Revised Proposal for MYNA
Revised Proposal for
The Muslim Youth of North America
August 2, 2000
Contents
Summary of the Revised Proposal
Revised Proposal
Muslim Youth Services (MYS)
Mission Statement
The Structure of MYS
Board of Directors
Executive Director
Executive Assistant
Communications Coordinator
Outreach Coordinator
Project Coordinators
Funding
Relationship to Other Organizations
Phased Implementation
An Incremental Approach
Moving Forward
Muslim Youth of North America (MYNA)
Mission Statement
The Structure of MYNA
Membership
Regions
Executive Committee
Funding
Relationship to Other Organizations
Responses to Comments Made on the Initial Proposal
Comments Concerning the “Spirit” of MYNA and Non-Local Activity
Comments Concerning the Role of Youth
Why Two Organizations, and Why not a Greater Structural Relationship?
Comments Concerning the Reach of the Organization
Comments on Products and Services and Criteria for Success
Initial Proposal
Summary of the Initial Proposal
Background from the Initial Proposal
Description of MYNA’s Current Structure
Strengths of the Existing Model
Rationale for Change
The Costs of the Current MYNA Structure
Growth of Communities and Institutions
SUMMARY OF REVISED PROPOSAL
Having carefully and exhaustively considering the comments received based upon the initial proposal, we submit the following as our final proposal. A new organization, Muslim Youth Services (MYS), should be created with the mission of assisting families and local communities in their task of developing exemplary Muslim youth. MYS would carry out this mission by providing local communities with resources that are most effectively developed in a centralized manner. The Muslim Youth of North America (MYNA) should be continued as an organization, but with the limited mission of unifying youth by fostering contact between youth beyond the local level.
Muslim Youth Services
Purpose and Function
MYS would largely take the purpose and form of the organization suggested in the initial proposal. MYS would focus on developing and acquiring resources for which a national organization would be uniquely situated, and then funneling them to local communities in the form of high quality products and services designed to assist in the development of exemplary Muslim youth. These products and services might be oriented toward assisting youth in the establishment and operation of youth groups, assisting parents of junior and senior high school children, and assisting mosques or schools in the development of strategies to address the needs of their youth. MYS might provide the products and services in the form of literature, training, financial support, technical and strategic advice, and any other type of assistance that might become available and feasible over time.
Structure
To pursue its mission to the greatest extent possible, MYS would be structured to give priority to efficiency, expertise, flexibility, and dynamism. As such, MYS would operate based upon a private organization model, where the resources and staff would operate under the supervision of an autonomous, self-perpetuating board of directors.
Affiliation
MYS would work with Muslim youth groups, mosques, and schools without regard to their institutional affiliations. MYS would seek to work closely with existing youth groups and seek to encourage the development of new youth groups where none exist, but would not seek to subsume or create any groups under its own name. It would provide resources and assistance as necessary. MYS would have a very close working relationship with MYNA, particularly at the local level, but would have a limited structural relationship with MYNA in the form of a seat on the board of directors of MYS reserved for a MYNA appointee. Other than this connection with MYNA, MYS would not be formally affiliated with any other organization.
Muslim Youth of North America
Purpose and Function
MYNA would continue to exist, but with the purpose of activating and inspiring youth by making them feel part of a broader, more expansive community of youth struggling for the same cause and against the same obstacles. This would be achieved by inviting youth—both as individuals and as part of youth groups—to join MYNA, giving them a sense of control over their lives, giving them a sense of ownership of the organization, and instilling a sense of responsibility.
MYNA would connect existing youth groups, reach out to create new youth groups, and bring youth together between localities, states, and regions. This would be pursued in the form of educational, spiritual, and recreational interaction. This interaction would occur first at the most basic form of organization—local youth groups. In addition, the youth and the youth groups would interact regularly with the others in their region, and occasionally with youth from an even broader geographic area. On the inter-community level, the interaction could take place in the form of camps, conferences, newsletters, and other such cooperative initiatives.
Structure
In pursuit of its mission, MYNA would be structured to give as much responsibility to its youth members as practicable, and to facilitate the interaction of youth between localities. It would do so, however, without depriving local communities of resources—human and financial—essential to continuing and consistent activity at the local level. MYNA would be a membership-based organization, welcoming membership of individual youth and youth groups. MYNA would be functionally divided into regions to offer youth a limited, but formalized, mechanism for regular interaction beyond the local level. The organization as a whole would have a national executive committee, the members of which would not necessarily be youth themselves, but who would be selected by the youth members of MYNA. Each region would have a youth regional representative and a non-youth advisor.
Affiliation
MYNA would retain its formal affiliation with the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) as ISNA’s youth organization. As such it would also retain its seat on the ISNA Majlis al-Shura. MYNA would be affiliated with MYS in so far as it would appoint a member of the MYS board of directors.
This second version of the proposal includes a description of the missions and structures of the proposed organizations. Appended are also the Summary and Background portions from the first proposal for the benefit of those who may not have read the initial proposal.
We exhaustively discussed amongst ourselves each issue raised by comments on the initial proposal, but remain convinced that the initial proposal represented the best option considering the foreseeable needs of Muslim youth, the available resources, and the tasks that a national institution is best suited to handle. But in deference to the intensity of concern that several respected brothers and sisters expressed, we adjusted the proposal as much as we thought possible without undermining the basic elements of the initial proposal. Some may remain unsatisfied with broad aspects or minute details of the proposal. With the help of Allah, however, we can find the strength to move beyond this stage of the process and begin implementing the proposal together.
Aimen Mir, Waheed Mustapha & Jawaad Abdul Rahman
August 2, 2000
MUSLIM YOUTH SERVICES
Mission Statement
To assist families and communities in the development of exemplary Muslim youth.
“Exemplary Muslim youth”
Muslim Youth Services (MYS) would strive towards the goal of developing exemplary Muslim youth. Exemplary Muslim youth are defined by the following commitments:
· Committed to developing their relationship with Allah and their consciousness of His love;
· Committed to a life-long process of studying Islam, beginning with basic beliefs, knowledge of ritual worship, and understanding the Qur’an;
· Committed to serving humanity;
· Committed to their responsibilities as citizens of the United States and Canada and as positive, productive members of the society in which they live.
“To assist families and communities”
The Mission Statement recognizes the responsibility of raising children as primarily that of each child’s parents. Islamically, the parents are charged with the role of guiding and nurturing their children. Logically, parents are also best suited to fulfill such a role, as most children spend more time with their parents than with any other adults. A national organization that interacts with youth mostly in large group settings and only several times each year is, at best, ill-suited for assuming the delicate role of directly fostering the development of exemplary Muslim youth. After a child’s parents, the most suitable parties for directly addressing the needs of Muslim youth are schools and mosques. While not suited for or charged with primary responsibility, schools and mosques also have a position superior to that of any non-local organization, as they have the most frequent, consistent, and substantive interaction with youth. Finally, youth, as a matter of reality, find their greatest influence from their peers, with whom they interact in both supervised and unsupervised environments. It is, therefore, essential that the links between Muslim youth on the local level be strengthened in an Islamic fashion, whether through participation in a youth group or otherwise.
The Mission Statement, therefore, recognizes the severe limitations on a non-local organization’s ability to provide for the fundamental developmental needs of Muslim youth. It further recognizes that great variation exists among local communities across North America. In some areas youth work is fairly advanced; in other areas it is nonexistent. A single approach or model for the development of youth and youth work may not be suitable for all communities, and an approach not deferential to particular local needs, experiences, and desires may meet more resistance than demand.
