Muslim Youth Leadership Symposium Celebrates 1st Anniversary
Sunday September 14, 2008, marked the completion the fourth Muslim Youth Leadership Symposium (MYLS) sponsored by the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago). The latest event was held at the DePaul University College of Law. The symposium’s core mission is to “to provide American Muslim youth with a proactive agenda for positive activism; empower them to guide their communities from the margin to the mainstream; and foster a healthy American Muslim identity that fits comfortably within pluralistic American society while true to its faith values.”
The theme of this year was “Transforming Spirit into Action”- a complement to the transformation goal of the holy month of Ramadan. The 80 students that participated represented public and private high schools and colleges from various backgrounds.
The symposium offered workshops and lectures to help the youth with leadership development and convey to them the importance of community activism and participation.
The speakers included Dr. Scott Alexander of the Catholic Theological Union and Marci Zinke of the American Red Cross. Dr. Alexander is an interfaith scholar and a current associate professor of Islam at the Catholic Theological Union where he directs the school’s Catholic Muslim Studies Program. Both discussed ways the students could commit to serving all of humanity.
The students left motivated to better serve and make a difference within their communities.
Copyright © 2008 CAIR-Chicago