MANILA, February 27, 2006 (IslamOnline.net) – A new internship program is opening new horizons for young Filipino Muslims, giving them a life-time chance to polish their professional skills by learning first-hand in the work places of big corporations in Mindanao and Manila.

"The Young Muslim Professionals for Business and Peace (YuPPeace) Program is an internship engagement that provides an opportunity for young Muslim professionals currently employed in local business enterprises in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to gain work experience in Mindanao or Manila-based companies," Elaine Roxas, the project officer, told IslamOnline.net on Monday, February 27.

The internship is an initiative of the Philippine Business for Social Progress, a government-registered business NGO, seeking to help companies promote peace in Mindanao, the birthplace of Islam in the Philippines.

YupPeace specifically wants to help enhance knowledge and skills of interns through exposure to a working environment in a formal corporate as well as set-up and build competitive advantage of Muslim business through technology transfer from the host company.

It also aims to create peace dividends through a meaningful cultural exchange between the intern and employees of the host company, and encourage companies to adopt internal management policies that promote cultural unity and diversity in the workplace.

Applicants should be young Muslim professionals in the 20-35 age group; college graduate; from Mindanao and possess understanding of the socio-cultural and religious dynamics of the region.

They should also be currently employed by a local company or NGO in Mindanao and hold a supervisory level position.

Candidates must possess a strong motivation in contributing to peace and development in the region.

The Manila government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) are currently engaged in marathon negotiations to end more than three decades of strife in the mineral-rich southern region of Mindanao, home to about 5 million Muslims.

In September, the two sides signed several agreements centered on the ancestral domain - its concept, territories and resources - and how the MILF shall govern these places. The negotiations were launched in 2001.

On the first batch of interns was Samira Mala.

"It's been almost two years since my enriching 6-month internship in Unilever Philippines. I have realized that my life has changed significantly," she told IOL.

"I have been a proud witness to the fact that learning through experience offers a greater understanding of the real world and boundless opportunities for self-growth," she said.

She said the experience has helped her develop values of "passion for growth and good relationship with people. I have learned so much and gained many insights."

Mala believes the program has "molded me into a much disciplined and learned individual. It has enabled me to touch lives. More importantly, it has catalyzed and opened different windows of opportunities for young Muslim professionals like me."

At Unilever, a multinational firm, she immersed in the Learning, Recruitment, Remuneration and Benefits Team, as well as with the Employee Relations Team and Corporate Development Team of the firm's Human Resources Department.

"During my 6-month exposure in human resources department, I learned how the organization manages, develops and fulfills the potentials of the employees at the individual, team-based and organization-wide levels," she recalled.

"The organization has showed me how activities are planned in order to support the policies and strategies for effective operations."

Mala also recalled that during her first month in Unilever, she worried about how people would treat her.

"Eventually, I was able to build rapport with them," she noted, and her "fear slowly gave way to understanding, and my social discomfort was greatly overcome by some sense of cultural grace. I felt more at ease each day. I felt accepted and was able to learn and have fun at the same time."

The experience proved cultural and religious diversity in the workplace is important.

"I think the internship is very helpful in achieving this goal. The people I worked with in Unilever realized that Muslims today are not anything like the Muslim stereotype society has come to regard them," Mala said.

The program has also helped home company institutionalize its human resources management system and processes.

"I was able to transfer the knowledge I gained from Unilever through customization of the learning," she asserted.

"In effect, my home company was able to increase its profitability significantly and raise employee morale. I did in-house trainings and customized recruitment processes and labor management system. All these I learned from Unilever."

Mala now works as the Municipal Planning and Development Officer of the newly-legislated municipality of Sultan Mastura in Maguindanao.

"Though the arena of local governance is something new to me, I am confident that I'll be able to fulfill my task of uplifting the lives of the local citizenry.