Steered every quarter of the
fiscal year, the United Voices for Peace Network held its 4th Shuura
on Muslim Youth Enlightenment, Empowerment and Development last June 5-7, 2014 at
Masjidus Salam, Sanggilangan Village, Maa, Davao City, with a theme “Muslim
Youth Leaders as Agents for Positive Change”.
The said meeting was attended by members of the Board
of Trustees (BOT), chief ministers and area and school representatives, who
constitute the Association’s Parliament – a governing body responsible for
running the over-all affairs. Intensive discussion on agenda focusing on projected
activities for the fiscal year 2014 filled the conduct of the three-day meeting.
It covered BOT report on action-plans, updates from existing UVPN chapters and
identification of next steps for upcoming activities.
Updates on the action-plans of
Ministers commenced the agenda discussion. It highlighted the membership
database, ID system, religious activities (such as weekly Halaqa),
documentation format and procedures, monitoring and evaluation scheme (like monthly
accomplishment reports), the formulation of UVPN Code of Conduct, communication
flow, financial management system and the formal institutionalization of some
activities like Hijab Campaign. These action-plans, accordingly, will provide
the tools and guidelines for Ministers to discharge their respective functions.
These will also be operationalized through the technical working group formed beforehand
such as Training Team, Media Team, Da’wah Team and Finance Team.
The recent activities conducted
by UVPN chapters were then presented. Signifying the gradual step towards
formal establishment of chapters in the campuses, members attending in Cotabato
City State Polytechnic College (CCSPC) and Notre Dame University (NDU)
highlighted the successful conduct of General Orientation Program last January.
In addition, the Ranaw Chapter presented the activity highlights of the “Let’s
Talk about Love” Forum conducted last February in Mindanao State University. A program
report was also presented by Kutawato Community Chapter regarding the Re-echo
Activity on Islamic Issues. The said activity was spearheaded by Khayria
Malusay who attended the original round in Malaysia last April.
As a moving forward mechanism,
the body identified sets of activities that are hoped to be conducted before
the fiscal year ends. Aside from continuous recruitment of members through its
chapters, the Association will gradually steer the conduct of its annually
observed events. One of these is the Qiyamul Layl Symposium during the holy
month of Ramadan. It will be spearheaded by the Kutawato Community Chapter in
Cotabato City in the last ten nights of Ramadan and are hoped to be steered as
well in Marawi City by Ranaw Chapter and in Taguig City by Manila Chapter (the
conduct of which last year served as the first activity of the Association in
Manila). Other Ramadan activities are Iftar programs, Weekly Islamic lectures
and the Eidl Fitr Kanduli – Camaraderie-Building. These activities and all
other upcoming activities in the fiscal year will be concluded by the annual
UVPN General Consultative Convention, that will be on its third round in
Sarangani Province on December last week.
These activities are anchored in
the Association’s founding objective to enlighten, empower and develop the
Muslims in Philippines, particularly in the South, and mission of fostering
unity.
