Positioning Document (vision/mission)
MYNA Positioning Document
1. Vision:
Exemplary Youth
Committed to developing their relationship with Allah (the Divine Beloved); and consciousness of the Divine Beloved’s love;
Committed to a life-long process of gaining knowledge, beginning with knowledge of basic beliefs, knowledge of ritual worship, and understanding of 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.
Mission Statement:
To inspire and facilitate an environment that cultivates youth with knowledge of self.
…youth with knowledge of self.
Although it is the objective of our work, knowledge of self is not given to youth by us. They must work to achieve that state. They must resolve issues of identity, and awareness of duties and responsibilities, we can assist. This can happen in
…an environment that cultivates.
We do not create the type of youth mentioned above. All we will do is help to create an environment in which they can grow to their full potential. With the resources available to us we can work
…to inspire and facilitate.
That environment includes the families and communities in which the youth live. We inspire with our example and the opportunities we can give the youth to excel, and we facilitate with the assistance that we can provide to the families and communities.
Goal:
Establish a viable and sustainable institution that assists families and communities to play a leading role in the development of exemplary youth; provide youth, families, and communities with products and services that solidify a Muslim identity.
prepared by asad siddiqui
posted by Asad Siddiqui @ 12:37 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Vision:
Exemplary Youth
Definitions:
Exemplary – serving as a worthy model, an example
Worthy – possessing worth; deserving of respect or honor; having such qualities as to be meriting or deserving of some specified thing
Worth – value or excellence of any kind
Example – a particular thing that belongs to and is typical of a group of things and that is singled out as a representative specimen
Model – something deserving imitation
Youth – a young person, between childhood and adulthood, in early period of life or growth
What qualities make a youth exemplary?
Is the youth exemplary after accomplishing certain specific good deeds?
Is the youth exemplary only after possessing certain specific character traits?
Or can they be exemplary throughout the process of growing up?
If they can, what qualities define that process?
Relevant Definitions:
Good Deed – an appropriate action with the right intention
Actions – the result of putting forth power, a deed, an act
Intention – purpose, aim, goal
Commit – to do
Commitment – a pledge to do something, the act of being devoted unreservedly to doing what one is placed in trust of
Original Draft of explanation of Vision based on Strategic Retreat in Dallas:
• Committed to developing their relationship with and consciousness of Allah;
• Committed to a life-long process of gaining knowledge, beginning with knowledge of basic beliefs, knowledge of ritual worship, and understanding of the Qur’an;
• Committed to serving humanity;
• Committed to their responsibilities as citizens of the society in which they live.
(We are essentially implying that a commitment to the above would lead to the development of character traits; as well as: the appropriate actions for any given time and place with the right intentions.)
New Version in Brochures and Website {followed by my comments}:
Well grounded in Quran, Sunnah, and committed to striving towards excellence.
{It may be controversial for me to say this: the striving for excellence is good, but I have a problem with the mention of Quran and Sunnah right at the start. I like reference to Allah at the start instead. When these words are added to the beginning of mission statements it is part of the sectarian rhetoric of various muslim movements, american muslim youth will grew in the understanding of Quran and Sunnah in various stages of there development, I would like MYNA to be a non-sectarian organization that accomodates that growth and youth continue to support into adulthood, even if their approaches to the Quran and Sunnah deviate a bit from the orthodoxy (like mine have). What is more important for me is to have taqwa be a part of the vision than anything that may be misused by sectarian misinterpretations. I recommend keeping the original (minus all my references to Divine Love, which it appears yall did not want to keep anyways.) We can add “committed to striving towards excellence” as a separate point in the vision. Or we can phrase it as follows, but this would change the meaning a little: “committed to striving towards excellence through a relationship with and consciousness of Allah”. The meaning is quite beautiful and powerful but shifts the source of excellence from Quran and sunnah to taqwa and Allah directly.}
Renown for their honorable and immaculate character.
