Leadership Training for Young Muslims
Leadership Potential - some of the dashing young leaders at the 2010 Graduation
Media Focus - Senior ABC journalists and producers deeply engaged in dialogue with the 2010 Young Muslim Leaders at ABC Ultimo Studios, Sydney
Tearful Farewell - YMLs Yasmin Hassen (Melbourne) and Marina Chelae (Thailand) say goodbye after their Graduation on 30 July 2010 at State Parliament.
The Young Muslims Leadership Programme is a unique education program that aims to support leaders who can speak clearly and confidently about the various issues which confront people of Islamic faith in Australia today and who can actively participate in shaping Australia’s future.
The third year of operation has seen the highly successful programme expanded to include eight young Muslims from South-East Asia. Four delegates from Indonesia and two from both Malaysia and the Philippines were able to join sixteen local participants on this journey of intellectual growth, community networking and personal empowerment.
The Leadership Training Program for Young Muslims aims to:
- Empower young Muslim men and women (aged 18-30 years old) and help them to reach their full potential as citizens and future leaders.
- Develop the skills that young Muslims need to engage confidently and creatively with all levels of government, business, academia, the professional world, the media and religious and community organizations.
- Give participants the opportunity to meet and talk with decision-makers in Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne in the form of a study tour. The study tour includes briefing sessions, workshops and visits to political institutions, legal institutions, cultural and educational institutions, business organizations, and religious organizations and places of worship. The tour also includes a one-day media workshop at SBS, Australia's leading public multicultural broadcaster.
- Encourage reflection on Australia and its place in the world and the contribution Muslims can make to help meet the challenges of the future.
A key aim of the programme is to promote understanding of the opinions and values held by different ethnicities and belief systems. With this in mind, the programme has included a three day conference on ‘Prospects for Peace in the Middle East’ in which the young leaders were joined by members of the Christian and Jewish faith to debate, discuss and dialogue about the controversial issues surrounding various conflicts in the Middle East.
The Centre hopes to keep building on the solid base established over the past three years. Many alumni of the Young Muslims Leadership Programme have taken up leadership roles in the wider community; many also continue to offer their services as mentors in the programme.
Project Coordinators
This programme is organised by the Centre for Dialogue in association with the Islamic Council of Victoria and with the support of the Government of Victoria and the Commonwealth of Australia through the Regional Communities Outreach Programme of DFAT.