Muslim Youth Gathers at Doha MLT Conference

20 Jan Muslim Youth Gathers at Doha MLT Conference

On January 16th-19th 2009, dozens of young Muslims gathered in Doha, Qatar for the 2009 Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow Conference (MLT) to share skills and discuss what they perceived to be the Muslim world’s most urgent collective challenges. The 300 dynamic Muslim leaders in attendance, hailing from over 75 countries, debated solutions on pressing issues such as the global ‘Crisis of Authority and Leadership’ in the Muslim world and the mandate to promote peace over extremism from within.

The 2009 MLT Doha Conference was organized by the American Society for Muslim Advancement (ASMA) in collaboration with the Cordoba Initiative and the UN Alliance of Civilizations (AOC). It was sponsored by the Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue (DICID).

The Doha Conference, entitled “Change from Within: Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow Set the Agenda,” launched the MLT platform on a global scale and empowered the MLT network further with a combination of practical media training, networking and plenary sessions designed to tackle universal Muslim challenges with collective Muslim solutions.

The MLT program also introduced several new elements for streamlining the global MLT network, including global chapter development, an online MLT portal and an MLT one-on-one mentorship program for sharing strategies and proven practices.

The conference’s “Marketplace of Ideas” showcased multiple initiatives – founded and led by artists, philanthropists, social entrepreneurs, opinion leaders, civil society leaders, and religious leaders – all with the aim to create positive change.

In addition to furthering the development of the MLT network, the 2009 conference featured several exciting events, including the presentation of an “Open Letter to the World Leaders of Today from the Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow,” an edition of the BBC’s “Doha Debates” series and the unveiling of a “Hope Tapestry” commemorating the visions of each MLT attendee for a better future.