{being renown is about what others will think of you, the fact that we mention it in relation to character is not a bad thing. But if it is misunderstood by youth for being the reason for having good character we have a big problem, any good book I have read on akhlaq or ethics is about it being either a means of attaining happiness or being a means to develop a relationship with Allah. Immaculate means sinless, pure, and flawless. Talk about an unrealistic ideal that no one will ever be able to achieve. I think the vision needs to be able to be grasped as an achievable ultimate destination and if you commit a couple of sins along the way you can still attain the goal. In many of the books I have read, having good character, is achieved by actively doing good deeds. One classical muslim philosopher even said that this is why those ascetics who remove themselves from society cannot claim to have good character, they are not active in doing good deeds for others, he said that the avoidance of doing bad deeds by sitting in a cave (ie. staying pure) does not mean you have akhlaq, akhlaq is active. So if you really want to use the words honor and character, I recommend phrasing it as follows: “active in doing deeds that build an honorable character”. Remember we are talking about our vision for the ideal adult in development not the ideal end product. Good deeds make youth examplary by developing and demonstrating a good character}
Broadly versed in the sciences of learning with a deep understanding of the history of Muslim and Western thought.
{a youth will by definition will not be versed in anything, they are by definition - in the process. Also, if it’s about being broad why not say “arts and sciences” and why limit it to just Muslim and Western. I recommend rephrasing it as follows: “engaged in the life-long process of gaining knowledge and a broad understanding of the arts and sciences”. I recommend we keep references to knowledge in our vision more general, it will help in our relationship with non-muslim organizations and government institutions.}
Initiators of positive influence as leaders at school and in their communities, the united states, and as leaders of the Muslim World.
{not every youth is a leader, but every youth can be an initiator of positive influence (I like that specific part), the original phrase implies that they must become leaders in order to be exemplary, I think this is an ingredient for disaster, when a youth does not and is not capable of becoming a leader. I believe a problem we had in MYNA and most muslim activism was/is an implicit vibe that a youth must become an activist, a leader, or else is somehow not a good muslim or productive member. I don’t want MYNA become activists trying to create more activists again. If we want to keep leaders, I believe it is important to follow it with “productive members,” or “citizens.” Also, Why bring up the muslim world when we are an organization called muslim youth of North America. the original vision mentioned “…responsibilities as citizens of the society…” which I believe is more in keeping with Aristotle’s understanding of the role of people in a democracy. By replacing “society” with more specific segments – school and community - we are basically narrowing our focus, which is fine. By replacing “responsibilities” with positive influence we are also narrowing the focus which is also fine.
{But I don’t quite understand what an “initiator of positive influence” is, it seems like a complicated way of saying something, what is that something? And why not just say that. Work with me here, Influence means: power to effect on the actions and thoughts of others, resulting from social position, wealth, etc. So, leaders do have that power, but so can others who have a higher rank in any one on one youth relationship, sophomore to freshman, big brother to little sister, etc. To initiate means to begin or commence. So we are saying that youth in school and in their community should become those who have the power to start something that can influence others in good ways. I don’t think we need the word leader or member in this phrase to convey this meaning. My recommendation is to say: “initiators of positive influence in their schools and communities.” This can now apply to everyone. An examplary youth can be like the spark that lights a torch that can give light in times of darkness. I like it.}
{so basically we have to internal attributes of exemplary youth (excellence through taqwa; knowledge) and two external attributes (good deeds; good influence) not bad}
Proposal for a Modified Version of the explanations of our vision:
Vision:
Examplary Youth
def.- a worthy example of a young person in the stage of growth and life before adulthood.
• Committed to striving towards excellence through a relationship with and consciousness of Allah.
• Engaged in the life-long process of gaining knowledge and a broad understanding of the Arts and Sciences.
• Active in doing deeds that build an honorable character.
• Initiators of positive influence in school and in their communities.
Mission Statement:
To inspire and facilitate an environment that cultivates youth with knowledge of self.
…youth with knowledge of self.
Knowledge of self is the most important state the youth must work to achieve. It is the objective of our work. They must resolve issues of identity, and awareness of duties and responsibilities. This requires an inner struggle caressed by…
…an environment that cultivates.
We do not create the type of youth mentioned above. All we will do is help to create an environment in which they can grow to their full potential. With the resources available to us we can work…
…to inspire and facilitate.
That environment includes the families and communities in which the youth live. We inspire with our example and the opportunities we can give the youth to excel, and we facilitate with the assistance that we can provide to the families and communities.
Goal:
Establish a viable and sustainable institution that assists families and communities to play a leading role in the development of exemplary youth; provide youth, families, and communities with products and services that solidify a Muslim identity.
