For over 50 youth, aged 13 years to 18 years, living across 12 countries worldwide, the first weekend of June was ‘transformative, enjoyable, and extremely impactful’. The credit for this success is attributed to NOVUS Lite. The objective for this 3-day virtual programme was to enable the youth to develop ambassadorial skills and to stimulate us to evolve into ambassadors for our community. Over 30 dedicated team members, counsellors, and faculty members ensured that participants were provided with the best possible experience. The importance of such programmes, including the focus area of ambassadorial skills, became evident through interviews with many NOVUS Lite members.
The programme was multifaceted, including interactive workshops delivered by Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), guided personal reflection and workout sessions. Not only were all these components executed to an extremely high standard, but the planning was also always grounded by one fundamental principle: enable participants to grow, learn, connect and engage.
Raniya Sheikh, a Participant based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, noted that in a session titled ‘Building Blocks: Importance of Community and Institutional Building’ she was able to learn about the various structures of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) and felt ‘inspired’ when thinking about how the social conscience of Islam underpins the actions of the AKDN. This feeling was also shared by Dubai-based counsellor Ahsan Niat Khan who said, ‘I strive that every interaction of mine, whether in a professional, educational or social setting, is predicated on values such as honesty, integrity, and humility.’
NOVUS Lite also featured an extremely knowledgeable faculty member, Dr Hussein Rashid. Dr Rashid is currently a professor of Islamic Studies at Columbia University. During the programme, he led the development of the core content around ambassadorial skills and their relevance to Ismaili youth worldwide. Zanisha Alladina, a counsellor based in Toronto, Canada, said that ‘the theme was important because it gave our participants agency to identify the values they held and put those values out into the world to influence positive change through their ambassadorial skills.’ This thought was further affirmed at the end of the programme when participants created a powerful video output. In doing so, they answered the question, ‘What does it mean for you to be an ambassador for the community in 10 years?’ Out of the multiple inspiring responses, participant Faizaan Sohail from Nairobi, Kenya, noted that he would like to make the Ismaili community more green-friendly and encourage the global Ismaili community to embody the ethic of environmental stewardship.
Samia Merchant, Content Team Member, affirmed the importance of NOVUS Lite 2021 and the concept of ambassadorial skills by noting that ‘when part of a community is existing within different contexts and environments, it is important to first and foremost be informed of what we stand for and why, and then also learn to communicate that effectively.’ Therefore, just as the participants of NOVUS Lite 2021 did, let us all strive to become more informed and engaged ambassadors for our community by engaging in discussions that challenge us to think, learn and holistically represent individual and communal values. This programme should also prompt us to ponder, how can we learn more about our community? What values do we want to advocate for? How can WE be ambassadors?
If you are willing to take risks, meet new members of the community and develop as an individual, then be sure to keep an eye out for other Youth Coordinating Forum (YCF) events.
