 The Young Muslim Professionals helped organized a Leadership training Seminar in Sulu on March 3, 2003. The following is a news story about the accomplishments of the LTS.
The Challengers, Dirty Dozen, Ulangig (Echo) and the Gagandilang (Model) - four names, converging the modern and the native. These were the names of the teams of youth leaders of Sulu (Lupah Sug) and who converged at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Hall in Jolo. With the theme: Leadership and Youth, Meeting the Challenges of the Muslim Society for a Leadership Training Seminar (LTS), the LTS was sponsored by the Young Moro Professionals Network in coordination with the Provincial Government under Governor Yusop Jikiri, the Phil Councilors LEague (PCL) headed by Atty. Edilwasif Baddiri and the Sangguniang Kabataan Federation of Sulu headed by Rashida Loong.
Each group competed to present the rationale of their group's name relating it to assessing the Sulu leadership. In proposing for a consultative leadership, "Two heads are better than one," said Matt of the Challengers. "We need to change bad attitudes," he added, referring to negative traditional practices among Moros.
The Ulangig group batted to be "second voices" to the good leaders at the same time being "pro-good and pro-rights." "There's no unity in Tausug politics. Tausug professionals do not join politics," assessed Jong, the presentor, stating a reality in elections in Sulu. Hailing their members to "never surrender," the Gagandilang group said they "will face all challenges." "It is up to us to apply education," Sharief said.
Dirty Dozen's representative, Ferdinand said they "wanted to improve the situation" through "unity and brotherhood." He proposed a concrete post-LTS project to form an organization among the youth leaders.
Trainor Ahmad Musa was impressed that his conceptions of the Tausug youth of "lacking assertiveness and being shy" were changed. "You proved that you can act together through your connecting the ideas proposed by each group," said Musa, an international financial consultant.
Sulu Governor Yusop Jikiri, in his inspirational speech read by Provincial Administrator Iriles Ladjabassal, attributed the disunity, chaos and upheavals in the Muslim world to the fact that it is "blessed with God-given resources." "Muslim nations are the envy of the rest of the world." But he cited that "development initiatives are generally lacking in Muslim communities... It seems Muslim leaders have not yet found the right formula to solve these problems."
Among the 19 poorest provinces in the country, 5 are inhabited by Muslims, Jikiri wrote.
President of the Phil. Councilor's League Edilwasif Baddiri cited the import of the leadership seminar to instill in the new generation the principles of leadership.
LTS project chairperson Ayesah Abubakar presented the leadership concepts.
Youth leaders were asked to write leadership traits on meta-cards. Trainor Jehanne Mutin later presented the personality traits of a leader, citing the following: humane, just, responsbile, religious, honest, intelligent, a model, educated, trustworthy and humble. On the issue of women as leaders, Mutin instead advocated that if a person was good, and capable, "people will gravitate towards him/her," and will make him/her a leader (regardless of gender)."
Ahmad John Musa cited Prophet Muhammad as the " greatest world leader" in his presentation on Islamic leadership. Musa cited Muhammad's traits to include being democratic/consultative, just (as he appointed a slave, Bilal to call the adhan), humane, led be sample and with patience and faith. The Islamic concepts of musawara, iman, iqra and susi were discussed.
Musa and Jehanne Mutin presented the Challenges to the Muslim Society. A former human rights worker, Mutin advocated for the use of legal tools to enable Moros to address human rights violations (HRVs). "HRVs is one issue of the Moro communities. We have to know our rights," she said. Mutin attributed the lack of success in court cases filed by Moros in that evidences in the form of (witnesses') affidavits, photographs and pertinent documents were lacking.
Musa presented a paradigm entitled, "COntinuing Saga of the Moro People." He presented three aspects - governance, peace and order and economic development. He outlined political challenges to include - governance in the ARMM, graft and corruption, electing good leaders, social issues to include - re-education on Islam, education, laws for the Moros and identity, and economic issues to include islamic banking, employment, small and medium scale enterprises and developing natural resources. Likening government offers of development to "candy gifts", Musa proposed the mobilization of local resources to transform Sulu into a "Singapura."
On international developments, Musa cited "misrepresentation of ISlam, the US-Iraq war, balik-islam phenomenon, convergence of Islamic countries and ASEAN alignments. Mutin cited the existence of official development assistance from foreign donors to be utilized in local development.
The youth leaders were then asked to visualize solutions to a local problem, the Patikul Ligrad beach case, which has turned off visitors and investors because of the perceived lack of peace and order. Group leaders acting as governors presented their proposals before the Sanggunian, tasked to approve the resolutions. Most of the youth representatives mentioned addressing the peace and order problem first before anything else. Rashida Loong proposed the constructing of native structures such as vintas and serving Tausug delicacies to attract outsiders.
Board Member Edil Baddiri lectured on the Philippine Legal system, delving on the concept and sources of law to include the Constitution, ordinances and court decisions, among others. He presented the three brances of government - the Executive, Legislative, and Judiciary, principles of separation of powers and checks and balances.
End.
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