ABS-CBN.COM features Diether and Aleem

YMPer Aleem Siddiqui Guiapal was featured with Diether Ocampo in a headline news at the ABS-CBN website last Thursday, May 21, 2009. It was in recognition of their participation at the HPAIR 2009 Harvard Conference. The article also made mention of the Mindanao Youth Speak (MYSPEAK) peace-building program of the Young Moro Professionals Network, Inc. where Aleem serves as MYSPEAK Program Director and Diether as an adviser. To read the full article, please check:

http://www.abs-cbn.com/headlines/Article/3522/ABS-CBN-s-Diether-Ocampo-and-other-HPAIR-Alumni-s-paper-admitted-to-Oxford-.aspx

Young Moro Professionals cited in National Muslim Conference

YMPs should be supported.

"Young Moro Professionals Network is heard here and abroad. We should support them," said Director Baser Datu-imam during the National Conference of Grassroots Muslim Leaders for Peace and Solidarity held on May 15 at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila.

More than 50 Maranaos attended the event to unify the clan leaders of the Moriatao Diwan of Bayang town, Lanao del Sur. Prominent individuals who come from Bayang include the late former Congressman Rashid Lucman, founder of the Bangsamoro Liberation ORganization, Former Governor Saidamen Pangarungan, Aleem Jamil Yahya, former Youth Commissioner Pendatun Disimban, who all came to lend their support.

A  resolution was passed to the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process on the following:

- support for the Anti-Discrimination Bill now pending in Senate
- support for the GRP-MILF peace process

YMPN Membership Convenor and MYspeak project manager Samira Gutoc was invited to speak on the role of YMPN in peacebuilding. She started by mentioning the historic role of Bayang in fighting colonization against Americans, a "memory which must be preserved and remembered by Filipinos."

She urged the elders and the youth to bridge the gap by working on promoting  a "better Muslim development partnership" that would encourage the talents of the working Maranao in Manila to be enhanced.

"YMPN is a group that supports you and other Muslim associations'  work through information advocacy," she said. "But Maranao money and industry must also consider expanding itself to consider Tausug and other ethnic groups' contributions so that a Moro paradigm and thus MORE IMPACT  is created ."

She reported the dialogues on intrafaith peacebuilding conducted among Moro youths in Davao City and Zamboanga City to be a precursor to dialogues with MILF and MNLF leaders who represent the Bangsamoro in the largest Muslim grouping of nations , Organization of Islamic Conference.

YMPN supports Christian-Muslim Peace Camp

YMPN, through Convenors Baibonn Sangid (Bangsamoro Culture & History), Jane Marie Dimacisil (Moro Fund), and Abdulhamid Alawi, Jr. (Dawah), once again extended support to the Communication Foundation for Asia (CFA) in holding its 2^nd Peace Camp with the theme “Christian and Muslim Youth – Spreading the Message of Peace and Unity” at the CFA compound in Sta. Mesa, Manila last April 27 to May 2, 2009. 

Ms. Sangid provided valuable inputs to the Project Team in designing the six-day program while Ms. Dimacisil served as one of the Peace Camp facilitators.  Mr. Alawi initiated Islamic reflections among Muslim students and addressed participants and other stakeholders during the culminating program on May 2, 2009.

Peace Camp 2 brought together 50 Christian and Muslim high school students from four schools in Metro Manila—Ramon Avanceña High School, Taguig National High School, Culiat High School, and the Nazarene Catholic School—to develop deeper understanding and appreciation of cultural or religious differences, and to help promote peace and unity in their respective schools upon their return from the peace camp.  Aside from lectures on peace, participants joined workshops on painting, music, photography and slideshow presentation, and creative dramatics, with emphasis on how these can serve as an important medium for peace.  Sons of YMPer Jolly Lais, Nuh and Haron, were among the 50 who participated.

Consistent with YMPN’s goal of promoting peace and a positive image of Islam, Mr. Alawi shared during the culminating program that Allah has made people different so that we may take the effort to know each other.  Citing Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) as the best example, he also advised participants to do their best to leave a good impression when dealing with others and to give extra efforts like service and charity—stressing the importance of sharing interfaith lessons which campers have learned with others in their community.

The first CFA Peace Camp was launched in 2006 with Christian and Muslim students from a high school in Quiapo, Manila, with YMPer Aradelria Belleng sharing her skills as one of the peace camp facilitators.  Similar to the first peace camp, workshop output of Peace Camp 2 participants will be showcased in various provinces through a Traveling Exhibit.  The two-year Peace Camp project also hopes to make follow-ups on peace and unity projects initiated and implemented by camp participants in their respective schools.

For more information on the project, visit www.cfamedia.org

Welcome to Parenthood, Atty. Ras & Atty. Toie! :-)

YMPN congratulates new parents RAS & TOIE with the arrival of their healthy 6.8-pound baby ABDUL RASHID BIRUAR MITMUG at 5:49am of May 4, 2009! Alhamdulillah! :-)

May you both enjoy every moment of parenthood and may baby Abdul Rashid grow up to be a loving child and a good Muslim like his parents, inshaALLAH! ;-)

All the very best!