Many communities are far more developed than they were fifteen years ago. Not every community needs an outside organization to come in and start a youth group for it. Not every community seeks to affiliate with MYNA, ISNA, or any other national organization.
Other communities have little or no focus on the needs of youth and would benefit from external assistance and motivation. In some cases, involvement in non-local activities might benefit such communities. Another sort of assistance is necessary in other cases, where drawing the few committed youth away from local activities to focus on regional or national activities might deprive the community of its most valuable resources. External assistance, therefore, must be narrowly tailored to the needs of the particular community for it to be truly productive. This requires the service provider to be flexible, non-imposing, and resourceful.
The Mission Statement, however, recognizes that a national organization, as compared to families and local communities, is uniquely situated to perform certain limited functions. Certain resources are best developed or distributed in a centralized fashion. The resources can be material or conceptual in form and developed or acquired by the national organization. These include resources where the cost to a single community of developing them exceeds the marginal benefit the community would derive from them. A national organization is well situated to address this problem because at the same cost of development, much greater benefit can be derived in total from the resource if it is distributed to multiple communities.
Considering the superior position of local communities in consistently addressing the needs of youth, and considering the superior position of a national organization in developing and distributing certain resources, the Mission Statement envisions an organization that seeks to empower parents, mosques, schools, and youth groups by providing them with a menu of resources that they can apply as they deem most appropriate. As such, MYS would aim to achieve its goal of fostering the development of exemplary Muslim youth by assisting, not purporting to act in place of a youth’s parents, community, or even his peers. Success would be measured by the degree to which the resources that MYS offers find demand across the country, and the effectiveness of the staff and resources in strengthening existing youth work and stimulating new youth work calculated to develop exemplary Muslim youth
The Structure of MYS
The structure of MYS would correspond to the priorities as reflected in the Mission Statement: that the goal be the development of exemplary Muslim youth, that the focus be on the development of local programs and practices to address the needs of Muslim youth, and that the mechanism be facilitation of youth work through assisting those with the primary and secondary responsibilities of raising the youth. The structure reflects a set of concerns that are most critical, that a national service organization is best suited to handle, and which MYS can most effectively address.
Note, however, that the structure as described is a beginning point. While each element is suggested specifically to further the narrow mission of MYS, there may be alternative possibilities that equally or better further the mission. As progress is made toward the establishment of MYS, the structure may require adjustment as appropriate upon the advice of non-profit organization and legal experts who should be consulted in the process. This is discussed in further detail below.
Board of Directors
At the top of the organizational structure would be the Board of Directors (the Board).
Responsibilities of the Board
The Board would be charged with the responsibilities ordinarily charged to the board of a non-profit organization, namely:
1. Legal and financial responsibility for the welfare of MYS;
2. Promotion of MYS;
3. Establishment of the organizational vision and direction;
4. Supervision of the Executive Director.
To ensure effective supervision and operation of the organization, the Board would meet at least three times each year and maintain regular communication in the interim.
Composition of the Board
The Board would be composed of five individuals who serve for three-year terms. The criteria for Board membership would generally be demonstrated commitment to the growth of youth and Islamic activism in North America. More specifically, each member must meet the following requirements:
1. At least three years of demonstrated involvement with youth work, consisting of activism as a youth or regular service as a counselor, advisor, or booster of a youth group;
2. Significant involvement with Islamic or youth work beyond the local level;
3. Involvement in the management of a for-profit or non-profit organization or institution;
4. Ability to regularly monitor and attend MYS sponsored or supported activities;
5. Ability, including time, to attend at least four different full-day Board meetings each year.
MYNA would have the right to appoint one of the five Board members. Board membership would not be subject to geographic or age requirements. It also should at no time comprise only either male or female members.
Selection of Board Members
The MYS Board would be self-perpetuating, a common form of organization among non-profit institutions. This arrangement addresses the need for efficiency and effectiveness. A self-perpetuating board is best suited for MYS, as it would ensure that individuals appointed to the Board are highly qualified and committed. Though possible, such an outcome is much more difficult to achieve where individuals are elected by a very broad, geographically dispersed, and relatively uninvolved membership base that selects candidates based upon a brief, written biography. Such a method of selection is much more important where the emphasis is on the representative nature of the organization, rather than on maximizing effectiveness and efficiency.
Selection of Board members would be staggered, so that no more than two individuals would be replaced at any one time, minimizing the possibility of sudden shifts in the composition of the Board. Board members would be selected through the following process: the Board creates an selection committee of outsiders who have no interest themselves in serving on the Board but who have some degree of familiarity with the landscape of Islamic and youth work in North America. The selection committee then takes suggestions for candidates. Suggestions for candidates can be made by any concerned party, including MYS Board members and MYNA members, individually or collectively. The selection committee then undertakes an evaluation process, thoroughly assessing each candidate’s qualifications according to the selection criteria. The selection committee then determines which of the candidates who meet the selection criteria is most likely to effectively contribute to the operation of MYS. That individual would then take the seat of the Board member whose term has expired. The selection committee would then be dissolved.
The initial Board, of course, would be selected by an alternate procedure as described below.
Executive Director
An Executive Director hired by and answerable to the Board of Directors would lead the Staff of MYS. The Executive Director would be an ex-officio, non-voting member of the Board. The criteria for selection of the Executive Director would be:
1. Proven management skills;
2. Experience with Islamic or youth work;
3. Ability to travel frequently;
4. Ability to relocate to the MYS office (location of which is undetermined) once support staff is hired.
The functions of the Executive Director would include:
1. Implementing a plan to achieve the direction and goals determined by the Board;
2. Oversee the daily affairs of MYS;
3. Keeping the Board informed about activities, programs, etc. of MYS;
4. Supervise Project Coordinators;
5. Maintain the finances of the organization.
Executive Assistant
The Executive Assistant’s functions would include:
1. Providing secretarial assistance to the Executive Director;
2. Fielding general questions about MYS services and products;
Communications Coordinator
The Communications Coordinator functions would include:
1. Establishing a web site;
2. Maintaining a database of contacts;
3. Collecting resources and organize them to be in useable form.
The Communications Coordinator would focus largely on increasing the exposure of MYS through the internet, particularly to those communities that staff members would not be able to visit initially. The MYS web site can feature, among many other things, various databases of relevance to youth work, online manuals, discussion areas, and links to other useful sites.
The Communications Coordinator, with the assistance of the Outreach Coordinator, would establish and maintain a network of local contacts through which MYS products and services can continuously be made available. Through these contacts, the Communication Coordinator would seek to remain apprised of developments in various communities, partially with the intention of securing additional ideas and resources that MYS can add to its repository of products and services.
Outreach Coordinator
The Outreach Coordinator’s functions would include:
1. Establishing contacts in communities across the continent;
2. Visiting the communities to understand the needs, concerns, and nature of the communities;
3. Presenting the menu of products and services that MYNA can offer to the communities to support their youth work;
4. Working with the contacts to develop a plan for delivery and implementation of MYS products and services;
5. Facilitating the implementation of the plan by placing the contacts in touch with the relevant project coordinators;
6. Maintaining close contact and work closely with MYNA regional and local representatives.
In carrying out the above functions, the Outreach Coordinator would seek to develop a plan that reflects the needs, concerns, and priorities as determined by the community itself. The Outreach Coordinator would identify an individual as a primary contact person in the community and would interface with the community primarily through that individual. After developing a plan for the delivery and implementation of MYS products and services, the Outreach Coordinator would place the contact person in touch with the appropriate Project Coordinators, who would then work with the contact according to the agreed upon schedule and plan to deliver or implement the particular products and services.
