Hosted by the World Muslim Communities Council, the inaugural edition of the Forum, called for launch of a general secretariat for the youth of Muslim communities. 

Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates – December 8, 2019:   Muslim leaders of non-Muslim countries in the world took to the stage in the UAE’s capital city of Abu Dhabi to promote tolerance and provide transformational tools for youth empowerment by setting twelve recommendations that focus on the core values of social inclusion with innovation, entrepreneurship and philanthropy.

At the Forum, the youth called for the establishment of a general secretariat for the youth of Muslim communities, which would represent an incubator of experience, and a springboard for creating a prosperous future for Muslim communities, made by its youth.

Hosted by the World Muslim Communities Council (TWMCC), over 250 representing leaders of Muslim communities of non-Muslim countries of the world from Fiji Islands to Uruguay and Brazil and from New Zealand to Estonia and Lithuania, congregated at the two-day long inaugural edition of the Forum, themed ‘Building Future Leaders: Commitment, Integrity and Innovation’.

The twelve recommendations cover security and stability within communities, coexistence and cooperation among human beings; family values and environmental preservation; challenges and opportunities of Muslim communities; the youth’s ability to lead communities; achieving the true youth empowerment; creating sustainability in community institutions; building competencies and preparing leaders in scientific way; transition from self-isolation to openness for the nation partners and communities; creating a space for joint work with community partners; reform religious discourses to match with community requirements; emphasis on the privacy of communities; and employing media to correct the image of Islam and Muslims. 

HE Dr Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, Chairman of TWMCC, said, “The Conference aimed at empowering the Muslim youth in these countries to take up leadership roles in their societies stand for tolerance and peace in the world. We organized it at a time when the UAE is moving towards the culmination of the Year of Tolerance.” 

“The Forum ensured the youth’s voice, vision, aspirations and dreams are being heard and able to lead their communities. They are the most capable and most worthy of it and the responsibility of making their future should be undertaken by them. Therefore, they have the full right to be a part of the future-making, leadership in their communities since it is the very same future of their families and children. It is not reasonable to let others, who may not understand them well, to impose it on them,” he added. 

“Challenges faced by Muslim communities make it necessary to empower young men and women to lead the future and the institutions in their communities, along with supporting their ideas, vision and aspirations. Many of these communities have suffered from patterns of leadership that do not belong to them, nor established in them, and which came with concerns, problems and crises of other communities. Then, these leaders subjected many Muslim communities by stagnant ideas that have nothing to do with the reality of these communities in which they live, and which meet not their needs nor answer their questions or fulfil their ambitions,” he added. 

HE Al Nuaimi further said, “The youth’s ability to lead their communities, will represent the true solution to many problems and crises, since these young people have been brought up within multi-religious, intercultural and multiracial communities, so they know how to achieve the values of coexistence, tolerance and cooperation with the followers of other religions, with whom they share the homeland, communal living and dreams.”   

“To achieve the true empowerment of youth to lead Muslim communities, charitable and financing institutions must work on creating a state of sustainability in the institutions of Muslim communities that in turn is created by young people. To achieve this, a new vision is needed in order to finance these institutions, achieve their sustainability, and ensure they are not subjected to foreign agendas or outside political interests. This can be maintained through the establishment of charitable endowments in accordance with the laws, provisions and regulations of the countries in which they are located in order to ensure their sustainability and independence, and to achieve the true goals of Muslim communities,” he elaborated. 

The second day of the Forum witnessed inspiring stories of achiever, influencers and future leadership from around the world operating in all walks of life. The day highlighted presentations of Prof. Jackie Yiru Ying, American nanotechnology scientist and the founding executive director of the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology in Singapore, Ms. Lisa Vogl, award-winning American fashion photographer, co-founder of Muslim fashion brand Verona Collection, and advisory board member for ICNA Relief fighting for victims of cosmetic violence. 

The Conference deliberated dialogues over six sessions on a variety of topics. The delegates called for the necessity of organizing the Global Youth Forum periodically.