Priorities and Strategies:
…a viable and sustainable institution that assists…
Website Portal to our database as a primary service
activities analysis
speakers analysis
demographic analysis
youth resources analysis
Policies and procedures
employment
strategic alliances
accounting
Fundraising for a waqf for long-term self sufficiency
Advertising the organization and its services
Archiving any information on youth activities across the continent
Fulfillment mechanism for people to get in contact with us
…with products and services that solidify a Muslim identity…
Programs that assist families and communities
programs that help bridge the perceived generation gap
parenting education
counseling hotline
resources for counselors
youth groups
youth centers
High School MSA resources
khateeb education
letters of support
legal analysis on religion in public schools
Nationwide skills development programs
college prep programs
test prep programs
knowledge and debate competitions
athletic competitions
organizational skills development programs
Islamic higher education resources
arabic programs
hifz programs
islamic studies programs
Programs that build a connection with our civilization
summer abroad programs
museum exhibitions
Programs that reinforce the arts and humanities
writers guild (literature/poetry skills)
art guild (calligraphy/graphic and visual art skills)
performing arts guild (theater/music skills)
Programs that build a connection with our natural environment
outdoor nature activities
camping
Programs to assist communities with deaf, mute, and blind youth
Think tank to write papers on issues facing youth growing up Muslim in America
Organization Status:
Muslim Youth of North America is an affiliate organization of the Islamic Society of North America
Feedback on MYNA Vision, Mission Statement and Immediate Goals:
The content of your document is great….a lot of thought and process has obviously gone into it. I think that the format of it makes it confusing to read and therefore understand, and most of my feedback is structural.
I apologize for making so many comments, but I hope that I could provide some insight on how it could be more reader-friendly.
These are just suggestions, and please only take them as that.
My Initial Questions:
What is the purpose of this document?
For example…
a. Is it to provide a foundation for where MYNA is heading towards?
b. Is it to provide a framework for MYNA to work within?
Where is this material going to be displayed?
For example…
a. Is it for the website so people can see what MYNA is about?
b. Is it an internal document to shape what MYNA is to be?
Having answers to these questions would help me to understand where this material is taking MYNA. But b/c I don’t have the history and steps that you all took to make this document, my comments may not be very credible! But insha’Allah I will do my best to let you know what my reaction was.
Structural Feedback:
I understand the format you have chosen to give a broad overview of a topic and then go into detail of each, but that becomes very confusing to read and put together. As I found it to be confusing, I presume that younger people may have a difficult time to understand it as well.
In grad school I was taught to frame any project I would do into three main components: (different places use different words, but I was taught to use….)
Purpose, Goals, and Objectives (PGO’s). This then guides what the project is about.
Purpose: Very broad overview of what needs to be accomplished. (usually one or two sentences)
Goals: More specific way of getting to your purpose (more than 3 bullets)
Objectives: Very detailed way of getting to your goals (6-10 bullets)
When reading your document this is how I tried to frame it. First and foremost, if this is a public document (on the internet, brochures etc.) it needs to be less detailed, more “punchy”/to the point, and be able to grab your audience, whoever they may be (young or old).
Mission Statement: This is a statement that should be put on all documents, at the front of the website etc. This is the statement that will guide the organization in achieving its goals. So, according to the methodology described above, I see the mission statement as a very general overview, before the purpose of the organization is explained. It should also be in an “active tense”
Content Feedback: I broke the document you gave me into three sections as outlined below: section one: vision and mission stmt; section two: mission stmt breakdown; and section three immediate goal. I took each section and tried to fit it into the PGO model I described above…again to make it more reader-friendly. The following are my suggestions for clarity.
SECTION ONE: VISION & MISSION STATEMENT
Mission Statement: (I really feel like the structure of the sentences you have describing the “Immediate Goal” is how the statement should read.) I have taken parts of the vision and mission and combined it together for an example of what I mean and furthermore combined and edited/added points to create PGOs:
The mission of MYNA is…Facilitating an environment which inspires Muslim Youth in North America to strive towards excellence through education of religion and society while actively engaging in local and global service to build a strong Muslim identity and presence in all communities.
How will this happen…
P: (The Purpose of MYNA is) To foster an environment that supports the development of exemplary Muslim Youth regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, class, age, disability, or affiliation (I am trying to get at the non-sectarian issue here) (I also feel that an all-inclusive statement needs to present somewhere so that MYNA shows that its doors are open to all.)
