5th West Platform Civic Convention
The 2025 West Platform Civic Convention brought together more than 200 Hizmet volunteers and community leaders from across 13 Western states for a weekend of reflection, collaboration, and forward planning. Hosted at Embassy Suites Milpitas and BAYCC, the gathering carried the theme Legacy in Action: Building Hizmet’s Future. Over two full days, participants explored how the spirit of vefa—faithful remembrance and gratitude—can be translated into new forms of service, education, and dialogue in today’s world.
A Warm and Grounded Gathering
From the very first moments, the tone was clear: sincere, welcoming, and hopeful. The opening dua and welcome remarks set a spiritual and emotional foundation, honoring those who have built the Hizmet movement in the West while inviting everyone to imagine what the next chapter could look like. That sense of continuity, of legacy being both honored and renewed, echoed throughout the weekend.
The atmosphere remained calm and collaborative even amid a packed schedule. Cross-state teams mixed naturally during meals and sessions, sharing ideas and best practices in hallways and over tea. With thoughtful touches like onsite childcare, designated prayer spaces, and shared dinners, families and volunteers were able to stay fully present. The result was an event that felt less like a conference and more like an extended family reunion with purpose.
Saturday evening’s Spiritual Legacy Program at BAYCC wove remembrance, readings, and a brief musical-theater segment into a moving reflection on Hizmet’s journey. The night concluded with the Hizmet Awards, celebrating both visible and behind-the-scenes contributions across the West. Attendees described the evening as heartfelt, clarifying, and deeply moving, with several noting it as the highlight of the weekend.
Anchoring the Theme
Each keynote deepened the theme in a unique way.
Dr. Reşit Haylamaz’s talk, “The Heart’s Language: The Accent of Deeds,” reminded attendees that service must flow from sincerity rather than spectacle.
Jerald Whitehouse reflected on Hizmet’s legacy in today’s world, connecting its roots to broader interfaith and public good efforts.
Nihal Koç Şahan and Hilal C. closed the keynote series with “The Language of Compassion,” offering both practical and emotional wisdom on nurturing empathy within service.
Participants repeatedly named these sessions as highlights, not only for their content, but for the atmosphere of warmth and reflection they created.
Learning, Building, and Sharing
The summit’s structure combined inspiration with hands-on collaboration. Four rounds of breakout sessions spanning Youth & Guidance, Dialogue & Outreach, Education, Communications & Media, Operations & Fundraising, and Women & Family invited attendees to exchange concrete ideas and reflect on what’s working locally. Each room had live Q&A and brainstorming periods, followed by a main-stage evaluation session where headline takeaways were shared.
Best-practice spotlights throughout the weekend showcased successful local projects such as OC Around the Table, a dialogue initiative from Southern California; a medical internship partnership in Nigeria; the emerging Youth Advisory Council; new developments in chaplaincy; and sessions on digital engagement, grant navigation, and publication readership. These examples underscored the creativity and reach of Hizmet communities across the region.
The Young Professionals and Youth Collective kickoff became a turning point of its own. The enthusiasm among younger participants signaled a readiness to take on leadership and design new micro-sessions for future gatherings, a clear sign that the next generation of service is already in motion.
Strengthening BAYCC’s Mission
Beyond the individual sessions, the summit directly advanced BAYCC’s broader goals:
Community Cohesion and Belonging:
A consistently warm and hospitable atmosphere, reinforced by high satisfaction scores (~4.5/5), strengthened BAYCC’s reputation as a trusted home base for volunteers across the region.
Youth Development and Leadership:
The Youth Collective kickoff inspired participants to expand youth-led initiatives, showing clear momentum in leadership development.
Dialogue and Public Good:
Sessions on chaplaincy, advocacy, and inter-Muslim dialogue gave participants practical language, safeguards, and toolkits to take home.
Education and Cultural Transmission:
Heritage and language workshops reaffirmed BAYCC’s commitment to education and inspired families to adapt these programs locally.
Capacity Building:
Trainings on communications, grant-writing, and digital outreach provided local teams with tools to scale their work.
Inclusivity and Access:
Onsite childcare, prayer spaces, and shared meals embodied BAYCC’s belief that everyone belongs.
Feedback and Reflections
Of the 15 post-event surveys received, the average satisfaction rating was about 4.5 out of 5.
Participants consistently praised the evening program, hospitality, and smooth organization. Networking opportunities and the Agorify app, which centralized resources and session Q&A, were also well received.
Areas for improvement included requests for longer Q&A periods, earlier resource uploads, clearer signage, and expanded programming for youth and women. Several attendees also suggested offering session recordings or summary packets for those unable to attend every workshop.
“Everything was wonderful… the care, refreshments, and sincerity moved us deeply. May God not let your efforts go to waste.” — Arizona
“The meals were delicious, and the book display was very well thought out. Thanks to the NorCal team.” — Southern California
“The talks by Reşit Haylamaz and Selçuk Camcı were truly special.” — Seattle
“The organization and order were excellent.” — Northern California
Looking Ahead
The 2025 Leadership Summit closed with a sense of renewal. Participants left with concrete plans, strengthened bonds, and a shared conviction that Hizmet’s legacy is not static; it is alive, growing, and ready to serve new needs.
With gratitude to all who contributed—from speakers and volunteers to hosts and families—BAYCC looks ahead to building on this momentum, ensuring that legacy in action remains more than a theme: it becomes a way of serving, learning, and belonging together.