Connecting a volunteer network of expertise with institutions nationwide…

“And each one has a goal toward which he turns; so vie with one another in good works. Wheresoever you may be, Allah will bring you all together. Lo! Allah is able to do all things”—Al-Qur’an, 2:148

The Messenger of Allah (S) said, “The relationship of the believer with another believer is like (the bricks of) a building, each strengthens the other.” He illustrated this by interlacing the fingers of both his hands.―From the Life Example of the Prophet (S) [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Males and females should address us and address the general concern and then someone who is knowledgeable of the makeup of this conference, the persons, and skills…someone should know all of us and what we have to offer; if we don’t have this, then we can grow into this…we can grow into it.  You know maybe I’m speaking beyond what we have right now, but that doesn’t mean we can’t do this, we have to grow into it if we don’t have it.”―Imam W. Deen Mohammed (R)

NATIONAL ― Most visiting the CWSC website for the first time are likely familiar with Community Wide Shuraa Conference’s (CWSC) international broadcasting center American Muslim 360 or AM360.org, but broadcasting is just one intelligentsia component the national nonprofit operates. CWSC also operates a Think Tank and Clearing House, Speakers Bureau, College Scholarship Programs and much more.

Now as part of CWSC’s mission to serve as a national resource center for communities and institutions nationwide, the national nonprofit announces the deployment of the Model Communities National Resource Directory or MCNRD. For several years, CWSC has been working on developing a way to allow every believer to easily connect to the group intellect nationally and use their G-d given talents to help institutions in any area of operation.

We now have the infrastructure and leadership in place to aid institutions who would like assistance…

CWSC’s executive director, Mukhtar Muhammad known to many for his business leadership as vice president for FAMACO Publishers LLC, and perhaps even more as author of the critically acclaimed book Genesis of New American Leadership: Building the Community Life, shared that “MCNRD is the first national online project of its kind designed to comprehensively catalog the knowledge, skills, experience, training, degrees, certifications, and other expertise held by believers across the country who are committed to helping establish model communities; the MCNRD now connects these individuals as resourceful persons to institutions looking to access a qualified diverse group intellect.

Our institutions want help with internal design and management as well as help with designing local community outreach programs that operate at the highest level of organizational excellence. We now have the infrastructure and leadership in place to aid every institution who would like assistance.”

Two CWSC leaders have been tapped as directors to administer MCNRD and its companion system known as VHRN or Volunteer Human Resource Network. MCNRD is administered by Flint Michigan’s Sister Depretha Hadee and VHRN is administered by Dr. Maryam Suluki of Madera, California.

Sister Depretha is a non-profit administrator herself as leader for Muslim Women in Action, a local Flint Michigan community service organization focused on women and children in crisis. She recently completed the first in a series of public service announcements on AM360 to help promote the free services being offered through MCNRD. She’s excited to be taking on a major leadership responsibility in fulfilling a group-intellect vision shared repeatedly by the late Imam Dr. W. Deen Mohammed (R) with the entire American Muslim Community over many years.

We can plug into a national network of talent and expand our capability to learn from one another’s successes and challenges as never before.

As MCNRD Director, Sister Depretha oversees cataloguing of talented resources and helps design the system that connects them with any community that needs help. Sister Depretha says “MCNRD is a game changer for communities nationwide! From the smallest to the largest organization, we can now plug into a national network of talent and expand our capability to learn from one another’s successes and challenges in a way we’ve never had before.

Make no mistake, this is a large scale project that has required coordination and communication at all levels as we issue a call for every believer from seniors in high school to retirees to register as resources in the Directory, while simultaneously calling for institutions to register so they can access the vast expertise available throughout the country,” states Sister Depretha.

While the MCNRD is the technology employed to create a user-friendly searchable databank online 24-hours a day via the internet, VHRN connects consultant volunteers and institutions and actually facilitates the completion of work; it too is a formidable operation under the oversight of Dr. Suluki. As VHRN Interim Director, she oversees the Network’s consulting process and works directly with organizations to ensure they understand how to access, search and use MCNRD to assist their administrations.

We want every skill set in MCNRD, so each of us can on our time and schedule work as a group intellect helping communities and institutions grow around the nation.

Dr. Suluki, a professional in both the education and medical field, and an accomplished business woman and community leader, explains, “VHRN is the system of policies, procedures and customer service supports that enable an institution to easily work with persons in healthcare, small business, education, tourism, commercial transportation, S.T.E.M., criminal justice, drug rehabilitation and other fields. Now organizations looking for help from accountants, teachers and curriculum developers, web designers, media and dawah specialists, writers, and grant writers, community activists and organizers, counselors and therapists, mediation experts, lawyers, or others with expertise, can access volunteer talent with the click of a button.

Categorized as consultants, believers that register in the databank (now approaching 200 persons across 23 states) have committed to help any institution registered in the MCNRD! And it’s just the beginning.

