Young Druze/Tawheed Professionals

THE YOUNG DRUZE PROFESSIONALS
Working Together for a Better Future

June 1st, 1996 Volume 2.1 Page 1

INSIDE

Published by The Young Druze Professionals

49 Williamsburg Drive

Roseland, NJ 07068

Wael Al-Ali Email: wali@vertex-corp.com Phone: (703) 204-1120 Fax: (703) 204-1121 Chakib R. Jaber Email : cjaber@li.net Phone: (516) 698-3613 Fax: (516) 736-8426

Nabil N. Kassem Email: nnkas@aol.com Phone: (201) 364-0240 Fax : (201) 228-4273

URL: http://www.vertex-corp.com/ydp

The YDP MESSAGE

Dear Members:

Our organization is fast approaching its first year in existence. Within this short period of time, the YDP has firmly established its organizational roots. We have created our database, a home page, a quarterly newsletter, a directory and most importantly we have replanted the seed of hope within the Druze community.

Although the YDP is growing across the country and indeed around the world, it is clear that we have not yet begun to realize our full potential. This begs the question, "what must we do to achieve our goals?

We believe that the solution is actually quite simple. What we need is you. Not just your name, or your address or telephone number in our database - not merely your support and enthusiasm during the convention - what we need, what our community needs, is constant involvement, support and input. We need you to speak up, leading by example and making yourself count. The time is now.

We can not rely on others to do what must be done. If you do not take action we will lose. We will have no one to blame but ourselves. Indeed, we should not look to blame anyone but ourselves. Every year we engage in dialogue with one another about the problems that plague our community, yet every year we allow them to continue. We at the YDP do not want people to just talk about problems, we want you to solve them. If you do not actively work towards achieving our goals, you are part of the problem. We are here to work towards a solution with the help and support of the ADS and the Druze community.

This year promises to be a banner year for the Druze community. The YDP will enter its first year of existence and the ADS will ring in it's 50th. We encourage all of you to attend this and every ADS convention. We hope and expect to see and hear from you in the near future.

Nabil N. Kassem

The New YDP Home Page

A new interactive application form has been added to the YDP home page. The new location (URL) is:

http://www.vertex-corp.com/ydp

Please make a note of it. This home page can be used to update your membership information and/or to add a new member. Check it out and give us your feedback. Please ask your friends who would like to become members to use this new form to register. If you do not have access to a net browser (e.g. Netscape, Mosaic ..etc) then just email/write/call us and we will be glad to send you an application form.

THE ADS CONVENTION

The ADS Convention will be held in Detroit Michigan. This year the YDP will be hosting a general meeting on Saturday, June 29th, from 1-3 P.M. For more information on the ADS and the upcoming convention, please contact the ADS at 1-800-MERCY55, or (212) 764-0546. Hope to see you there.

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A Note From a Friend:

I pass this note along to all of us who are working very hard (Chakib).

"Hello, I hope all is well, you seemed a bit down on the phone. Perhaps you were tired. It was late your time. I hope you will be patient as you extend your efforts in your life endeavors. There will be times when you will be discouraged, because things do not seem to be going as expected. Often times our expectations do not materialize right away. The key is to keep them realistic and maintain your personal integrity knowing that you do what you personally believe you should do."

Bobby Jaber

YDP Issues Update at a Glance

Changes for a better future

Our Organizational Status

Currently, the YDP is working to establish itself as a Non-Profit organization. This process is expected to take approximately 5-6 months.

The YDP Directory

The YDP directory will be mailed shortly after this newsletter. We have listed only those members who indicated that they wanted to be included in the directory. Unfortunately, this caused a large number of our members to be excluded. If you wish to be listed in the next directory please let us know. Pictures were not part of this release due to organizational and budgetary constraints.

Data Base Organization

Our data base is maintained through Access software. The management procedures are now finalized. Our system has been organized to provide us maximum flexibility. With this system in place, members can expect more from us in the future.

Email / Home Page

An on-line application has been added to our home page. Our future plans for the home page include updates on our latest activities in addition to a valuable business corner. We believe this will provide a common area of interest to our members as well as valuable business and contact information.

YDP Local Chapter's Activities

We have started to organize local contacts throughout the US and the world. Again, if anyone is interested in becoming an active local key member, please let us know. The only way we can grow is by working together as a team. So become an active member.

Members Comments/Views:

Dear brothers:

First and foremost, congratulations on a magnificent and inspiring newsletter!!! You have made us proud to be Druze. As American Druze, we have not taken advantage of the enormous possibilities available to us in this country. However, let us be warned that such an adventurous task (i.e. the YDP newsletter) has been attempted before and succeeded for a while but later on diminished. Such an end, I hope, will not befall the YDP. This idea was not a simple little notion but rather a well educated and wise decision which I hope the community will support. Again, I would like to congratulate the YDP and offer any kind of assistance necessary to keep this organization afloat for a long, period of time!!!

Sincerely Yours,

Nizam Samir Abdullah Najd

Marhaba ya ikhwan.

I was very pleased to read about the YDP and I congratulate the people behind it. My name is Wael Hariz, I am a Druze from Arsoun Lebanon, a village in the Metn area. I live in Sweden, but I am nevertheless as eager to get in touch with fellow Druze as any other Druze would be. Therefore, I hope the YDP will take measures to insure that Druze living outside the U.S. will participate in the organization. We may not be able to physically participate in all your activities due to obvious reasons, but we face the same problems that you are facing in the U.S. My suggestion is that you make it clear that all Druze qualifying and are welcome as YDP members.

Wishing you all the best,

Wael M. Hariz.

YPD Response

Dear Members:

Thank you for your support. We also recognize the importance of establishing this organization. Again, the Young Druze Professionals is an organization that has no boundaries. We have members world wide and we are growing day by day. We encourage all members of the Druze community to join. With the internet as a vehicle of communication there are no limits. We look forward for your support and help.

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