A R C H I V E S
Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| fyi -- MSN |
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| Somaira |
| 04/21/02 at 20:06:21 |
| Assalamualaikum, Just wanted to let all of ya know about MSN. ;D No, no, not microsoft network, the Muslim Student Network 8) Check out www.muslimstudentnetwork.org for more information. Applications are still being accepted. The program is both for :-) and ;-) . I strongly encourage rising juniors, seniors, grad students, & law students to apply! If you have any questions :-[ regarding the program, feel free to msg me and inshaAllah I'll get back to you asap. I did take part in the program last year, and had a *wonderful* time :D. Okay then, take care all. [wlm] Somaira :-* ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful Muslim Student Network Annual Summer Internship Program at Capital Hill Preparing the brightest young Muslims for public policy making positions and their eventual ascendance into policy making positions. A Career Opportunity for College (upper classmen) and Graduate Students THE PROGRAM INTERNSHIP - MSN seeks to give interns full-time, practical experience and contacts in fields in which they might pursue careers. Past internships have been diverse, including congressional committees, the State Department, World Bank, White House, think tanks, media and non-governmental organizations. Although MSN can assist you, your own initiative and early application directly to offices in which you wish to intern is key to finding a productive and rewarding placement. Your university career placement office can also be of invaluable assistance to you. In addition, our small network of professionals and former interns can give you search advice and help in resume writing. The more accurate and detailed information you provide in your resume, the better are your chances of success. CLASSES - MSN's focus is the development of a cohesive group of American Muslims who are schooled in Islam and have thought carefully from an Islamic perspective about the issues affecting the American Muslim community. The class component of the MSN will reflect this approach and is an integral part of the internship experience. In addition, interns are expected to complete a project related to their classes or internship. A schedule of classes, presentations, excursions and other group activities will be presented to you upon your arrival in Washington, D.C. This schedule is designed to be both informative and stimulating for the intern. Professionals and scholars will be guest lecturers. The classes are an unparalleled opportunity for you to ask questions and learn in greater depth about how to participate in the American political process and the roles interns can play as future leader of Muslim community in America. ACCOMMODATIONS: - The MSN will provide the intern with room and board in the Washington metropolitan area from June 1 through July 31. Men and women have separate living quarters that are shared with the program Resident Manager and out of town guest lecturers. Classes and other group activities are held in a central location convenient to both groups. Students share responsibility for preparing meals, cleaning, etc. STIPENDS: Interns, whose internships are unpaid, may be provided, depending upon our funding, a stipend of about $50 per week. This stipend is in addition to accommodations and internship related intra-city transportation, or any other services already provided by MSN management. All incidental costs must be covered by the intern. INSURANCE: Interns accepted to the program must present proof of insurance and emergency contact information. You will be responsible for your own medical insurance and any medical care that may be needed while you are in the program. TRANSPORTATION: Interns are expected to pay their own transportation costs to and from Washington, D.C. However, in cases of financial hardship, MSN may be able to provide some assistance. If you believe you will need such assistance please notify MSN when applying for the internship, or at latest upon receipt of acceptance letter. All other transportation costs related to the internships or group activities will be provided by MSN. An introduction to the Washington public transportation system will be included in the orientation packet. FREE TIME: Group trips to local sights and events are planned by the group. Alternate weekends are left open for recreation and individual plans. Program Overview You won't just acquire an understanding about politics and policy making machinery in Washington, .... you'll learn the Islamic perspective of public policy making! During this summer, you will see the dynamics of politics in House and Senate sessions, attend congressional hearing, and use vast resources of Washington. Your day internship will provide you an unparallel opportunity to gain hands-on experience of working in a policy-making institution. And you will attend workshops on U.S. government affairs by Capitol Hill staffers, senior U.S. government officials, ex-congressman and NGO's. Most importantly, you will attend six graduate level courses on Islamic perspective of public policy making. These courses, given by nationally known Muslim scholars and experts, will challenge your knowledge, skills and the degree of self confidence in rediscovering what Islam has to offer in dealing with the burning issues of human rights today. After attending these lectures and seminar sessions over a period of eight weeks, a semester's worth of graduate level work, we believe you will have a better understanding of the challenges which lie ahead for Muslims and other minorities and what it takes to be a dynamic leader in discharging your responsibilities in both public and private life. On some weekends and evenings you will visit Muslim community centers, multilateral organizations, the cultural and historical attractions and famous monuments, including possibly a boat ride on Potomac River, that make Washington famous. At the end of the program you and your classmates will join your alumni at the closing day dinner, a highlight of MSN's eight year reunion. Research Assignments This internship program is extremely demanding. In order for you to succeed, you must be self-disciplined and socially mature. The program is designed for goal- oriented, mature and academically advanced students. If you successfully complete the program this year, you might be interested attending it again next year to further expand your knowledge and horizons necessary to prepare yourself as a member of the future team of "movers and shakers." While there are no exams, you will be required to complete a major term