Project Coordinators
Project Coordinators would be charged with the responsibility of developing the substantive products and services that MYS would offer to local communities. Project Coordinators would be hired to coordinate the development and delivery or implementation of two broad categories of resources—youth group resources and training programs.
The emphasis should not be on the quantity of products and services MYS has to offer. Rather, each product or service that MYS makes available should be of extremely high quality. The range of MYS products and services should be expanded only when and if such expansion would not entail a reduction in quality of existing products and services. Consequently, growth in the range of products and services would be gradual, particularly at the beginning, when a reputation has yet to be developed and financial resources will be limited.
Youth Group Resources
The Project Coordinator for Youth Group Resources would focus on making available non-training print, video, and electronic resources to assist in the development and strengthening of youth groups. Such products could include manuals similar to but more comprehensive than the MYNA Workers Manual, describing the steps to forming a youth group, basics of fundraising, and organizing a weekend retreat, among many other possible topics. MYS would also make available materials to assist in the organization of study groups (halaqas), including directions on the best methods to run a study group, curricula, etc.
The products will not necessarily be, and as much as possible should not be, created by MYS itself. Rather, to the extent possible, the Project Coordinator for Youth Group Resources should seek to consolidate existing resources available throughout the continent. MYS’s relationship with local communities, in this respect, will be mutualistic, with MYS providing resources to which the community would otherwise not have access, and with the community sharing its original products and concepts with MYS so that MYS can make them available to other communities. This approach to developing MYS’s bank of products minimizes duplication efforts, requires a smaller staff and fewer resources, and recognizes the numerous original innovations and accomplishments that have occurred on the local level.
Training Programs
The Project Coordinator for Training Programs would focus on facilitating the implementation of various training programs on the local, regional, and occasionally, on the continental level. Eventually, the Project Coordinator would facilitate youth leadership training programs, counselor training programs, youth group advisor training programs, facilitator training, camp and retreat organization seminars, and other programs that develop skills necessary for the successful development of a supportive environment for the youth.
For many of the training programs, MYS could employ a model similar to that used by the Education, Training and Resource Associates (ETRA), a Virginia-based consulting firm. The prime benefit of the ETRA model are: that the same program can be repeated in many different places during the same year without a full-time training staff; that each program features highly qualified and experienced trainers; that the planning is much less complex than for traditional MYNA training programs; and that the program is largely self-sufficient.
The model operates as follows: if one or several communities in a particular area were interested in training individuals to serve as counselors in camps and retreats, the Outreach Coordinator would place the Project Coordinator for training programs in touch with a contact person in the area where the training program would be held. The Project Coordinator and the community contact would schedule several one-day seminars (as many as are necessary to achieve the desired goals) over a period of one year. The community contact would be charged with the responsibility for arranging the site, food, and other logistics. The Project Coordinator would contract trainers who would be given an honorarium to conduct one of the one-day seminars. The trainers would be selected from a pool of individuals with considerable experience or formal training in youth counseling, facilitation, etc. Participants would be invited and would be charged based upon the number of seminars they attend. Individuals who attend the full course would receive MYS certification, demonstrating their competence to serve as counselors in youth programs.
The ETRA model is suitable for some types of programs, must be modified for others, and may be unsuitable for yet others. While MYS need not adopt the specific ETRA model for a particular program, the ETRA model is instructive in that it recognizes the vast wealth of experience that the Muslim community possesses collectively and that, if efficiently organized, can produce dramatic and far reaching results.
Funding
MYS’s programs and operations would range from those entirely dependent upon its own funding to those mostly dependent upon funding from the benefiting community. To the extent that MYS’s programs are not self-sufficient or funded by the benefiting communities, MYS will need to raise money from the general Muslim community.
The initial financial base will have to be secured through fundraising efforts of the Board of Directors and boosters alone. The Board could approach MYNA graduates, many of whom would be able and willing to donate at least $1000. If one hundred MYNA graduates can be identified to donate $1000 each, the first years’ expenses would probably be satisfied.
Thereafter, the reputation that MYS will begin to build will facilitate the Board’s job of raising the money necessary for MYS’s operation. The more successful MYS’s programs are, the more money and interest the success is likely to generate.
Relationship to Other Organizations
Muslim Youth of North America
MYS would have a close working relationship but limited formal affiliation with MYNA. MYS would make its products and services available to MYNA organizers and members. Where MYNA youth groups already exist, MYS would seek to assist the community through the existing youth group. Where youth groups do not exist, MYS would introduce those communities to MYNA. MYS staff would also remain in close contact with MYNA leadership to assess the needs of Muslim youth in various areas and to receive input as to what needs MYS can best serve.
MYS and MYNA would engage in joint activities and projects as both organizations deem appropriate or necessary from time to time. MYS could also devote a certain percentage of its annual budget towards supporting various MYNA activities.
Formal affiliation between MYS and MYNA would exist in so far as MYNA would have the right to appoint one member of the MYS Board of Directors.
Islamic Society of North America
MYS would not be formally affiliated with the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), except insofar as MYS’s relationship with MYNA is also a relationship with ISNA. Of course, MYS would work closely and maintain close contact with ISNA leadership to ensure a productive working relationship.
Other Organizations
MYS would strive to provide services to any youth groups of Islamic organizations regardless of their affiliations, so long as they agree with MYS’s stated values. While MYS would encourage non-affiliated youth and youth groups to affiliate with MYNA, this would remain a secondary priority were it to come into conflict with the primary priority of delivering products and services to local communities.
Phased Implementation
An Incremental Approach
The structure described above is the proposed structure that MYS should seek to attain within an approximately five-year time frame. While the basic elements of the structure would be established at the outset, some elements, like the number of staff persons and the range of products and services offered, would have to be increased over time, as a track record is established, as qualified persons are identified, and as greater financial resources become available.
Growth of MYS should be paced according to the organization’s ability to ensure that each element of the operation achieves maximum quality. Therefore, for example, even if fundraising efforts yield unexpectedly positive results, MYS’s growth should be controlled. To establish a reputation of excellence, MYS should initially adopt a very limited range of services and products. For example, the first MYS projects could be the establishment of a web site and a training program for youth and advisors. Over a period of two years, MYS could focus on facilitating top-notch training programs geared towards adults who are interested in assisting in the development or promotion of the Muslim youth groups in their locality. Individuals who complete the training program could be designated “Certified Youth Workers.” By focusing on adults, efforts would be concentrated on training the population that has the greatest potential to facilitate the development of exemplary Muslim youth on the local level over a much longer period. (Training youth is extremely valuable, but their contributions frequently cease when they leave high school, whereas adults can be active over a much longer period of time.) Focusing on adults also builds the reputation of MYS where it is most needed, in that adults are most likely to be the prime control over the influence of MYS and MYNA and the organizations’ access to any particular community. Adults also will be the primary source of financial support.
Once MYS has established its reputation as a provider of high quality services, the range of services that MYS offers can be expanded, as can the size of the organization. Initially, responsibilities will have to be vested in a single person—the hired Executive Director. As greater financial support becomes available, the Executive Assistant should be hired and a permanent location selected for the MYS office. Initially, MYS will be reliant upon a small group of volunteers who are willing to assist in the development and maintenance of the web site and in the administration and facilitation of the training programs. Over time, however, the reliance upon volunteers can be reduced, as a Communications Coordinator is hired, then an Outreach Coordinator, and then Project Assistants. At each stage of growth, as stated, commitment to quality must remain of prime importance.
