Political Academy of the Croatian People's Party in the CPP's Newsletter

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Zagreb, December 23, 2014 - Take a look at the activities of the Academy and a rich program to be fulfilled in its tenth academic year. Knowledge is the greatest capital, and seminars and education are the Academy's stake in the CPP's future.

"The CPP, through seminars and training of its Academy, is investing in itself and its future, investing in the people, in its students and members. The CPP considers education as the most important capital that an individual can acquire as it is the capital that nobody can take away. In education and knowledge lie great opportunities", said at the beginning of the new academic year of the CPP's Political Academy its director and MP Boris Blažeković.

In its tenth academic year, the Academy offers a rich program through all its departments, which was developed with a primary aim of additionally educating its students and party members in preparation for the upcoming parliamentary elections.

How to properly manage taxpayers' money?
The main working principle of the Political Academy's First Department for elected representatives in JL (R) S is that at least two teachers come to a seminar in Zagreb. After that, teachers are required to transfer their knowledge to their colleagues in the executive and representative government in their county organization. The program for elected representatives in JL (R) S is one of the most important programs of the Academy as it has a purpose of further educating and encouraging members of the CPP to prudently and properly spend tax money of their fellow citizens. Within this Department, in the first half of the academic year, there was talk about the importance of projects and budget of local governments, as well as techniques of transmitting knowledge for teachers and trainers of the Academy. The last seminar in 2014 was held by the President of the CPP Vesna Pusić on the "Program of the Party at the local level until the parliamentary elections in 2015". By the end of the academic year, all seminars which will be held shall be related to the upcoming parliamentary elections. Topics will range from strategic political planning and political marketing for the parliamentary elections to the preparation of election headquarters, new media and the internal organization of PR.

Direct communication with citizens and the use of EU funds
Within the Second Department for Additional Education in General Policy, the Academy held public debates in all of the CPP's county organizations about liberalism and the position of the CPP in Croatia. Also, Head of the Academy, Boris Blažeković talked once a month to the citizens of Zagreb and Sisak. It is important to listen and appreciate their problems and find answers to their questions, further strengthening the direct communication with citizens and helping to solve their problems. This academic year, public debates will range from the use of EU funds to the functioning of the local government. They will be held in county organizations by Assistant Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Hrvoje Marušić and president of LYMEC Vedrana Gujić. This year, MPs of the CPP will visit the seat of the county organizations and moderate public forums and forums for members of the CPP, as well as seminars and roundtables on topics from their portfolios.

Regional strengthening of the party
Department for the Organizational Strengthening of the Party (3rd Department) continues to organize visits of officials to the JL (R) S, subsidiaries, county organizations, as well as visits of members of the CPP's Women's Initiative and the Youth to the Academy and the Croatian Parliament. After their visits to the Academy, lectures on the work of presidents of subsidiaries and the role of women in politics, which, depending on the population, will be held by the head of the Central Office of the CPP Žarko Stilin or Sonja König, president of the Women's Initiative. The other aspect of the work of the department are regular visits of the Secretary-General of the CPP and the Head of the Central Office to the seats of county organizations, while meetings are also held at the Central Office and on the regional level which both he and the President of the CPP, Vesna Pusić attend.

International Cooperation
Department for Special Programs (Fourth Department) fosters collaboration with its international partners and organizes training for members of Women's Initiatives, Youth Organization, members of Team CPP and spokespersons and brokers educational opportunities through international programs in cooperation with the European Liberal Forum, German liberal Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom and Novum Institute in Ljubljana. Through the International Education Centre, the Political Academy applied for associate membership in the European Liberal Forum. At the autumn General Assembly of ELF, MEC / Political Academy / were accepted as associate members. Active membership starts on 1 January 2015. MEC and the Political Academy will continue their long-standing cooperation with the Institute Novum and ELF, while cooperation has been offered to ENoP which expressed interest. President of the International Education Centre is Goran Neralić, mag. of political science. Also, in organization of the LIBSEEN office, D66, and MEC, of which the Political Academy is a member, LIBSEEN Leaders Meeting was held in Zagreb on November 8, 2014 which was opened by the president of the CPP, Vesna Pusić.

Liberal democracy is a favourable framework for social development
Department for the Public of the Political Academy (Fifth Department) is still educating the public, trying to promote liberal ideas and explain the value of liberalism. Fifth Department has its own Council consisting of prof.dr.Vesna Pusić, prof.dr.Andrea Zlatar Violić, prof.dr.Darko Polšek, prof.dr.Zdravko Petak, Slavko Goldstein and political analyst Davor Gjenero, who is also the Coordinator of the Department. Through the Department for the Public, the Academy will try to explain the value of liberal democracy by promoting it as a favourable framework of social development, while also emphasizing the importance of a balance of responsibility and social security, gender equality and many other liberal issues.

Study program of the Political Academy
Political Academy is underway of establishing a study program that shall begin in early 2015. The study program will last for three semesters, each semester consisting of eight courses, each course of about five lectures. The study program is designed as a governance study program that will enable the participants to acquire a wide range of knowledge and skills essential for the successful participation in the decision-making and the process of formulating and implementing public policies. In addition to ex-cathedra lectures and seminars, students will be offered a range of additional activities, such as workshops, study visits to state institutions, as well as lectures by guest lecturers and practitioners from Croatia and abroad. It is anticipated that the core of the study program, lectures and seminars, will be held by professors from the Faculty of Political Sciences, Faculty of Philosophy and the Faculty of Law of the University of Zagreb. For additional activities and workshops, the Academy shall endeavour to find experts with extensive practical experience from Croatia and abroad. This will add another dimension to the study program, as with theoretical knowledge, participants will gain practical skills from the best possible sources.

Manual on elections in Croatia to be published soon
Department of Publishing (Sixth Department) in the nine years of work of the Academy has collected valuable presentations, programs and lectures, which have been, together with the authors, transformed into printed material in the form of booklets, textbooks and manuals. So far, the Academy published manuals on the budget and EU elections, while a manual on presidential, parliamentary, local elections and elections for local committees in Croatia, called the "Small handbook for elections in the Republic of Croatia" is being prepared. Brochures on public speaking and political marketing are also being prepared, as well as an online LIBSEEN newsletter.

Seventh Department of the Academy has been established
At the twelfth session of the Presidency of the CPP held in Tuhelj in July, it was decided that the Academy would gain another department- the Call Centre of the CPP. Primary task of the Call Centre is to maintain direct contact with the members and supporters of the CPP and the general public, while in the near future, Call Centre will also conduct various opinion polls.

The Academy celebrates its tenth year of existence
The Academy organizes around two hundred larger and smaller seminars and dozens of conferences, round tables, lectures and public forums each year. Since its establishment, hundreds of top quality speakers and trainers from Croatia and other countries took part in the activities of the Political Academy and more than 15,000 members benefited from the additional education. Since its founding, the Head of the Political Academy has been Boris Blažeković, MP. The Political Academy of the CPP celebrates its tenth year of existence. Traditional Ninth Meetings of all elected representatives in Resort Tuhelj crowned the previous academic year. Let's remember, the first meetings were held on July 2, 2006 in Topusko, after which they were four times on Bjelolasica, twice in Sveti Martin na Muri and twice in Resort Tuhelj.

In conclusion
"The CPP is a party that invests in itself and its future, and this cannot be done without an investment in the people," Vesna Pusić, President of the CPP.

"The CPP considers education to be the most important capital an individual can acquire!", Boris Blažeković, Head of the Academy.