G:
(The Goal of MYNA is) To provide opportunities for Muslim Youth to develop a strong character in their local and global communities
(The Goal of MYNA is) To provide an environment where Muslim Youth can develop a positive Islamic identity
O:
(The Objectives of MYNA are as follows)
To create an environment where youth become committed in striving towards excellence through a relationship with and consciousness of Allah.
To engage youth in a life-long process of gaining knowledge through interdisciplinary studies. (Arts & Sciences seem to restricting to me, so I tried to reword it into what I thought you were getting at, I’m probably way off though)
To create opportunities where youth can become active in service on a local and global level
To motivate youth to become initiators of positive influences in their schools and communities.
To provide resources for youth, communities, and families for the development of a strong Muslim identity.
SECTION TWO: MISSION STATEMENT BREAKDOWN
(This next part I am not too clear about. I think most of what is found in your “mission statement breakdown section” has been complied above. However, this could be vital information for internal uses. For example: this info should be given to all employees, bd members etc. to guide the work MYNA does)
SECTION THREE: IMMEDIATE GOAL
Initial Questions:
What is the timeline for “immediate”?
Are all of these programs identified feasible to implement “immediately”?
Or is this the Long-term goal as well?
Are the items you have concrete or is it a brainstorm of ideas?
Immediate Goal: Again, I ask the questions I asked above: is this for people to see and read or is it internal for the organization to base their next steps on? My personal opinion is that most of it should be internal. Some of it is useful information for the public to understand what next steps are, but no one else “out there” would really care about creating policies and procedures for example! (totally my opinion)
This is also a HUGE list of immediate goals. I felt like some of the ideas under the headings were just brainstorms, and thus wouldn’t be appropriate to put into a formal document, unless that was the idea—to show people what program and resource areas MYNA is exploring for further investment. If the latter is the case, then I would change this section from “Immediate Goals” to “Identified Areas of Exploration” or something…..nothing as definite as Immediate Goals though. Otherwise, if I were reading this from the outside I would expect that all of these things are going to happen, soon.
And again, I think it would be easier to read if it were in the aforementioned format:
Immediate Goal:
Purpose: To establish a viable and sustainable institution that assists families and communities to play a leading role in the development of exemplary youth, while providing youth, families, and communities with products and services that solidify a Muslim identity.
Goals:
Create website portal to our database as a primary service
Activities analysis
Speakers analysis
Demographic Analysis
Youth Resource Analysis
Create policies and procedures to run the organization
Employment
Strategic Alliances
Accounting
Fundraising for a waqf for long-term self-sufficiency
Advertising the organization and its services
Archiving any information on youth activities across the continent
Find a way for people to access MYNA staff
Collect papers/ Develop or Identify think tank to write papers on issues facing youth growing up Muslim in America
Create a diverse array of programs and resources which can assist families and communities to support Muslim youth identity development
Objectives:
Programs and resources which focus on families and communities
Programs and resources which focus on High School MSA resources
Programs and resources which provide Nationwide skills development
Programs and resources which provide Islamic high education resources
Programs and resources which build a connection with our world
Programs and resources that reinforce the interdisciplinary studies (arts and humanities)
Programs and resources which build a connection with our natural environment
Programs and resources which assist communities and families with physical and mental disabilities
Vision: Examplary Youth
def.- a worthy example of a young person in the stage of growth and life before adulthood.
An examplary youth is…
•Committed to striving towards excellence through a relationship with and consciousness of Allah.
•Engaged in the life-long process of gaining knowledge and a broad understanding of the Arts and Sciences.
•Active in doing deeds that build an honorable character.
•Initiator of positive influence in school and in the community.
Mission: To inspire youth and facilitate an environment that cultivates in them a knowledge of self.
Knowledge of self is the most important state the youth must work to achieve. Youth face the challenges of resolving issues of identity, and gaining an awareness of their duties and responsibilities. This requires an inner struggle caressed by a cultivating environment. Knowledge of self can come from what youth do in their immediate environment. A youth’s environment includes the family and the community in which the youth lives. We assist in creating that environment, an environment that allows them to grow to their full potential. With the resources available to us we work to inspire youth and facilitate youth-related needs of communities. We inspire them with our example and the opportunities we provide for youth to excel. We facilitate by providing assistance to those families and community institutions that want to create a cultivating environment for their youth.
Immediate Goal:
Establish a viable and sustainable institution that assists families and communities to play a leading role in the development of exemplary youth; provide youth, families, and communities with products and services that solidify a Muslim identity.
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