by Jocelyn P. Alvarez
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Jan. 10 (PIA 9) - - Five youth leaders from this city will travel to the United States for a 5 week exchange program set on April 14 to May 17 2012 at the Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, USA.
The 5 youngsters are among the 27 youth and adult leaders from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and surrounding provinces in the country who qualified for the Philippine Youth Leadership Program (PYLP).
PYLP is a 5 week U.S .-based exchange program on responsible citizenship, community service, leadership and action plan development sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the U.S. Department of State.
The PYLP aims to teach participants conflict resolution skills; realization on the importance of volunteerism in civil society; and introduce participants to the American institutions that promote tolerance and religious diversity.
The program hopes to instill to the participants a sense of civic responsibility and commitment to community development among youth in Mindanao.
The training also hopes to develop a cadre of community activists who will share their knowledge and skills with their peers through positive action; to foster relationships among youth from different ethnic, religious and national groups and to promote mutual understanding between the United States and the people of other countries.
At the end of the 5week program, participants are expected to cooperatively implement community service projects focusing on peace and leadership when they get back home. (JPA /PIA - ZBST)
