justice and against the occupation in the Palestinian society. Nominating a young Middle Eastern women for international position is a huge challenge for the organization and we believe that our choice of nomination her will bring for IFM new skills, ways, and educational topic, and strengthen the international solidarity inside IFMSEI. She is passionate and doesn t give up easily and we believe that she will continue IFMSEI amazing development and contribute to the previous work of the previous Secretary Generals. For her success in leading our movement IYU hereby is nominating Ruba Hilal for the position of Secretary General of IFMSEI. Socialist regards, International Committee Independence Youth Union Arizona Building 3 rd Floor, Main Street, Ramallah Palestine, POBox 247, ttp://www.iyup.org Tel: + 970 2 295407234, Fax: + 970 22954071, Email:info@iyup.org