Follow the leader

MANILA, Philippines - Bai Rohaniza “Honey” Sumnad-Usman, the Philippine country director for the Asia America Initiative and alumna of the Ayala Young Leaders Congress (AYLC), receives this year’s “Emerging Peace Champion” Award from the N-Peace Network.  Honey joined AYLC when she moved to the Philippines for her college education after experiencing the Gulf War in Saudi Arabia as a child.

According to Honey, her life experiences have shaped her advocacy for peace-building and the AYLC program had been a change-maker for her. The Ayala Foundation continues the AYLC program to this day and the nominations for AYLC 2014 have now been extended until Sept. 6.

For four days, the AYLC participants will take part in talks, outdoor activities, plenary sessions and workshop group discussions that will hone their leadership skills and encourage faithful stewardship of their community and country. To challenge the participant’s paradigm, highly respected leaders from government, civil society, business, arts and media and entertainment will come to share their stories and experiences.

 Within one to two years after the congress, the participants will work together with mentors, fellow youth leaders and members of their community to implement a change project that will impact the people they serve in a positive way. For her project, Dale Joy Perez of batch 2013 organized a leadership congress for 104 IP students from different tribes from all over the country.

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Now, AYLC is looking for outstanding student leaders from over 250 partner schools. For more information about the Ayala Young Leaders Congress, log on to http://ayalayoungleaders.ph or email secretariat@ayalayoungleaders.ph.