Of equal importance is the need for continual evaluation. On a regular basis, the staff of MYS and the Board of Directors should reevaluate the organization bottom-up, questioning the assumptions, assessing its successes and failures, and evaluating the change in its operating environment. Adjustments to the structure and approach should be made as necessary.
Moving Forward
To act on this proposal, the following steps should be taken. One or more individuals, in consultation with an attorney, should file for incorporation of the organization as a not-for-profit entity. The Board of Directors should then be established. To select the members of the first Board, a meeting should be called of all interested parties, youth and non-youth. This group would vote for a selection committee composed of individuals who are very familiar with the landscape of Islamic and youth work in North America but who themselves are not able or interested in serving on the initial Board. This selection committee would then take nominations for appointment to the initial Board and would evaluate each candidate according to the established selection criteria. The selection committee would narrow the list to four individuals who would be appointed to the initial Board. The decision of the selection committee would be final. The fifth member, who should also meet the selection criteria, should be appointed by MYNA. The selection committee would set the terms of each individual, such that one Board member would have one-year term, two would have two-year terms, and two would have three-year terms. Thereafter, the selection committee would be dissolved and the process described previously would be undertaken as the terms of the initial Board members expire.
The Board should then meet and select the officers of the organization. It then should begin the process of consulting with non-profit organization and legal experts in the preparation of the by-laws of MYS. It also should begin searching for a candidate for the position of Executive Director and raising money to pay for the Executive Director’s salary. The search and selection of the Executive Director will likely be the most important step in the formation of MYS, as this will be the person who provides the initial momentum and direction of the organization.
MUSLIM YOUTH OF NORTH AMERICA
Mission Statement
To inspire Islamic commitment and unity among Muslim youth in North America.
The Structure of MYNA
Membership
MYNA membership would be open to individual youth and to youth groups. Membership of individuals would give them voting rights. An individual is a “youth” if he or she is in junior or senior high school. An organization is a “youth group” if the majority of its members are youth.
Regions
Size of Regions
Geographically, MYNA would be divided into multiple regions. The currently existing regions would be maintained. Those areas not currently divided into regions would be divided with Muslim population concentration and geographic distance both used to determine the size of the regions.
Regional Representatives
Individual members of MYNA would annually elect a Regional Representative.
The responsibilities of the Regional Representative would include:
· Maintaining regular contact with the leaders of local youth groups;
· Gathering and sharing with members reports of past activities and notices of future activities conducted by youth groups;
· Encouraging inter-youth group activities;
· Initiating or coordinating regional activities;
· Facilitating the development of new and existing youth groups by placing local individuals and youth groups in contact with Muslim Youth Services.
The Regional Representative would be a youth residing in the concerned region. MYNA members of the region would select the Regional Representative based upon the following criteria:
· Demonstrated commitment to youth activism;
· Islamic character;
· Organizational skills;
· Ability to devote required time;
· Parental permission
Each MYNA member in the region would have the opportunity to nominate and vote for an individual. If the region chooses to conduct the elections entirely by mail, each member would be first sent a nomination form and, after nominations are closed, a ballot. If elections are to be held at a gathering, the following process would be used: a nomination form would be sent to each member in the region prior to the election date, with the deadline for the submission of all nominations to be at the close of a nomination session at the gathering. All present at the gathering will then vote. If the votes cast at the gathering conclusively result in the election of one of the nominees, and the margin of election is greater than the number of eligible members who were not present to vote, the election would be ended. If, however, the margin of election does not exceed the number of non-present members, ballots would be sent to those who did not vote. Once the cut-off date for receipt of absentee ballots is reached, the votes would be tabulated and the results disclosed.
Regional Advisor
Each region would have a Regional Advisor whose function it would be to advise the Regional Representative. The responsibilities of the Regional Advisor would include:
· Advising the Regional Representative concerning all substantial decisions;
· Training, assisting, and supporting the Regional Representative as necessary;
· Maintaining consistent contact with the Regional Representative to ensure that Regional Representative is fulfilling his/her duties;
· Ensuring that the Regional Representative is not neglecting his/her family and educational responsibilities;
· Addressing needs of local youth groups that require outside adult assistance or intervention.
The Regional Advisor would be an individual residing in the concerned region. The Executive Committee of MYNA, in consultation with the Regional Representative and the outgoing Regional Advisor, if any, would have the authority to appoint or remove the Regional Advisor based upon the following criteria:
· Nineteen years of age or older;
· Previous experience with youth work;
· Previous experience supervising another person or group of persons;
· Ability to devote the required time.
Executive Committee
The Executive Committee would consist of the MYNA Chairperson, Secretary, and Treasurer.
Qualifications, Selection, and Terms
· Prior service as a MYNA Regional Representative;
· Strong Islamic character;
· Organizational skills;
· Ability to devote required time.
The members of the Executive Committee should be elected for two-year terms by the Regional Representatives. The election of the Executive Committee members should be held at a meeting of the Regional Representatives at the annual ISNA convention, with provisions made for absentee voting. Elections for the position of Chairperson should be held on alternate years from the elections for the Secretary and Treasurer.
Chairperson
The Chairperson of MYNA would have the following responsibilities:
· Maintaining regular contact with the Regional Representatives to ensure that they are fulfilling their responsibilities;
· Ensuring the appointment or removal of Regional Advisors as necessary;
· Serving as the liaison with ISNA, including representing MYNA on the ISNA Majlis al Shura;
· Initiating and supervising national activities, like the MYNA program at the annual ISNA Convention.
Secretary
The Secretary of MYNA would have the following responsibilities:
· Maintaining official MYNA records;
· Administering MYNA’s membership policies;
· Maintaining the MYNA web site.
Treasurer
The Treasurer of MYNA would have the following responsibilities:
· Maintaining MYNA’s finances;
· Preparing MYNA’s annual budget;
· Assessing regional and local requests for funds.
Funding
The local community would fund local MYNA youth groups. At other levels, MYNA activities, whenever possible, should be self-sustaining. Where additional funding is necessary (e.g. financial aid to attend conferences, normal administrative expenses, etc.) that funding should be secured primarily through membership dues and allocations from the ISNA budget. Beyond these sources, MYNA can solicit contributions from other parties, including grants from MYS.
Relationship to Other Organizations
MYNA would remain a constituent organization of ISNA, with the consequent rights to funding and representation on the ISNA Majlis al Shura.
MYNA would have a very close working relationship with MYS, employing the resources that MYS makes available and providing feedback to assist in the improvement, development, and distribution of MYS’s products and services.
While encouraging individuals and youth groups to affiliate with MYNA, MYNA would not make availability of its programs or coordination conditional upon such affiliation.
Responses to Comments Made on the Initial Proposal
We carefully read each of the comments submitted based upon the initial proposal. The comments ranged from well-thought out comments to stream of consciousness comments. A number of issues were raised. Most of the issues that were raised in the comments had been raised and discussed during the preparation of the first proposal. Some of the statements made in the comments about the proposal were simply inaccurate and did not reflect the contents of the proposal. Other comments raised valid concerns. However, in many cases, no new evidence or arguments were presented that were not considered in the formulation of the initial proposal.
Also, some comments raised concerns, but did not place them in the broader context of other, possibly more important priorities. Some of the comments argued for retaining certain aspects of MYNA as it exists now, but that were not included in the proposed reformulation. In many cases—though not all—the arguments did not address why those aspects are crucial at this time, why a national organization is best suited to pursue those objectives, how the aspect could be retained without sacrificing the pursuit of other priorities underlying the proposal, or how inclusion of those aspects might be more important than the priorities the proposal was designed to address.
