2010 Summit delegates with
Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.

Our leadership development programs -- the Young Leaders Summits in Washington, DC, New York City & Los Angeles, our Internship Program, and NewGround: A Muslim-Jewish Partnership for Change -- address the critical need for thoughtful, effective leaders who can address local issues, national problems, and public opinion.

The Summit is designed to enhance the civic identity of the participants, and to redefine the image and provide a voice of young Muslim American leaders among the policymaking and opinion-shaping community. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience to enhance leadership skills, share unique perspectives with influential individuals and institutions and build relationships with like-minded young Muslim Americans.

In the words of 2008 National Summit delegate Nabil Alshurafa:

"I am a changed individual as a result of this Summit; I perceive my surroundings in a different way. I have set new goals for myself, I've created a new MPAC family, and I have hope for a better future for Muslim Americans. I remember Senator Feinstein's advise, telling me to "Speak-up, I can't hear you." This statement continues to resonate in my mind. I took her comment both literally, in that I need to expand my vocal cords, and symbolically, in that we as young Muslim Americans need to speak-up, our government can't hear us, but our government needs to listen to us."