paper on a subject of your choice, either individually or jointly in a small group with other interns. A list of suggested topics will be provided for your selection before the start of the program. To complete this assignment by mid-July, which will be coordinated by T/A coordinator, research outline should be completed by mid-June. T/A Assignments As a part of two or three-member T/A team for one scholar, you will be expected to specialize in the work of our guest scholar assigned to you. Your main function as T/A will be to contact the guest scholar in advance and prepare the class for planned sessions, familiarize yourself with the topic and writings, and be M.C. for the class, record lectures on audio or video tapes, and handle post-lecture follow-up activities. Paid Staff Positions on Capitol Hill We urge you to follow the example of previous years' interns in taking a paid staff position for a year between your Bachelor and Graduate years. Who Funds MSN Internship Program The MSN is a nonprofit organization. Its internship program is funded by contributions from Islamic centers, forward-looking Muslim businessmen, and individuals as their investment in the future generations of Muslims in America. These contributions cover your housing, meals, local transportation, and a small stipend for your pocket expenses. Administrative services for year round planning and operating the program during the summer is provided on purely voluntary basis. As part of expanding MSN's alumni group, you will participate in raising necessary funds to continue this long-term project in the future. MSN program is not a spectator sport, .... it is teamwork! You are part of a unique group. Its members consist of various ethnic, linguistic and cultural background. The bond which unites them is their belief in Islam as they share the joint search for an overriding Islamic identity. In this process, our interns adjust to group living arrangements and adhere to rules of conduct designed to protect the integrity and reputation of the program. By adhering to these rules of conduct each intern learns and grows within the environment of mutual respect and understanding of various views and spiritual development. The daily group living work, purchasing, cooking, cleaning etc., is performed by interns jointly. This being a cooperative effort, the work is divided between various committees. You will be assigned to work in one or more of these committees. Course Description and Curriculum Overview The eight-week MSN's annual Internship Program conducted in Washington, D.C. is designed to cover two vital areas. First, to provide an Islamic perspective of public policy making. And second, to assist young talented American Muslim interns in acquiring practical training that will benefit them in pursuing influential careers, particularly of national significance. The in-house education curriculum is premised on the resolute belief that merely seeking power for power's sake is not a goal worthy of pursuit by a Muslim. To merely mimic an existing power structure is neither a strategic nor desirable objective for the future of the Muslim Ummah. It is thus critical that future generations of Muslims have the capacity to develop public policy goals and methods to achieve those that are consistent with and advance the Islamic belief in ethics and human progress. The six courses and eight workshops given over an eight-week period are designed to understand and examine 'government', 'public policy', and 'policy makers - the players in decision making game. The academic portion of the curriculum will be covered in three-part sessions (one on Friday evenings and two on Saturdays) over alternate weekends. Tuesday evenings of each week, except as noted, will be devoted to the workshops relating to Capitol Hill. One or more evenings each week, as needed, will be devoted to T/A and study group sessions. The goals of these courses and related workshops are: 1. Develop an improved understanding of Islamic and secular view points relating to public policy making and their implementation structure 2. Identify problems facing the American Muslim community in a multiethnic and multi-cultural environment. 3. Understand the vital linkages, dependencies and interrelationships among various elements that provide the "glue" necessary for achieving results in the political arena. 4. Analyze the preparation necessary for young American Muslim leadership to protect the human rights of Muslims and other minority communities in 21st century America. 5. Develop uniquely Islamic paradigms to analyze issues rather than blindly following existing models of decision making. Thus, the MSN educational program hopes to familiarize students with Islamic text, resource, tools, and problem solving principles, and to equip them with a practical sense of whom to avoid and what to emulate as they unite as a group to plan, organize, control and implement efforts for their sustained growth. It is assumed that students know the fundamentals of Islam as a faith. Therefore, the lectures would focus on the political, economic and social aspects of Islam; the relevance of Islamic teachings for the contemporary world; trends in the Muslim world; and especially on applying appropriate methodologies for interpreting and/or reinterpreting Islamic teaching through ijma and ijtihad. Workshops The workshop relating to Capitol Hill, The White House and various U.S. governmental agencies will include presentations by a number of guest speakers listed elsewhere in this handbook. Those graduate students who have already worked in and studied several of the following areas would be invited to contribute in panels and lecture presentations. These workshops will provide students a working knowledge of political machinery, policy and legislative process at state and federal government levels, the layers of influence in government bureaucracy, hidden and open agendas of political lobbies and the methodology, resources and techniques used by them. To give the participants a rapid but detailed introduction to policymaking process, these workshops will explore bureaucratic wrangling between the State Department and the Pentagon and the shaping of public opinion by the press, Congressional complaints and national electioneering, culminating in State and federal elections. The emphasis of these workshops will be on the operational dynamics and modus operandi of the role of the Presidency, Congress, the Executive branch or bureaucratic institutions and agencies, the courts, interest groups and lobbies, media and the think tanks in the making of domestic and foreign policies. |
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