Nonetheless, there were some constructive comments that led us to readdress issues that we had discussed during the course of preparing the initial proposal. This second version of the proposal has some minor and some major changes from the first. The primary change of incorporating (in the form of MYNA) the opportunity for youth leadership and non-local youth group interaction, however, is a response to concerns that we feel were adequately and best addressed by the initial proposal. The addition of the MYNA function to the MYS function, therefore, we think is a second-best alternative.
This section recounts some of the comments that were made based upon the initial proposal, our responses to the comments, and how we have modified the proposal in response. Each comment was considered, but not every change made to the proposal as a result is described below. To explain every aspect of the proposal would require a voluminous document, as the proposal is the result of many, many hours of consideration and discussion. In the end, there will undoubtedly remain areas with which interested parties will disagree. However, the task of the drafting committee was in part to consider all of the arguments and then put the pen to the paper.
Comments Concerning the “Spirit” of MYNA and Concerning Non-Local Activity
One group of comments addressed concern that the “sprit” of MYNA, providing a sense of connection, brotherhood, and identity—one that gave many the motivation to commit themselves to Islam—was lost in the proposed organization. This change would have resulted from the de-emphasis on activeness beyond the local level.
As clearly acknowledged in the background portions of the initial proposal, MYNA has provided a spark and sense of identity to many Muslim youth. Indeed, many of them may have led very different lives had they not attended various zonal or national programs. The initial proposal, however, reflected a calculation that the Muslim community is now past the stage where such activities are crucial to the development of a Muslim American identity or a sense of brotherhood. It acknowledged that the “MYNA spirit” was one of MYNA’s strengths, but—considering that a Muslim American identity and brotherhood between youth are also developing outside and sometimes despite MYNA—it questioned whether the fact that it was the strongest element in a weak organization was sufficient to justify sacrificing the efficiency of the reformulated organization.
Even though the nature of the Muslim community has changed from 1985, there is, undoubtedly, still some benefit to be had by focusing on making youth feel like they are part of a specific national organization. The questions, then, are: whether there are other avenues to achieving the same end goal; which avenue stands to bear the most fruit; and whether pursuing the less effective method precludes or harms pursuit of the other method. The initial proposal reflected the conclusion that focusing on the development of local youth work is now the method most likely to bear fruit and that retaining non-local activity as a priority will unacceptably degrade the success of the potentially more successful method.
The initial proposal also did not suggest that activity and coordination beyond the local level should not exist. Rather, it adopted the view that such activity should be the result of organic, bottom-up growth, rather than an artificially maintained, resource intensive top-down structure. It took the approach that where there was enough local activity to lead youth and youth groups to look to make and maintain connections with other non-local youth groups, this should be allowed to occur. Where there is not enough local activity to sustain this, it should not be perpetuated, and focus should remain on developing the local youth groups.
This second iteration of the proposal formalizes this approach to a greater degree by institutionalizing the intra-youth group interactions (in the form of MYNA). There will be regions, however, where the youth groups are not developed enough for them to sustain a regular, broad regional structure. In those cases, the “region” should necessarily be rather hollow, in the sense that the Regional Representative should not try to draw away necessary resources from the local communities in order to support a regional institution. Rather, the Regional Representative should focus on assisting the youth groups with their local development.
Comments Concerning the Role of Youth
A number of comments reflected concern that youth were being given too little responsibility, too small of a role, and were being undervalued. There was concern that leadership is experiential in nature, and that youth would not have the opportunity to learn by doing or appreciate the responsibility of decision-making. There was also some concern that if adults were running the organization, the needs of youth would be lost or that there would be no control over the Board of Directors.
The initial proposal recognized the accomplishments of MYNA in the past in providing a limited group of youth with an intense leadership experience by giving them significant responsibilities and authority. The proposal also cataloged the problems inherent in the youth-led structure. It also highlighted how many youth today are obtaining leadership training through means outside MYNA and contribute no less to their MSAs in college. It also, through its mission statement, questions the focus on leadership training. It judged the focus on leadership training as having become less relevant. MYNA intensively trained a small number of youth. For many of those youth, the skills were largely technical in nature, the equivalent of which can be obtained from many other sources in most communities (even if not labeled as Islamic in nature). Furthermore, for many youth, the basic Islamic development in terms of character and knowledge did not accompany their leadership experience.
The initial proposal viewed development of exemplary Muslim youth—not necessarily superstar leaders—as being more important, as being a better use of resources, and as being better suited as the mission of a national Muslim organization at this time and the foreseeable future. It was around that mission that the rest of the proposal was formulated. If an activity or characteristic would impede progress towards that goal, it was not included. Unless the organization was narrowly tailored to achieving its mission, the reasoning was, it would not emerge from the rut in which it and many other Muslim organizations are trapped. So while many valid issues were raised in the comments, not all of them can be effectively addressed in a single organization, not all of them are best handled by a national organization, and not all of them can be achieved at this time.
One of the comments suggested that no good will be achieved when the goal of the organization lies solely in the perpetuation of the organization. In fact, the initial proposal adopted just this understanding and was willing to question and change anything and everything to work toward the good of the Muslim community—even if it means completely changing the organization as we know it.
The initial proposal, however, did not restrict the opportunity for youth leadership. Rather it adopted the perspective that the development of such opportunities should be organic, and bottom-up. This allows youth to concentrate on their local youth groups as necessary, and then, when they are ready, then can reach out to other youth groups to coordinate activities and hold joint activities.
However, since it seems that a number of people strongly desire an institutionalized approach to activity beyond the local level rather than the organic approach of the initial proposal, this second version provides for an institutionalized approach across the continent. But the MYNA proposed here is a much-trimmed version of what exists today. The goals it seeks to address are the creation of inter-locality ties and the opportunity for youth leadership. It seeks to do so, however, while avoiding some of the problems of a youth-led and multi-tiered structure highlighted in the initial proposal, namely: the down time due to the learning curve; the limited life experience of youth; school and family as competing priorities; the problem of untrained youth trying to train other youth; and the tendency of non-local work to draw away limited human resources from local communities.
Consequently, this proposal would limit the scope of MYNA. It would eliminate the intermediate tier of zones, allowing better communication between the national and regional levels and minimizing the degree to which local communities lose the input of valuable and talented youth. It would require the members of the MYNA Executive Committee to have formerly been Regional Representatives and would give them two-year terms. This would ensure that the problem caused by the learning curve is minimized. The fact that the Executive Committee members would in most cases no longer be in high school would tend to address the problem of competing priorities and limited life experience. The focus of MYNA would also not be to run leadership training programs, allowing MYNA youth to participate fully in MYS organized training programs, and ensuring that qualified individuals do the training. Yet the opportunity for inter-youth group and inter-locality interaction between Muslim youth would exist. Youth would have a limited and supervised opportunity to experience responsibility and exercise leadership beyond the local level. And the youth can still identify with an organization that encompasses youth from all over the continent.
Regarding MYS and a Board that will most likely be composed of adults, the concern that limited youth involvement would result in the organization losing touch with the needs or concerns of the youth is not warranted. First, the qualifications established for Board membership minimize such a possibility. Second, the structure does not mistakenly resemble a business—a successful business is skilled at ascertaining the demands and needs of its client population—even if no such people are represented on its board of directors. Indeed each element of the structure of MYS was adopted because it offers improvements over the traditional, unstructured, ambiguous and dis-proven methods of running an organization that too many Muslim organizations have adopted. Allusions in the initial proposal to other organizations, such as CAIR, Boy Scouts, Red Cross, etc. were not to suggest that we took them as models in their entirety. Rather, we asked why they have been successful and whether their approaches can inform our approach.
