The Search for Bridging Leadership Fellows for Muslim Communities in the Philippines
We at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) – TeaM Energy Center for Bridging Societal Divides are proud to announce the search for promising transformational leaders who can be accepted in the Bridging Leadership Fellows Program for Muslim Communities (BLFPMC) in the Philippines. If you are a Filipino Leader who is committed to working for peace and development in the various Muslim communities of the Philippines, or an individual who can nominate one, please contact our office at telephone (63 2) 892-4011 ext 2123 or email us at blfp.aim.teamenergy@gmail.com.
Please note that the deadline for applications is 15 June 2008. Read below for more information about our Program.
Bridging Leadership Fellows Program
for Muslim Communities in the Philippines
AIM – TeaM Energy Center for Bridging Societal Divides
Australian Embassy Philippines
Background
The Philippines is a country beset by complex divides. It is marked by high inequality not solely in terms of the distribution of income, but also in terms of access to basic social services such as health and education. This situation of high inequality leads to the continuing presence of widespread poverty throughout the country. These circumstances, coupled with the general unresponsiveness and weakness of institutions, rouse prevalent social unrest that result to peace and security concerns.
The country’s Muslim communities, especially in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), are the best illustrations of areas of complex divides. When compared with the national averages, striking gaps appear in terms of the region’s poverty incidence, income, literacy, and life expectancy. The unevenness of the provision of opportunities provided by the state and society becomes clear.
As we confront a Philippines that is increasingly beleaguered by complex divides, it is clear that the way we do leadership in the past is not enough for the uncertain and new problems that we face. The complex leadership challenge of our time demands a new breed of leaders, armed with different leadership knowledge, skills and values that will enable them to effectively handle complexity. This new breed of leaders must enjoy credibility, integrity and authority recognized by different sectors; understand the complexity of challenges and address its effects and causes; bring diverse stakeholders to co-own the issue and its solution; and lead the process of coming up with new institutional arrangements and solutions to addressing complex challenges.
In order to continue responding to the pressing need to develop this new breed of leaders, the Asian Institute of Management – TeaM Energy Center for Bridging Societal Divides, through the generous support of the Australian Embassy, offers the Bridging Leadership Fellows Program for Muslim Communities in the Philippines.
The Program
The program is an intensive one-year fellowship program for 15 leaders that is anchored on the Bridging Leadership Framework as the appropriate leadership style for addressing complex societal challenges. The goal is to develop socially responsible Bridging Leaders who are able to look at a problem, understand its complexity and develop a collaborative response to address it in order to reach societal equity that is sustained by institutions and stakeholders that are transformed respectively toward greater responsiveness and participation. It is a testimony to the continuing commitment of the AIM-TeaM Energy Center to invest in leaders who undertake multi-stakeholder processes to address the complex issues of our time.
In the fellowship, the 15 Fellows will be trained to improve their capacity to achieve their leadership goals within the context of the issue they seek to resolve. They will undergo training courses to merge Bridging Leadership theory and practice, discuss real-world cases and personal experiences, and go through mentoring sessions with Asian Institute of Management Faculty. They will also participate in learning events with veteran development practitioners, and enjoy improved access to resource institutions.
Who Should Apply
The program is intended for leaders who are committed to addressing the human security concerns of different areas throughout the ARMM and other Muslim communities in the Philippines, through multi-stakeholder and inclusive processes. These areas need Bridging Leaders who will be able to bring diverse stakeholders together to tackle the deep-seated problems of high inequality, poverty, and social unrest that are mainly responsible for the more blatant peace and security concerns through dialogic processes, and not through further aggressiveness.
Leaders who should apply include
• Muslim religious leaders (Ustadz and Imams);
• Leaders of Muslim institutions;
• Local government leaders of Muslim communities (e.g., Mayors and Barangay Captains);
• Leaders of Muslim civil society organizations; and
• Military, civil society, national government line agency leaders and media professionals, of any religion, who work in Muslim Communities.
Admission
Requirements
To apply to the program, the prospective fellow must:
• Be residing in the Philippines and working in Muslim communities around the country;
• Have preferably 5 to 10 years of service experience;
• Be at least 30 years old at the time of nomination;
• Play a significant, demonstrable role in effecting policy reform or steering program/project implementation;
• Be currently involved, in a leadership capacity, in addressing issues related to peace and development in Islamic communities;
• Articulate clear leadership goals in addressing the societal issue, defining the managerial interventions required and relating how the program would help in achieving these goals;
• Be open to learning, and willing and able to undertake the program requirements (e.g., participation in all trainings and submission of program deliverables).
Application Process
Prospective Fellows must submit:
• An accomplished Application Form;
• A statement of purpose;
• Their curriculum vitae; and
• Two (2) accomplished recommendation forms from persons who can personally attest to the accomplishments, character and resolve of the Applicant (and who are not members of the Applicant’s immediate family).
The Applicants should be able to clearly define their leadership goals for the duration of the program and articulate the impact of these goals on the resolution of the societal issue they are addressing. They will undergo a competitive selection process based on their demonstrated leadership record, the potential impact of the program may have in improving their ability to resolve societal divides, the breadth of their perspective, their enthusiasm for continued learning, and their prospective leadership contribution to the network of Bridging Leadership practitioners. The selection committee will verify these from the submitted documents, referrals and personal interviews.
Refer to the attached forms for more instructions on applying to the program.
BLFPMC Instructions and Reminders
Send all the required application documents to:
AIM TeaM Energy Center
(Formerly, AIM Mirant Center)
Rm 505 AIM Conference Center Manila
Benavidez corner Trasierra Sts.,
Legaspi Village, Makati City
For more information, contact the Program Officer for the BL Fellows Program at (63 2) 892-4011 local 2123, or email at blfp.aim.teamenergy@gmail.com.
