Some 98 youth leaders attended the 12th Silsilah Solidarity Youth Camp (SSYC) on May 10-14, 2011 at the Harmony Village Campsite, in Pitogo, Sinunuc, Zamboanga City.
The participating youth leaders represented different youth groups, communities, schools and organizations in a 5- day camp organized by the SilPeace, a program for the youth of Silsilah Dialogue Movement. SilPeace seeks to mainstream the youth into society imbued with positive values, zeal, vibrancy and with a strong appreciation for dialogue and peace.
This summer youth camp, as it has been with the earlier 11 camps in the past, aimed to strengthen friendship, camaraderie and understanding between Muslims, Christians and youths of other living faiths in Mindanao while bringing them together to address different issues in society in a dialogical approach. This year’s theme “Youth of Today: Leading Good Governance for Better Society through Dialogue and Peace” hoped to actively involve them on how they can uphold good governance. It will be recalled that the events which the international news media has dubbed “The Arab spring” was essentially started by the techno-savvy youth of countries in the Middle East and North Africa as they clamored for good governance in their respective countries.
The 5-day camp provided different activities such as team building, camp-fire, camp craft making, film viewing, and sports festival; and to help them interact and share with other campers, sessions and workshops was prepared for them to internalize the essence of dialogue and peace as promoted by Silsilah. The camp instilled them the values of discipline, respect, sensitivity, love and strong faith which are essentials in dialogue.
Prof. Alzad Sattar, a young respected Muslim leader in Basilan, gave the topic “Youth and It’s Role”, and spotlighted the significant role the youth can play in good governance. He said that he was convinced of the energy and idealism of young people and that they can be dynamic agents of social change if they will become good Christians & Muslims, putting God at the center of their lives.
The camp was creatively implemented to give unique and fun-learning activities with the help of Scout Master Jadzen Nahoor Jaji who has been the camp consultant for 6 consecutive years for SSYC.
Silpeace youth coordinators and camp organizers Aldamir Abdulkahal and Vanessa Andico were touched by the positive impression given by the campers during the last day of the camp. Others shed some tears, gave warm hugs, and expressed their gratitude that indeed the 12th SSYC was proof of the reality that Muslims and Christians can live together harmoniously, in simplicity and can appreciate the differences by accepting each other as brother and sisters, as one Family.