Why Two Organizations, and Why not a Greater Structural Relationship?
We anticipate that in response to this proposal, some will want to know why two organizations are proposed rather than a single organization that integrates both functions, and if there must be two organizations, why not have a closer formal relationship. The two organizations have very different missions. To pursue the goals of each organization effectively and efficiently, two very different structures are needed. The development of exemplary Muslim youth as defined in relation to MYS requires a focus on efficient and effective development and delivery of products and services. Being representative and using the structure of the organization as a tool for leadership training do not address the goals of the organization. In contrast, the goal of creating inter-community contacts and fostering a sense of identity and belonging suggests the need for a different structure. (Of course, we think that at this time no national structure is needed, and that this goal should instead be pursued in an organic, bottom-up fashion.) If a national organization is to pursue this goal, it would need to be representative in nature, membership oriented, and give youth primary authority and responsibility for operation of the organization.
The first problem with combining the functions to create a single organization, then, is that one or both of the functions would be impaired due to the conflicting needs. Indeed, this has been part of the problem that MYNA has faced since its inception. A further reason for maintaining separation of the two functions is for clarity: clarity of purpose, clarity of responsibility, and clarity of authority. The more functions that are combined within a single structure, or the more structures combined within a single organization, the more muddled these issues become. If MYS is best structured as a non-representative organization, and it is subsumed under MYNA—a representative organization—and MYNA is under ISNA—another representative organization—there would be a great deal of room for ambiguity that in the past has led to wasteful inefficiencies.
MYS and MYNA are complementary. As envisioned, there is little overlap between them. MYS develops products and services to be employed by and to benefit MYNA youth. This relationship would exist, however, regardless of whether or not they were part of a single organization. Even if they have a limited formal structural relationship, the two organizations can work very closely with one another. There is no reason to believe that those who operate MYS would not work closely with MYNA youth. MYS, however, may also find it appropriate to work in areas where MYNA or ISNA have not been fully embraced.
One possible justification for maintaining MYS and MYNA under the same organization is to facilitate fundraising. This, however, does not seem to us to be sufficient justification. Initially funding will be tight, but should loosen after a short period of time. First, the organizations do not overlap in their functions, so solicitation of contributions for one does not necessarily deprive the other. Second, if the organizations are effective in their own right, they should be able to attract the necessary support—and the chances for being effective are better if they are separate. Third, MYNA has ISNA and membership dues as sources of funds. And fourth, sufficient resources within the Muslim community do exist to support both organizations; the question is whether we can adequately convey the depth of the need to the community and convince them to give.
Finally, many Muslims, in response to seeming competition between some Muslim organizations, are immediately suspicious of the creation of a new organization. In some cases, this suspicion may be warranted. As a general matter, however, the creation of new organizations, if they are effective, should be cause for pleasure—even if their purposes overlap. For Muslims to survive, we will need many, many more organizations. Where the establishment of a new organization would improve the services or resources available to the Muslim community, we should welcome new initiatives. In this sense, the creation of MYS should be taken as positive step forward.
Comments Concerning the Reach of the Organization
Several of the comments expressed concern that without the national, zonal, and regional structure, the reach of the organization would be reduced. This includes youth in isolated areas, who might not be a priority where there are only a few people (at least initially) staffing the organization.
These are valid concerns, and to a certain degree would have been unavoidable in a transition from MYNA as it exists now to the MYNA as envisioned in the initial proposal. However, the problem would subside over time. Initially, with a limited full-time staff, the organization would have limited direct contact and would have to employ the assistance of volunteers to make up for the short fall as much as possible. However, over time, even as the number of employees grows, the reach will broaden.
This is not to say, however, that the organization must have more than two or three full time employees before it becomes highly effective. Indeed, one brother many of us know who travels frequently, visiting Muslim communities—even small ones—across the country for relief work, arguably knows the landscape of and has contacts with the Muslim youth population in the United States better than anyone else.
As this proposal states with regards to MYS, the growth of the organization would be controlled and sequential. The goal is to establish high quality programs. The pilot programs, however, need not be only in large cities or where youth groups are well established. Indeed, to yield useful results, the pilot training programs should be located in a variety of Muslim communities.
One of the comments reflected the perception that the youth services organization would assist only those communities that actively requested assistance. The intent of the proposal, however, is not to suggest that MYS would only offer assistance to those youth groups that request it; rather, MYS would seek to establish contacts even where there is no youth activity. Once contact is established, whether with a community that has a youth group or one that has no youth group, MYS would work with the community according to the specific needs of the community. Nothing would be forced upon the community; instead, recommendations and options would be presented, and it would be the community’s prerogative to accept or reject the options.
Comments Concerning Products and Services and Criteria for Success
A couple of comments suggested that the products and services that the organization would provide should be listed in greater detail. The products and services proposed as possibilities include: print, video, and electronic resources to assist in the development and strengthening youth groups, youth leadership training programs, counselor training programs, and youth group advisor training programs, among others. In this version of the proposal we do not expand upon the list for the following reason: the proposal is intended to provide the organizational framework for the delivery of any products or services that are best acquired, developed, or delivered by a national organization. The specific products or services that MYS makes available will vary from time to time, depending upon a number of factors, including the needs of the target communities, availability of resources, etc. The intent of the proposal is not to give an action plan for the organization, which would require greater specificity. The development of an action plan is best left up to the Executive Director and Board of Directors once the organization is formed and they have assessed the relevant factors.
Another comment suggested the need for criteria for evaluating success. A statement under the explanation of the MYS mission statement was added regarding the criteria for evaluating success—namely that it would be measured by the degree to which the resources that MYS offers find demand across the country and the effectiveness of the staff and resources in strengthening existing youth work and stimulating new youth work calculated to develop exemplary Muslim youth.
As is apparent, some changes were made to the proposal based upon the comments received. The fact that suggestions were not incorporated to the degree that some commenters would have liked is not a reflection of unwillingness on our part to consider the suggestions. Rather, it reflects the fact that we had considered the issues while formulating the initial proposal, such that we feel that going any further would be giving them more weight than they warrant in relation to competing interests and priorities.
Summary of the Initial Proposal
Nature of the Study and Proposal
In the summer of 1998, the Muslim Youth of North America (MYNA) Executive Committee and Advisory Committee met in Washington, D.C. and commissioned this study and the formulation of this proposal in response to a perceived decline in the effectiveness, activity, and coherence of the MYNA structure.
This proposal is the result of discussions with over fifty people over the course of the past year. Individuals who have been consulted include former and current MYNA youth leaders, former and current MYNA advisors, community activists, individuals who have had no contact with MYNA, individuals very familiar and active with nonprofit organizations like the Boy Scouts of America and the Red Cross, individuals trained in nonprofit management, an attorney, and numerous others. While many people who have contributed significantly to MYNA and to Islamic work in general were not directly consulted, the range of views received from those who were consulted is expansive and probably inclusive of the opinions of those who were not consulted.
This proposal was formulated after the authors extensively discussed and analyzed the views which had been expressed to them, according each opinion considerable weight. Inevitably, the generalities and specifics of the proposal contained herein will not mirror the considered opinions of many people who are deeply invested in MYNA and Muslim youth work. However, one should recognize that the very purpose of the study was not to reflect any single person’s vision of what MYNA should be like or of what steps need to be taken to improve MYNA’s performance. Rather, it was meant to produce a proposal that considers the experiences, interests, and perceptions of all concerned parties. Indeed, the final proposal is vastly different than what either of the authors at the outset believed was necessary to reinvigorate MYNA or what they believed would be the likely result of the study.
