Palestinians traditionally value education as the way forward, so it is not surprising that the West Bank has dozens of articulate, home-grown advocacy groups. But even the most seasoned civic activists constantly seek new strategies to communicate their message. Recently, the U.S. Consulate General invited an experienced U.S. activist to work with local advocacy groups on communicating their message through the media as part of the United States’ continuing support for democratic development in the Palestinian Territories.

Tarek Rizk, a garrulous American with Egyptian roots, is the associate director of the Global Interdependence Initiative at the Washington-based Aspen Institute. At his workshops in Jerusalem and the West Bank city of Ramallah, he discussed ideas with Palestinian activists on choosing the target audience and ensuring their message is noticed...

...For the final session of the NGO training, 10 media representatives joined the activists to discuss better cooperation. Meeting the press proved tense for some of the activists who felt ignored or even slighted in the past by some prominent media...