The Silsilah Dialogue Movement’s initiatives for the youth are run basically through the Silpeace Youth Program.
These initiatives are coordinated by two youthful full-time staff of the Movement who in turn work with students in the high schools and colleges as well as with young people who are no longer in school. These young volunteers choose among themselves a group who work with the coordinators in implementing the activities targeting the youth sector in the city.
On October 8-10 this year around 35 young, vibrant and enthusiastic youth leaders from Zamboanga City High School-Main, Ayala National High School, Southcom National High School, Western Mindanao Sate University, Zamboanga City State Polytechnic College and Zamboanga State College of Marines Sciences and Technology convened for the “Ako Ito” (this is me) workshop at the Oasis Training Center in Harmony Village, Pitogo, Sinunuc, this city.
The activity was undertaken as part in the ongoing effort to get the youth into the bigger picture to change society by helping to build the morals and the character of our future leaders.
Our society is in a constant struggle to address political, economic and sociological issues at the national and even local levels. People are struggling to deal with personal and spiritual concerns as well. This is the situation faced by the young no less so than by their elders. The “Ako Ito” (this is me) workshop was undertaken to address these concerns, keeping in mind that the young generation of today will one day run the country. The theme of the workshop was Silpeace: Equipping, Enabling and Empowering through Dialogue and Peace.
The 3-day event sought to impart to the participants a better understanding of the Culture of Dialogue Path to Peace which would then lead them to settle issues within themselves and the group as part of their personal transformation, resulting in effective leadership skills and making them more efficient members who work as one team. – all for dialogue and peace. Ultimately the transformation of the individual members – with a more intense and sincere commitment to the vision of the Silsilah Dialogue Movement – will become the driving force for social transformation.
Different speakers were invited to talk more on the three spheres of the theme – Equipping, Enabling and Empowering the participants to address the issues in our society.
It was not just all working and thinking for the 3 days. Occasions were organized for fellowship and solidarity and these provided the participants the chance to showcase their God-given talents, establish and/or deepen bonds of friendship and to be simply Ako Ito (this is me).
YOUNG PROFESSIONALS DISCOVERY SEMINAR
October 29-31, 2010
Harmony Village, Pitogo, Sinunuc,Zamboanga City
In this seminar Silsilah wishes to share with young professionals, age 20-35 years, concrete experiences that young professionals of the same age have experienced in dialogue as an expression of solidarity, love and peace. All those interested in joining this seminar, feel free to contact the YPDP Secretariate to the following contact details to register (Tel. no. 991-8712 or 991-5942 or e-mail: silsilahdialogue@gmail.com