Background
Almost fifteen years have passed since the creation of the Muslim Youth of North America. In these fifteen years, MYNA has affected the lives of thousands of Muslim youth. Hundreds of camps and conferences have been organized under the auspices of MYNA. Numerous youth groups and college Muslim Students Associations have benefited from the leadership development, Islamic inspiration, and commitment fostered by MYNA’s activities. MYNA has provided a sense of belonging, a network of business and personal relationships, and an intense leadership experience to many youth.
Over the fifteen years, the cost-benefit balance established initially in the creation of the current youth-advisor, continental-zonal-regional-local structure degraded. The costs of a youth led structure, the extremely broad scope of MYNA activities, and the dependence upon volunteers surpassed their benefits. The challenges presented by the structure of MYNA became increasingly apparent. Changes were suggested, and some were made, but only within the general parameters of the existing structure and with limited success.
Furthermore, the context in which MYNA operates has changed dramatically. The nature of the Muslim community has changed. The community is larger, more developed, and more self-sufficient.
The Proposal
Together, these factors suggest the need for a reevaluation of the role MYNA is best suited to play in the development of exemplary Muslim youth. This proposal presents a dramatically different approach towards achieving the vision consistently held by those involved with MYNA since the first meeting in December, 1985. The Mission Statement of the reinvented MYNA would be: To assist families and communities in the development of exemplary Muslim youth.
The structure would correspond to the priorities reflected in the Mission Statement: that the goal be the development of exemplary Muslim youth, that the focus be on the development of local youth work, and that the mechanism would be facilitation of youth work by assisting those who have the primary and secondary responsibilities of raising the youth—parents, schools, and mosques.
The proposal prioritizes efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery products and services directly to local communities over the current priority of training youth by placing them in charge of the continental organization. Consequently, the existing youth-advisor structure would not be continued. The proposal also approaches youth work in an organic, bottom-up fashion, and expects the development of organizational structures beyond the local level to be gradual and upon the initiative of the local communities. Consequently, the continental, zonal, and regional structure would not be actively perpetuated.
Similar to the structure of the Council on American Islamic Relations, the new MYNA structure would be led by a self-perpetuating Board of Directors. The Board of Directors would hire an Executive Director. Eventually, the Executive Director would be joined by an Executive Assistant, a Communications Coordinator, an Outreach Coordinator, and several Project Coordinators. Using the internet and personal visits to communities across the continent, the staff of MYNA would facilitate the implementation and use of the products and services which MYNA will make available. The products and services would be implemented in a manner that respects the particular community’s needs, concerns, and approach towards youth work. The products and services would include resources which MYNA has gathered from communities across the continent and others the development of which MYNA has commissioned. Products and services would include, for example, training programs for youth, advisors, facilitators and counselors and resource materials for making youth work more effective.
MYNA would effectively become a small, streamlined, and, eventually, non-volunteer based organization. Following the successful example of CAIR, MYNA’s focus would be limited in scope and would only expand when doing so would not compromise the effectiveness of its existing operations. Insha’Allah, the effective delivery of services will expand the effectiveness and reach of MYNA beyond that of today.
A final note of thanks to brother Jawaad Abdul Rahman who served as a sounding board for the authors’ ideas and who assisted tremendously in refining the concepts that form this proposal.
Aimen Mir
Waheed Mustapha
September 3, 1999
Background from the Initial Proposal
Description of MYNA’s Current Structure
The current structure of MYNA was established at the inception of MYNA in 1985 and consists of parallel youth and advisory bodies. The youth structure is led by a national executive committee, consisting of a chairperson, secretary-treasurer, and five zonal representatives. The chairperson and secretary-treasurer are elected at an annual, national winter conference where attendance varied between being open and by invitation. Initially, the representatives for the three U.S. zones and the two Canadian zones were also elected at the winter conference. Later practices varied, however, with some being elected at the winter conference and others at zonal conferences. Each zone also created its own sub-zonal structure, with the more active zones creating several other zonal and regional positions. At the bottom of the youth structure are youth groups. While MYNA no longer seeks to formally create “MYNA Local Chapters,” MYNA does seek to create a sense of identification of the local youth group with the national organization.
To be a youth member of MYNA, an individual must be between the ages of twelve and eighteen and in junior or senior high school. Officially, MYNA’s membership is open to all who pay the nominal dues. Practically, however, membership is based upon participation and has not been meticulously tracked.
The advisory structure mirrors the youth structure. The chairperson of the advisory committee advises the chairperson and secretary-treasurer of MYNA, and each youth zonal representative has a personal advisor. The advisors are supposed to be selected by a body of associate members, concerned individuals who are above the age of eighteen or who have graduated from high school.
The scope of MYNA’s programming is very broad. Since its inception, MYNA’s activities have included: educational, leadership, and recreational camps and conferences on all levels of organization (local, regional, zonal, and continental); counselor training programs; the production of a magazine and newsletters; the development of resources for local youth groups, such as a halaqa curriculum and a manual providing programming ideas and techniques for local youth groups; and numerous other activities.
Strengths of the Existing Model
MYNA was established in 1985 by a pioneering group of Muslim youth and adults who recognized the need for an organization devoted to serving the needs of Muslim youth maturing in the non-Islamic American society. In its fifteen years, MYNA has affected the lives of thousands of Muslim youth. Hundreds of camps and conferences have been organized under the auspices of MYNA. Numerous youth groups and college Muslim Students Associations have benefited from the leadership development, Islamic inspiration, and commitment fostered by MYNA’s activities.
Perhaps foremost amongst the strengths of MYNA is its ability to inspire a sense of belonging and identification within many Muslim youth which it reaches, a sense of belonging with other Muslim youth in America, a sense of identification with the Muslim ummah as a whole. Countless Muslims feel that MYNA has provided them with a sense of belonging without which they doubt that they would have been able to withstand the un-Islamic pressures faced by Muslim youth today. In a society where adherence to traditional values and religious practices can isolate an individual, MYNA has been able to facilitate such adherence among Muslim youth by drawing them together within the same locality, region, and within the continent and allowing them to draw the necessary support and strength from one another.
The web of support and interaction, the development of which MYNA has facilitated, has not only inspired a sense of belonging, but it also has developed a relatively common approach towards life as Muslims in America. Amongst youth who have been active with MYNA, common attitudes have arisen towards issues, such as: involvement of Muslim women in the community and leadership positions; dress and behavior; and political involvement, among other issues.
The common attitudes and the sense of belonging have facilitated the growth of interrelationships amongst many Muslims which may not have arisen in the absence of an organization such as MYNA. Many cross-country, life-long friendships have developed. Marriages have resulted between one-time MYNA youth, some of whom now have their own children who participate in MYNA activities. Business and other relationships have also formed and flourished as a result of shared MYNA experiences.
MYNA also was able to provide a limited group of youth with an intense leadership experience by giving those youth significant responsibility and authority in the operations of the organization. Many of the MYNA youth who held leadership positions went on to become significant contributors to the development of university campus Muslim organizations, local communities, and other national organizations.
