National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President & CEO Dr. John Duke Anthony writes to students about what is possible through the National Council’s flagship student-focused initiative, the Youth Leadership Development Program / Model Arab League. Please share with any students who might be interested in or benefit from this program.

Fall is upon us. September is back-to-school time. You and countless millions of other students are hitting the books.

What Do You Want to Do?

What are you seeking to achieve this academic year?

Do you envision yourself as a leader? What kind? Diplomat? Policymaker? Opinion formulator? Teacher? Military officer? Entrepreneur?

Whatever your answer, do you possess the necessary and essential skills that are characteristic of great leaders?

For instance, can you:

1. Debate within 45 seconds;
2. Speak clearly, rapidly, and effectively;
3. Write clearly, rapidly, and effectively;
4. Edit clearly, rapidly, and effectively;
5. Deploy parliamentary procedure;
6. Organize a coalition;
7. Draft public policy resolutions;
8. Cultivate respect among your peers; and
9. Empathize with others’ needs, interests, and concerns?

This academic year, if you can manage to master only one of these vital leadership skills, you will never be the same as before. Imagine what you might be able to accomplish if you can learn to employ all nine!

At the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations, cultivating these skills in students has long been our focus. In no way are we new at this – educating and training the leaders of tomorrow is something we have done for decades.

The diamond in the National Council’s tiara, so to speak, is its Youth Leadership Development Program / Model Arab League (YLDP/MAL). Like nothing else, the program prepares students to be knowledgeable, well-trained, and effective citizens as well as civic, private sector, and public affairs leaders.

Building Critical Skills

Can you believe that since its inception in the early 1980s, more than 50,000 students from over 350 universities and secondary schools have become alumni?

We’re not kidding, these numbers are not typographical errors.

Why do students participate in this program? They do so to improve themselves. They come to learn how to be a leader. They come to demonstrate and practice leadership skills, some of which they might already possess and some they have yet to acquire, in order to improve their qualities as leaders.

This program gave me more knowledge and a greater understanding of the Arab region and its issues and challenges than I could have obtained anywhere else.

We invite you to ask anyone who has participated in the program about their experience. Ask your fellow students. Ask their faculty advisers who have helped to educate and train them. Ask their parents. Ask their university presidents and high school principals. Ask anyone who has judged their performance. Ask anyone who recruited or advised them.

Ask also, “What happened to the participants?” Invariably, the answer (paraphrased) will be: “They were transformed.” Meaning: they became someone they were not before. They became far more focused, sophisticated, learned, and, most of all, effective leaders.

Practicing Leadership

What happens in the YLDP/MAL? The leadership role you will perform and practice will be that of a diplomat.

You will do so, first, by studying an Arab country that you will come to represent. Note that there are 22 Arab countries, each with its own needs, concerns, interests, and goals. Second, you will learn what is of particular importance to your country’s foreign policy objectives. In the YLDP/MAL, student diplomats interact with their counterparts who represent different countries. Third, you will learn to discuss and debate issues facing the region, and to be able to do so without reading from a script.

How well do you think that, without using notes, you could speak persuasively in front of others about your own country? How about the Arab country you will come to represent?

When and Where Does It Happen?

Throughout the year, the National Council convenes YLDP/MAL leadership development, education, and training sessions in 20 U.S. cities. Additional sessions are administered in Egypt, Morocco, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia.

Why Take Part in the Program?

The YLDP/MAL is an opportunity like none you have ever had. The National Council is the only organization to administer an Arab-centric educational program of this kind. You will practice and develop the leadership skills that will be vital to your success in whatever path your future takes.

The value of this program cannot be overstated in the way it prepared me for a life of public service.

In addition, you will learn a great deal about topics that are never far from the public’s attention. As a result, you will be far more effective discussing contemporary issues and challenges. You will become more and better informed (and know what you are talking about) than your friends, your fellow students, and perhaps even your teachers!

You will deepen your information and insights. You will broaden your horizons. You will enhance, strengthen, and expand your understanding about the 22 Arab nations that comprise one of the planet’s most vitally important areas, and the world’s relationships with these countries and vice versa.

Importantly, through the YLDP/MAL you will build critical skills that will serve you well in whatever you do in life.

Rising to Meet Expectations

The YLDP/MAL will be especially helpful for you. It will provide you an opportunity to practice more than one leadership skill at a time. To be effective, you will blend analysis, public speaking, and persuasion. The combined effect, as you and everyone else will see, will be powerful.

As a participant in the YLDP/MAL, you will have a two-fold mission:

One is to find ways to address and deal with issues and challenges of the country you represent. Two is to familiarize yourself with the kinds of threats, concerns, and interests of other Arab countries.

What are the Rewards?

In nearly every field one can think of, people treasure those with skills like the ones you will learn in the YLDP/MAL. Being well organized, convincing, and diplomatic can make all the difference in the world. Demonstrating how well you can represent positions and viewpoints other than your own will impress practically anyone.

The program afforded me an incredible experience. I would absolutely recommend it to anyone.

As in real life, good preparation can make all the difference. Ask any proven leader and they will be likely to agree. The program provides an important opportunity to learn and practice this skill. More than anything else, harnessing passion and facts will bring force to your discussion, comments, and arguments.

Why Do This?

In providing these leadership development opportunities, the National Council is showcasing what many have long indicated it does best: education.

The goal is to aid you. You are among the leaders of tomorrow. You and the students you will share this opportunity with will learn one of life’s most valuable lessons. This is that effectiveness in public policymaking is not achieved by spectators. Only through spirited and persistent engagement can one expect to achieve lofty goals. Participation in the YLDP/MAL heightens your ability to make a difference.

Involvement in YLDP/MAL could hardly be more essential. Few programs are as effective in introducing and exploring the complexities facing our global community. Just imagine what will happen as you analyze and address issues from a perspective different than your own. Not only will you dramatically improve your ability to think critically and empathetically, you will also enhance your ability to address the multifaceted range of challenges facing our shared future.

 

 

Learn More:

Visit: https://ncusar.org/modelarableague

Contact: National Council Student Program Coordinators Sidney Jones (sidney@ncusar.org) and Michael Ader (michael@ncusar.org), telephone: 202-293-6466