We want every skill set represented in MCNRD, so each of us can on our time and schedule work as a group intellect in helping communities and institutions grow around the nation. We’ve discovered there’s a lot of underutilized capacity and believers want to volunteer to help, and now they have an easy way to plug into a network and help usually without even leaving their home or office. So who should be a consultant you might ask…you should!” states Dr. Suluki.

We’re not looking for imams or non-imams, females or males, degreed or non-degreed, youth or mature adults. We’re looking for the believer!

The CWSC is encouraging students aged 15-17, with parental consent, to register at cwsc.us as technical consultants because a great deal of work now is being done by younger people who understand the technology and use of social media at an earlier age than ever before. Technology and social media are critical to any organization with growth aspirations. There are “Zaid ibn Hariths” all around the nation now who can help advance model communities if we ask them to step forward.

CWSC is asking all adults too age 18+ who have an interest in helping advance community life to step up and share the gifts that Allah (SWT) has uniquely granted them. All of us no matter our age have something that only we can give from our intellect and heart, and that’s who we’re looking to register in the MCNRD.

Dr. Suluki is quick to emphasize, “We’re not looking for imams or non-imams, females or males, the degreed or non-degreed, the youth or the mature adult, we’re looking for the believer period!— and it’s not about whether or not we have initials in front of or behind our names, but it’s about freeing the group intellect to contribute to the best of its capacity.”

“We wanted to design a system that could provide the services free which is a big help especially to nonprofits. I’ve worked with many nonprofits and I know the challenges nonprofits face with respect to funding and technical support. While dollars can be a barrier to mission accomplishment, the greatest barrier is actually skilled resources. If you can get the right person with the right training, ideas and technical ability, and a commitment to help you, then what more can you ask for?” relates Sister Depretha.

What Imam Mohammed envisioned is no longer a dream deferred, and now every one of us can be a beneficiary of the blessings.

Registering in the MCNRD is very simple and takes only a couple of minutes. Visit here to complete either an individual or organization registration. Once registered, users will be welcomed and can access the database with their user ID and password. Organizations can request either remote or onsite assistance. Individuals can also collaborate within or across disciplines with one another.

CWSC Executive Director Mukhtar Muhammad reflected that this is a great day and a great time for us in America as he recalled, “It was first mentioned in the 1990’s by Imam Mohammed that we needed an intelligentsia and that if we had it, ‘we could work wonders in this country.’” Well, the Imam was right! Already as a result of the MCNRD, CWSC has been able to assemble talent across geographical and institutional boundaries.

We’re right now bringing together like-minded persons of different religions and ethnicities all across the country to work together to help remake the world. MCNRD together with the National Think Tank have led to the publishing of papers requested for presentation at the United Nations. AM360 and other intelligentsia components are staffed through the MCNRD. Other institutions have tapped into the MCNRD as well for legal and other consulting assistance at no cost.

Believers nationwide have made connections and made new working friendships they would otherwise never have enjoyed; and it’s all possible because of an aspiration and inspiration shared by our Imam and subsequently accomplished in the 21st century by the pioneering and visionary work of the late Imam Thomas Abdul Salaam (R), CWSC’s first director and founder of the American Muslim 360 Broadcasting Network.

Allah (SWT) tells us He never suffers to be lost the work of any one of us. We’re grateful for earlier pioneering efforts and all the believers that sought to make this day possible through the years; it should encourage us to stay on a task no matter how long it takes, if it’s a good thing and people need it and we all know we need it, then don’t worry about the challenges and the headwinds. Just keep struggling until Allah (SWT) makes a way for those inheriting the vision. What the Imam envisioned is no longer a dream deferred, and now every one of us can be a beneficiary of the blessings.”

A CWSC National Townhall will air live on AM360.org in February 2019 and will present the second in a 2-part series on learning about the MCNRD and VHRN. Stay tuned to AM360.org and visit the Events page at cwsc.us for more information.

About Community Wide Shuraa Conference, Inc.

Community Wide Shuraa Conference, Inc. (CWSC) is a faith-based national conference bringing together diverse human resources with the desire, knowledge and experience to help achieve the highest level of excellence in community life. Through its programs and intelligentsia components including think tank, speakers bureau, broadcasting center, and volunteer resource network, CWSC is unleashing and harnessing the full capacity inherent in the group intellect. Together we can remake the world.

CWSC is a non-partisan tax-exempt IRS Section 501(c)(3) public charity and does not discriminate on the basis of color, race, religion, ethnic or national origin in its community outreach. For more information, email info@cwsc.us or call (910) 317-0297. Visit cwsc.us and tune in daily to live and podcast programming at AM360.org.

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“Education is the greatest tool for advancing the society.” We do want to advance our society, don’t we? Are you a part of a society or are you just a part of a Masjid?”―Imam W. Deen Mohammed (RA)