| Summary of the Competency Seminars |
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Competency Seminars: It has been recognised that IIPS graduates have to be given competencies needed to negotiate everyday life and work in today's complex world. They will be expected to function in a variety of settings and would therefore need multiple competencies to meet the particular responsibilities and expectations associated with each one. The Muballigheen Training Programme delivered at IIPS will include professional competency training seminars in a number of identified areas. Graduates will need these practical seminars to function effectively in their communities. 1. PERSONAL EXCELLENCE - Excellence is deliberate, not an accident that we stumble upon. It is about asking of ourselves more than others do; it is about harbouring thoughts of excellence in our breast. As long as we aim for a more ideal self, success will naturally follow. And the good news is excellence is within the grasp of all, for it is merely about doing our best at every moment. It is not about perfection, which is an unattainable goal, but about becoming what we are capable of being. 2. PRESENTATION SKILLS - Your presentation MUST have a key message. Leave your audience in absolutely no doubt what you came to tell them. Don't lead them up to your messages - they won't stay the course. Hit them between the eyes with your message right up front. You should provide your key message within the first 15 seconds of starting your talk. Research shows that if you don't do this you risk losing the attention of your audience. 3. MEDIA SKILLS - Videotaped practice exercises; detailed analysis and evaluation of current skills; development of "messages" specific to your goals and objectives; tips and strategies for dealing with difficult questions; techniques for getting your message across; samples of real television interviews; troubleshooting and problem solving. 4. JOURNALISTIC SKILLS - Accurate research, the precise use of language and objective reporting are central elements of the journalist trade. Journalists should present the relevant facts and views on various topics. They should inform, not indoctrinate. Listeners and viewers should be able to develop their own opinions. That is the goal. 5. I.T. SKILLS - A basic level of information technology (IT) skills is a must these days in most lines of work and study, and increasingly in life in general. Having more than a basic knowledge can actually transform our work. Challenging our graduates to apply IT skills is an essential component of the on-going training that will help our graduates become tomorrow's community leaders. Developing IT skills will help them access resources and services. 6. MANAGEMENT SKILLS - In the beginning, Allah made an individual - and then he made a pair. The pair formed a group, together they begat others and thus the group grew. Unfortunately, working in a group led to friction, the group disintegrated in conflict and Cain settled in the land of Nod - there has been trouble with groups ever since. The Management Program focuses on developing the graduate's organisational management skills, particularly those related to working collaboratively with other people. It provides a foundation of skills and awareness that are essential to the successful motivation and deployment of people. 7. LEADERSHIP SKILLS - While leadership is easy to explain, leadership is not so easy to practise. Leadership is about behaviour first, skills second. Good leaders are followed chiefly because people trust and respect them, rather than the skills they possess. Leadership is different to management. Management relies more on planning, organisational and communications skills. Leadership relies on management skills too, but more so on qualities such as integrity, honesty, humility, courage, commitment, sincerity, passion, confidence, positivity, wisdom, determination, compassion and sensitivity. Some people are born more naturally to leadership than others. Most people don't seek to be a leader, but those who want to be a leader can develop leadership ability. 8. FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT - Many splits in our centres are caused by financial concerns. These splits are not based on financial problems, though, as much as they are on questions and concerns about money. In the construction business, electrical lines that carry higher voltage get more insulation. The wisdom of that can be applied to community management: the areas that tend to be disputed most should get extra attention. 9. DEBATING SKILLS - A debate is, basically, an argument. That is not to say that it is an undisciplined shouting match between parties that passionately believe in a particular point of view. In fact the opposite is true. Debating has strict rules of conduct and quite sophisticated arguing techniques and you will often be in a position where you will have to argue the opposite of what you believe in. 10. PUBLIC SPEAKING SKILLS - Many of us have observed public speakers and thought to ourselves "Wow, I could never be that smart, calm, witty, entertaining, polished . . . or whatever." Actually we do not have to be brilliant, witty, or perfect to succeed. That is not what public speaking is all about. Our graduates will be shown that public speakers can be average, can be below average, can make mistakes, get tongue-tied, or forget whole segments of the talk, can even tell no jokes at all and still be successful. 11. EFFECTIVE LISTENING SKILLS - Listening is a communication process and, to be successful, is an active process. In other words, you must be an active participant in this communication process. In active listening, meaning and evaluation of a message must take place before a listener can respond to a speaker. Therefore, the listener is actively working while the speaker is talking. How can this happen? It is simple. Our thought speed is much faster than our speech speed. But be careful! Don't allow the thought speed to race into daydreaming. This habit will defeat your attempt to become an active listener. 12. CONFLICT RESOLUTION SKILLS - In many cases, conflict within the community just seems to be a fact of life. We've all seen situations where different people with different goals and needs have come into conflict. And we've all seen the often-intense personal animosity that can result. The fact that conflict exists, however, is not necessarily a bad thing: As long as it is resolved effectively, it can lead to personal and professional growth. In many cases, effective conflict resolution skills can make the difference between positive and negative outcomes. 13. SOCIAL COUNSELLING SKILLS - This programme will provide you with challenging opportunities to focus on the critical issues (for example poverty, homelessness, mental illness or community care) which affect individual and social well being in the community. 14. ABUSE TOLERANCE SKILLS - It is quite common for victims of abuse to be sent back into a violent situation in order to preserve the sanctity of the marriage and the family. Women are frequently told that they should tolerate and forgive abuse, implying that through acts of obedience, humility and 'turning the other cheek' they will be better Muslims. It is possible however, to reinterpret key texts and traditions to challenge perpetrators and provide sources of healing and hope for survivors through focusing on themes of Allah's love and grace, the importance of community support and freedom from oppression. 15. DRUG ABUSE MANAGEMENT - Be informed of current drugs of abuse and their pharmacology; Understand one's own limitations and use community resources as needed; Be aware of available community resources for emergency medical services, crisis intervention and residential treatment programs; Develop relationships with emergency departments at local hospitals on identification and referral of adolescents at high risk of substance abuse; Become familiar with laws related to drug abuse; Be able to manage acute drug ingestion; Provide drug education to schools, youth organizations, adolescents, and parents; Provide supportive counselling to the adolescent; Identify the child or adolescent at high risk of chemical dependency and to intervene appropriately. 16. ALCOHOL ABUSE MANAGEMENT - Alcohol is the most widely used drug by adolescents. Problems related to adolescents alcohol use include motor vehicle accidents secondary to driving under the influence and suicides and homicides that involve alcohol use. In addition, there is an increase of unprotected intercourse in those under the influence of alcohol. 17. DOMESTIC ABUSE MANAGEMENT - Addresses important social work issues, including risk assessment protocols, a new five level continuum of woman battering, intervention methods, and treatment models. The book also examines the myriad legal issues and health problems facing the most neglected and vulnerable battered women. 18. BEREAVEMENT COUNSELLING - Counselling can help ease the pain of grief and give you the opportunity to resolve any lingering emotional problems. With counselling, communication is always a two-way process. It's non-judgemental and it focuses on the problems and difficulties you identify. Most importantly, counselling gives you an opportunity to be heard, time to talk, cry, shout or just think. It may help you to look at your problems in a different way or bring relief by being able to talk to someone without being interrupted. It can help you to sort out some of your feelings and confusion as a result of the death, and bring some order into your chaotic world. 19. STRESS MANAGEMENT - Identifying unrelieved stress and being aware of its effect on our lives is not sufficient for reducing its harmful effects. Just as there are many sources of stress, there are many possibilities for its management. However, all require work toward change: changing the source of stress and/or changing your reaction to it. How do you proceed? |
Google Translation
Sayyida Zainab as