Rationale for Change
Despite the numerous strengths of the existing structure of MYNA, the structure also has costs. The structure was developed to balance the costs and benefits in the context in which it was created in 1985 and to achieve the objectives then deemed most useful to the Muslim community. Since 1985, the context in which MYNA functions has changed, and as a result, the costs of the current structure have steadily increased. The premise of the proposal that follows is that the costs have exceeded the benefits, and that, therefore, for MYNA to best serve the needs of the Muslim community, the structure of MYNA must be altered to address the current and foreseeable context. MYNA’s fifteen year history and the changed context together also suggest that the mission of MYNA must be modified, while remaining oriented towards achieving the previous goal of strengthening the Muslim community by addressing the needs of the youth.
The Costs of the Current MYNA Structure
Youth-Led Structure
Having youth occupy the primary positions of responsibility within the organization, as previously described, has provided a limited number of youth with an intense and unparalleled leadership experience. Over the years, however, the limitations placed on the organization due to the youth-led structure have become increasingly apparent.
Among the dilemmas that became apparent was the steep learning curve required to operate efficiently and the short terms of office. At the time when they take their leadership position, almost all youth, regardless of their involvement in school and other activities, lack the developed skills and experiences necessary to perform their responsibilities at a level which is conceivably within the capacity of a youth. Consequently, the first months of an individual’s term consists of becoming acquainted with the structure of the organization, its functions, the needs of the target population, and how to meet those needs. The effectiveness of the organization is stifled during that learning period. For most youth, minimal efficiency of operations might arise after an entire year in office—just when their terms come to an end. After one or two months of somewhat efficient operation, the cycle begins again, and efficiency drops.
Another reality of a youth-led structure is the limitation that age places upon a youth’s ability to comprehend and evaluate the needs of the community and to lead a continental organization. Most youth do not and cannot have the exposure and maturity which come only through age and lived-experiences and which are crucial to the success of an organization such as MYNA.
Youth leaders are further restricted in the ability to make necessary commitments due to their primary roles as student. While some youth are able to attend to their MYNA responsibilities without injuring their academic performance, most find that the enormous burden of MYNA responsibilities, whether on the continental, zonal, or regional level, do adversely affect their academic performance. Youth, and sisters in particular, are also often restricted in their ability to travel, attend various programs, or engage in outreach and other activities which are vital to the growth of any organization. While in some cases the tradeoff between extreme activism and grades may be reasonable, where the youth who become MYNA leaders are hopefully those with significant academic potential, even a slight drop in grades can have lasting negative repercussions. Even upon examination solely of the benefits to the community as opposed to the individual, the long-term cost of deprioritizing academics may outweigh the benefit gained by the intense leadership experience.
In the past several years, various attempts have been made and suggestions put forward to address the various problems of the youth-led structure. Each, however, serves only as a partial-fix, with the underlying problems remaining unresolved. For example, several regions and zones have instituted a training period before an elected youth takes office. However, the training period is limited in its effectiveness. The trainee does not really experience the burden placed upon the actual leader, so part of the term will still be consumed by the training process. The youth leaders are also not necessarily in a position to train someone else effectively. While a youth leader may be somewhat efficient in accomplishing certain tasks after one or two years of holding office, they are not necessarily experienced enough to train the next in line. Furthermore, adding a trainee to the structure increases the complexity of the structure. Each position would have an advisor, a youth leader, and a trainee. The addition of another layer serves to increase many of the costs which are associated with the initial one advisor-one youth structure. Finally, the training period does not address the issues of the inherent limit on the ability of most youth to grasp certain concepts or of their primary role as students.
Alternatively, some have suggested that the leader of MYNA be college-aged, rather than high school-aged. Such a modification to the structure would address many of the problems that arise with a youth-led structure. However, it also would be a fundamental change to the nature of MYNA, a nature which has been defined by the existence of a youth-led structure. This proposal is in fact the logical extension of the proposal that the leadership of MYNA not be age-bound. If the entire existing MYNA structure has been formed around the youth-led characteristic, abandonment of that defining characteristic begs the reevaluation of the rest of the structure and the redetermination of the best mode of achieving the end goal of developing exemplary Muslim youth.
Scope of MYNA
MYNA has sought to be a full-service youth organization. MYNA seeks (or has sought): to organize youth and counselor conferences, camps, and training programs on the local, regional, and continental levels; to create scholarship programs, a magazine, newsletters, entertainment products, web pages, a study-circle curriculum, and various other resources for youth groups; and to create MYNA local youth groups. These undertakings, as well as the numerous others which are not listed, have been prioritized or deprioritized at various times. Success and consistency of the programs and projects have varied, with some, like zonal conferences, being regular in occurrence, and others, like the magazine, being sporadic.
MYNA has served more as a general forum in which interested parties can engage in youth work rather than as a focused tool for the development of the Muslim community. The broad scope is beneficial in so far as it is adaptable to the interests and unique combination of priorities that each new youth activist brings to MYNA. The needs of the Muslim youth in North America are so expansive and so little development has occurred to fulfill those needs, that almost anyone can apply their particular combination of interests and talents and benefit the Muslim community in some way through MYNA.
The broad scope and the extremely flexible nature of the organization, however, are also the source of the inconsistency in programming and the inability to lay a firm base upon which to build. With each new group of youth bringing a new approach to youth work, there is minimal continuity, and the minimal continuity eventually leads to the problem of having to “recreate the wheel” every few years. Furthermore, since no long term plan is being implemented, the benefits arising out of various MYNA programs and projects are short term in nature, and their full potential is never realized. The inconsistency has diminished MYNA’s ability to gain widespread credibility or to highlight a track record of successful and consistent projects and programs. The approach of trying to address any and all needs of Muslim youth has spread thin MYNA’s resources and has affected its ability to excel or meet its potential in any of its programming areas.
Dependence upon Volunteers
The expansive scope and structure of MYNA require that it be volunteer-dependant. As an organization in which the central characteristic of the structure is leadership and organization by youth who are in high school, the primary structure of the organization would naturally be composed of volunteers. With so many youth leaders who require advisors, the advisors would also have to be volunteers.
For a well-established organization that has the ability to efficiently manage and train volunteers, a large volunteer base could be a tremendous source of growth for the organization’s activities. However, where an organization has yet to develop the resources to manage and train large numbers of volunteers, dependence on volunteers may become a significant liability.
Over the years, MYNA has frequently faltered because people of excellent character and with the best of intentions are over-committed and are, therefore, unable to devote the amount of time to MYNA which is necessary.
Growth of Communities and Institutions
The past fifteen years has seen significant development and growth of the Muslim community, mostly at the local level. Tens of full-time Islamic schools have been established. Many communities have built million-dollar mosques. Campus Muslim activism has taken on a new and reinvigorated life. And many local communities have made significant progress in addressing the needs of their community independent of any regional or national organizations.
Whereas fifteen years ago, Muslim youth had to go beyond the borders of their state in order to achieve the critical mass necessary to organize, today many youth have no need to go beyond the walls of their mosque to establish thriving youth groups. A sense of identity is more easily created on the local level today than it was yesterday. A sense of belonging is more possible, as the number of youth has increased.
Individuals who never associated or knew about MYNA but are no less dedicated, secure, and resourceful are entering college campuses and making dramatic and positive contributions.
The momentum that MYNA once had has diminished in part simply due to the diminished need for parents and youth to look outside of their community to find the support necessary to withstand the pressures which a Muslim youth faces growing up in North America. Indeed, many of the programs and initiatives of local communities are superior to those coming from MYNA, which is not necessarily to say that the quality of MYNA programming has declined, but that the quality of local programming has dramatically improved.
posted by Asad Siddiqui @ 6:53 AM
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