Youth activists learning how to become good leaders at a workshop organised by Young Muslim Secretariat.

ITQAN stands for Integrity, Teamwork, Quwwah, Ambassador and New Age. (see box below). It is also an Arabic term which means giving the best of oneself in one's endeavours.

In September, YMS organised an introductory workshop on ITQAN for youth leaders and activists from the various Young Muslim Wings. The one-day workshop was held at Wisma Indah. About 30 activists took part in the workshop which was conducted by consultants from Focus Learning, one of the main training and motivational consultancy firms in Malaysia.

The workshop hoped to introduce to the youth leaders, the fundamental concepts of the YMS Leadership Training Programme which is scheduled to begin in January next year.

Meanwhile, the activity-based workshop enabled the participants to discuss ITQAN values together with the trainers - Mr Abdul Malik Abdul Rahman, Mr Ismail Ibrahim and Ustaz Nik Azam Nik Wajis. They learned about the importance of personal integrity, interpersonal relationships, styles of leadership and thinking differently within the framework of Islam.

One of the rationales behind the special training workshop is to create a systematic leadership programme for youth leaders in the Muslim community. Explains Mr Zalman Putra Ahmad Ali, an Executive Officer from Muis' Office of Mufti, "It is just any leadership programme, but one, which is able to synthesise elegantly the understanding of Islamic worldview with competency in contemporary leadership and management skills and philosophies within the framework of a pluralistic secular society like Singapore."

Insya Allah, Muis hopes that participants of the programme would be imbibed with a firm conviction in his faith and have a clear Islamic worldview and sound ability to discern truth from fallacy. It is also hoped that they would practise Islam in totality as well as master the skills in leading and effecting change.

Lastly, the programme is hoped to equip participants with a sound understandingof global affairsand its repercussion on the environment as well as enable them to project a positive image of Islam.

Integrity - personal value system Teamwork - group dynamics Quwwah -personal effectiveness Ambassador - serving attitudes New Age - creative, forward-looking, managing change