Role of (FATEH) Student Youth Movement in the Reinforcement of Political Participation in Palestine 2004-2012

This study aimed to discuss the role of the student Shabiba movement in reinforcing political participation in Palestine and covers the period (2004-2012) since this period has witnessed major changes inside Fatah Movement and on the general Palestinian political scene. The study was confined to the West Bank and excluded Gaza Strip because it was difficult for the researcher to get there due to the strict security measures and the difficulty to get the data, publications and newspapers that are issued by Shabiba in the educational institutions in Gaza. In addressing this subject, the study relied on reviewing the pervious literature and the related historical evidences, in addition to the situation’s data collection and analysis in order to realize the role of the student Shabiba movement in reinforcing political participation in Palestine. The researcher also relied on the Descriptive and Analytical Approach to discuss the important aspects during the preparation of this research. Additionally, he used the questionnaire tool and involved the representatives of the student frameworks in the student Shabiba movement in many of the Palestinian universities as well as the study’s parties in order to enrich the study. The study also tried to answer the main question which is related to the nature of the political role that the student Shabiba movement carries out and how does it affect the reinforcement of political participation and the Palestinian political decision maker. The study was divided into six chapters. The first chapter contained a background on the study, its problem, importance and the main goals and major points which represents a broad introduction to the study as a whole. In the second chapter, the researcher reviewed the theoretical aspect of the study which showed the definition and importance of youth. It also discussed the definition of the student movement and its importance in the political action, in addition to discussing the student movements in the capitalist, communist countries and the third world countries, as well as the history of the student movement in Palestine. In the third chapter, the researcher discussed the role of the student Shabiba movement in the educational institutions particularly the higher education institutions (universities, colleges and institutes). He then addressed the role that the student Shabiba movement plays in high schools. The fourth chapter was dedicated to the discussion of the role of the student Shabiba movement in Fatah Movement and the impact of this role in reinforcing the political participation in Palestine. The researcher discussed the role of the student Shabiba movement, the elections and the Primaries. He then explained the role of the student Shabiba movement in the Palestinian local bodies elections. After that, he discussed the role of the student Shabiba movement in the second Palestinian legislative elections, as well as its role in the second Palestinian presidential elections. Moreover, he discussed the role that this movement played in the conference the sixth year. After that, he discussed the relationship between the student Shabiba movement and the Palestinian authority. In the fifth chapter, the researcher discussed the role of the student Shabiba movement and its stances toward the most significant political issues in Palestine and how it contributes to the reinforcement of the political participation through analyzing the position of the student Shabiba movement regarding the Palestinian leader, Yaser Arafat’s assassination file, the Palestinian internal division, the Palestinian national reconciliation, the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations, the voluntary work, the peace and people resistance, Palestine’s membership in the United Nations and its role on the social networking websites. At the end of the study, the researcher came up with a number of conclusions among the most important of which was that the student Shabiba movement was able to attract students to join the movement and take part in its activities, as well as encourage them to participate in the Students’ Council elections. Moreover, the student Shabiba movement helped in bringing many of the student leaderships to the light and enabled them to assume key positions in the Palestinian political life. Additionally, the movement was able to create an integrated relationship with the members of the teaching staff. Based on the above conclusions the researcher was able to present a number of recommendations including the importance of enabling the student Shabiba movement to reach a better institutionalized state in the educational institutions, unite the mechanism by which the standards of candidate selection for the student council elections in the educational institutions can be determined. The researcher also recommended working on creating new means and tools in inviting new members to the movement and in encouraging them to participate in the student council elections. It is also equally important to create an organizational body that contains the student leaderships that graduated from the educational institutions and work on taking them to ensure their communication in the political and organizational work of Fatah Movement.