Members from the different Samoan political parties have undergone a five-day training on building party structures run by an international U.S. nonprofit organisation.

Members of the ruling Fa’atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) including Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa were among Members of Parliament including the Opposition’s Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) who sat in for the training run by the International Republican Institute.

The training was delivered by the IRI Resident Program Director Amie Woeber and a team of specialist political consultants, according to a press release distributed by the nonprofit organisation. The training at the Taumeasina Island Resort ran from Monday 25 July and ended Friday 29 July.

It focused on building internal party structures with topics ranging from knowing the roles of the Government and opposition parties; strategic planning; building internal party democracy; creating inclusive data-driven policies; candidate recruitment and party retention; strategic plans for women and youth wings to effective fundraising.

This training came about after the successful hosting of the Leadership Online Training School for Women in Polynesia “Democracy Needs Women” in July 2021. 

Prime Minister Fiame was a keynote speaker and shared her interest with the organisers in developing political parties in Samoa. Discussions ensued since then which resulted in this training.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister, Tuala Iosefo Ponifasio, the one-week workshop was timely and relevant to the functions of political parties and how they should conduct themselves to achieve their goals.

He added that this training “broadens our perspective on how to sustain and maintain resilient political parties through a changing political environment, and to formulate inclusive policies to benefit the party and in particular our people.”

The IRI is a US-based non-profit, nonpartisan, non-government organisation dedicated to advancing freedom and democracy worldwide. Since 1983, IRI has worked to develop democratic ideals that promote freedom, self-government, and the rule of law. IRI strengthens democracy by empowering citizens, bolstering democratic governance, and making leaders more accountable to their people. 

Today, IRI carries out a variety of programs in 40 countries across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Eurasia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East and North Africa by providing technical assistance in the areas of political party strengthening, campaigning and advocacy, developing civic institutions and supporting open, free, and fair elections and marginalised groups where needed.