EUROPEAN MUSLIM PROFESSIONALS’ "ACTION INCUBATOR" WORKSHOP November 16 - 21, 2008 Salzburg, Austria

Since September 11, 2001, Europe has seen an increase in social polarisation around the issues of minorities, immigration, integration and religion. In an environment of increased fear and suspicion, resulting partly from the threat of domestic terrorist attacks and the rise of extremist ideologies, negative perceptions of Islam and of the role of Muslims in democratic societies have emerged. These developments threaten not only European security but also social cohesion and the human rights and civil liberties traditions on which the freedom and prosperity of these societies have been built. In addition, discriminatory attitudes and practices have negative economic repercussions and curtail professional opportunities for significant parts of the population. Muslims and non-Muslims alike need to better understand each others' positions and predicaments, in order to bridge growing societal divides.

Governments have been trying to address these critical issues in many ways, with varying degrees of success. But governments cannot solve them on their own. There is a critical role for civil society and business to play, and Muslim citizens themselves, who have by now developed considerable expertise and understanding of the issues, need to be at the forefront in countering negative trends and inventing new tools and solutions.

Through the efforts of entrepreneurial young European Muslim professionals, a dynamic new platform is being established to help solve some of the critical problems at hand, by encouraging creative initiatives, generating new opportunities to promote change, and developing persuasive arguments against violent ideologies. This platform will be a professional organization, through which these young Muslims hope to promote new ideas and start entrepreneurial initiatives capable of reaching out to the approximately 20 million Muslims living in Europe today. It will be launched at a special conference or "incubator workshop" in Salzburg, Austria - hosted by the Salzburg Global Seminar - from Nov. 16 to 21, 2008. In this workshop, competing ideas will be assessed in facilitated closed sessions and the best of them will be turned into business plans that have merit and market appeal. The aim is then to match the best ideas with private-sector backing, so that important initiatives can get under way in four specialized fields/sectors.

Also, with a view to replicating and sustaining these efforts, participants in the workshop will explore the creation of an action-oriented pan-European network of Muslim professionals, through which emerging young Muslim leaders across the continent would join together to encourage new initiatives and strategies for change. A growing number of young Muslim professionals have begun to create local professional networks to help support their professional aspirations and address common challenges. Beyond the practical benefits that these networks provide for their members, they also foster role models for younger European Muslims and help to broaden the range of choices open to the next generation as they make decisions about their future careers.

As a leading body for Muslim-led social entrepreneurship and innovation, the European Muslim Professionals Action Network will develop links, both amongst Muslim professionals and with mainstream networks involving other communities, to create opportunities, mentor and empower the next generation of Muslim women and men, provide alternatives to violent extremist narratives, and connect like-minded people to stimulate the production of new initiatives and services in a variety of sectors. Simultaneously, by giving this group more voice and visibility across the board, the network will challenge widespread false perceptions of Muslims, highlighting the varied contributions they make in their societies, communities and economies.

ACTIVITIES

The "Action Incubator" workshop will be held from November 16 to 21, 2008 in Salzburg, Austria, to do two things:

1. Bring together a select group of young Muslim entrepreneurs and thinkers to develop and launch vital new business-minded initiatives in five critical spheres/sectors with the help of non-governmental and private-sector funding mechanisms; and
2. Launch a European Muslim Professionals Action Network to replicate and sustain these efforts.

• Information and Communications Technology
• Media, Communications and Publishing
• Policy and Politics
• Women's Empowerment
• Professional Networking

Additionally, the aim is to launch the European Muslim Professional Action Network itself, and to develop an agenda and goals for its first year in operation. Among these will be the aim to facilitate its members' participation in wider programmes and mainstream professional networks, not necessarily linked to "Muslim issues and engagement" but vital to expanding the aggregate opportunities and influence of Network members within society as a whole.

In addition to the core participants, a handful of leading figures will be invited to share their experiences in the five key domains. Representatives of the private and philanthropic sectors will also be invited - in particular as potential backers for the proposals that emerge.

OBJECTIVES

• To develop technology platforms and resources which appeal to young European Muslims and can compete effectively with violent extremist narratives on the internet;
• To encourage young Muslims to engage in public and political affairs, including by seeking and winning elected office;
• To launch initiatives aimed at economically, socially and politically empowering European Muslims, particularly women;
• To facilitate strategic interventions in public debates and fora, so as to enable alternative voices to be heard and have constructive influence - in the media and in policy decisions;
• To connect younger European Muslim professionals to mainstream networks and channels of influence (i.e. major business, government, think tank and academic networks);
• To increase "fair and balanced" media coverage of Muslims and Islam in both minority and mainstream media in Europe, and to combat media exploitation of violent ideology;
• To foster a durable pan-European Muslim Professionals Action Network which can sustain innovation and action in the above areas and provide mentoring and role models for the next generation.

The Salzburg Global Seminar is a unique international institution focused on global change - a place dedicated to candid dialogue, fresh thinking and the search for innovative but practical solutions. Founded in 1947, it challenges current and future leaders to develop creative ideas for solving global problems, and has brought more than 25,000 participants from 150 countries and regions to take part in its programmes.

The Salzburg Global Seminar convenes imaginative thinkers from different cultures and institutions, organizes problem-focused initiatives, supports leadership development, and engages opinion-makers through active communication networks, all in partnership with leading institutions from around the world and across different sectors of society. It seeks in its participants men and women of the highest intellectual calibre from government, business, academe, and the non-profit sector. These emerging leaders of thought and action engage and provoke each other with radical ideas, inspired and challenged by experienced and highly qualified "faculty" from all sectors and regions of the world to produce new perspectives, ideas and insights, and to apply them to their work. The Seminar thus seeks to magnify the impact of individuals and institutions that bring just and humane values to bear on the global challenges facing their societies and the world.

The Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) is a London-based policy organization working with global leaders in the private and public sectors to challenge the long-range threats to international and inter-communal peace and to enhance Europe's capacity to be a coherent and effective player in the world. Through a range of specialised task forces, 'action programmes' and closed policy meetings with heads of government, the Institute works to foster leadership and stability in Europe's wider neighbourhood with the overarching aim of bridging potentially dangerous communal, religious and political divides.

The Institute's Islam in Europe Programme works to advance a better cross-European understanding and policy approaches that balance security and social requisites. It has also established and facilitates a network of chief policy planners from seven European countries focused on countering polarization and radicalisation. The ISD Scholarships and Leadership Programme run with Oxford University cultivates a network of the most promising young leaders from Europe's wider neighbourhood, including the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia and Eastern Europe. The Cultural Bridges Initiative has developed ties with the Arab word through the launch of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction while the Institute's Global Media Initiative has brought together a network of senior editors and journalists from across the Arab and Western worlds to assess the impact of their reporting on public perceptions and inter-communal relations.