Carol Whitney (left), political trainer and teacher at the American University in Washington, DC, is animated as she speaks to Beryl Ennis, a member of the Jamaica Women's Political Caucus, Marjorie Lewis (second right), chairperson of the Institute for Public Leadership Committee of the Jamaica Women's Political Caucus and Kristen Psaki (right), political trainer who worked on President Obama's campaign from Washington, DC, during the opening ceremony of the Institute for Public Leadership's Training of Trainers at the Mona School of Business yesterday.- Peta-Gaye Clachar/Staff Photographer

JAMAICAN WOMEN setting their sights on a political career are receiving valuable insight and strategic perspectives from a member of the campaign team of United States President Barack Obama.

Kristen Psaki, 24, a former media director for the Obama campaign in Florida and Carol Whitney US-based political strategist, have been conducting a three-day training workshop at the Mona School of Business for 11 local female trainers. The trainers will then impart the knowledge to women who have plans to become campaign managers or political candidates.

The workshop, staged by the Institute for Public Leadership, which is sponsored by the Women's Political Caucus, started yesterday.

inclusive leadership style

In an interview with The Gleaner yesterday Psaki said President Obama's message of change was driven by his inclusive leadership style.

"One of the reasons why I worked for President Obama for so long is because he is a community organiser," she said, adding: "If we left it up to one person to change all of these long list of issues then we would become a community of cynics."

She said President Obama's approach in challenging Americans to play their part in effecting change from the community level was reaping success.

Assessing Obama's presidency to date, Psaki said despite taking office at one of the most challenging times in recent memory, President Obama had responded with "integrity" to the current global economic crisis, which started in the United States.

internet is a major tool

Psaki shared with The Gleaner the significant impact of using the Internet as a major campaign tool. She explained that as part of the campaign strategy, emails, Facebook, text messaging and YouTube were used as a means of organising people.

"There are ways to use the Internet in order to empower communities and the goal is to get them in from the online world into the 'offline' world."

Commenting on the effectiveness of the Obama campaign, Psaki said his message of change resonated with what the people wanted - "leadership with integrity and leadership that was different".

She said Americans wanted a leader that was willing to transcend partisan political issues for the greater good of the country.

edmond.campbell@gleanerjm.com