REORIENTATION
1998 CONSTITUTION:The Constitution gives a unifying structure of governance to all Nizari Ismailis and their religiously-based institutions, who are established in more than 25 countries and territories around the globe. Due to the differing social, economic, and political realities faced by the mureeds, the constitution has built-in flexibility, allowing various communities the ability to propose rules and regulations unique to individual communities, while retaining the overall unity of framework with all other communities, through detailed provisions within the constitution.
EXTRACTS FROM GUIDANCE: “A vast decentralisation of decision-making is already occurring in many countries; it has the advantage of placing new responsibilities in the hands of local communities.... For the key to future progress will lie less in traditional top-down systems of command and control -- and more in a broad, bottom-up spirit of coordination and cooperation."
"Social progress, in the long run, will not be found by delegating a dominant role to any one player- but rather through multi-sector partnerships. And within each sector of society, diversity should be a watchword. Healthy communities must respect a range of educational choices ... The Ummah must become full and even leading participants in the Knowledge Society of the 21st Century. That will mean embracing the values of collaboration and coordination, openness and partnership, choice and diversity -- which will under-gird the Knowledge Society, learning constantly to review and revise and renew what we think we know -- learning how to go on learning. In the age of the Internet, knowledge is universally shaped, universally accessible, and universally applied. And successful institutions of learning must be global institutions.... In the Knowledge Society, productive research is most often partnership research ... sharing agendas and exchanging insights. New knowledge is a constantly unfolding gift of God -- but it is rarely something that is achieved in isolation."
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dxlUhZx8cU-OU3qlKzXdUDK3sCO99SpC/view?usp=drivesdk
Shared on Google Drive
drive.google.com
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dxlUhZx8cU-OU3qlKzXdUDK3sCO99SpC/edit
APPOINTMENT MEETING:The governance structure of the Jamat in Pakistan was established under the Ismaili Constitution ordained in 1986. Changes since then in the Jamat’s needs and priorities call for an in-depth review of the present structure with a view to considering such changes and amendments as would render the institutions more responsive to current and projected Jamati and national circumstances, more effective in their performance and easier to manage.
“We have to build a better functional system, it’s the collegiate responsibility of the National Council, and the Jamati leadership in Pakistan is more than qualified to do so. Keep in mind that I am searching for a fully functional system, it wasn’t possible before, but now I think we can get there. I would ask you to move it forward on the premise of reality, not on the premise of wishful thinking.
.....The realities are many different levels of needs and demographic presence in Pakistan and yet there is a single National Council that is addressing the whole set of different issues in different areas of the country, and it has to be responsible and sensitive to them. There are too many differentiated needs and these are massive. There are many matters which can be dealt uniformly countrywide. Look at this responsibility as being collegiate no matter what part of Pakistan you come from. There is collegiate responsibility for the whole of Pakistan. I would like you to accept the mandate to put this right progressively. We improve the system and the goal is to serve all the Jamat of Pakistan.
We have a system in Pakistan of Jamati governance and AKDN activities which is actually dysfunctional. What I have said to the leaders is that I have been aware of this dysfunctionality for a long time, but I have never put it on the table because it was not the right time. I put it to you now because at that time the environment was unpredictable. That is not the responsibility of any individual; it is the responsibility of the National Council as a collegiate body to function in the interest of all the Jamat throughout Pakistan.
I was seeking to place more responsibility at the regional council to monitor what is happening in their areas, so that the regional councils have a better understanding of what is happening in their region. I am trying to strengthen the capacity of the regional councils to do their work, and even correct or improve as time goes by.
I think what we need is a field driven system, and our organisation has to respond. If the field makes irrational requests then the system will collapse. So they have to function within certain parameters, and those parameters can be set during the policy and strategy discussion.
It would give much more focused monitoring to the National and Regional Councils. Judgments will have to be made. If you have a national education or health programme, you are not going to be able to cut it into little areas. We could do it with the financial Institutions - how much credit is going into which province, what is the deposit pattern from different provinces . We could look at health and education access on provincial basis. It would give us much more sophisticated monitoring devices than we have now. We could do it with financial institutions –. We could have more sophisticated monitoring devices than we have now ........."
- “To position the Jamat correctly for the next decades. serious issues and for you to understand where I would like the Jamat to be, Insha-Allah, in the world in 10 years, 15 years, 20 years.” 13 December 2008
WEBCAST:
"Societies can best strengthen themselves by mobilizing their own dynamic forces rather than relying on external support and direction." Imam has desired REORIENTATION since 2002; I have so far not succeeded in influencing the mindset of local leadership as well as institutions towards this direction, read and listen to this in the DJ webcast, as well as the speech on 19th January 2019 and Paris Peace Forum 11th to 13th Nov 2019 (https://www.akdn.org/)
Constitutional obligations of voluntary leadership applicable to all tiers (including LC):
5.6© Analyze fundamental problems confronting the Jamat and their relationship to underlying trends in the national and international development process, and set short range and long range goals for the Jamat.
CONCLUSION: Leadership and Institutions must follow the teaching by the Imam through his book published in 2007, CIVIL SOCIETY LEARNING MATERIAL and the new SECONDARY TALIMAT CURRICULUM as the BEDROCK towards building a BETTER TOMORROW as part of REORIENTATION AND THE SPIRIT OF 1998 CONSTITUTION.
https://iis.ac.uk
Venue for teaching Talim Curriculum
The leadership is aware that understanding of faith is based on two historical compilations viz:
DAS AVATAR compiled by Pir Suddruddin and practiced by mureeds of South and
WAJH-E-DIN/ZADUL-MUSAFIRIN compiled by Pir Nasir-e-Khusraw and serving as motivation for Northern Pakistan, Afghanistan as well as Central Asia.
In my knowledge and understanding Imam of the time has ensured the authentic shape of faith in the 21st century through the NEW TALIMAT CURRICULUM. It should not get limited for teaching youngsters in isolated class rooms instead the teaching must be conducted in JKs so that all shades of mureeds get access to the authentic shape of the faith. These set of twelve books must be available to all mureeds as hard copies as well as soft copies for all those who can not afford the cost of these books.
SPECIAL NOTE: The institutional leadership will agree that the source of all guidance in our faith is the Imam of the time.
I have recently shared a document listing the current age methods by which the guidance reaches both leaders as well as mureeds.
I would therefore hope and demand that the ITREB library must have - on priority - all written, audio and video records of Imamat guidance.
I recently visited the library in Hunza in search of following :
- Book titled “ Where Hope Takes Root: Democracy and Pluralism in an Independent World" - authored by the Imam. Download
- Set of TALIMAT (new curriculum ) published 2008 to 2012. Visit, expect it to be available for download in near future.
- Ismaili Constitution 1998. Download.
- CIVIL SOCIETY LEARNING MATERIAL; aimed at strengthening institutions - published 2007. Download
- Audio and video records of WEBCASTS, SPEECHES, INTERVIEWS and FARMANS. Visit and download
I would expect all tiers of leadership, especially Chairpersons of ITREB, to visit the library and ensure availability of all vital guidance emanating from the Imam.
Campaign:
As an Ismaili my belief is that “ulil-amr” is the Imam of the times. All institutions
and leaders appointed by him are there to implement his “amr” in the society. No circumstance allows anyone to violate or deviate from his policies and injunctions.
The violations/deviations that I see every day should not go unchallenged.
Sources:
1. Webcasts.
2. Firmans in the language in which they were delivered in general or exclusive to
a region, situation or group.
3. Appointment Meeting guidance to leadership in the form of approved notes in original.
4. Aide Memoire issued to an Institution or a leader either of confidential or personal confidential category.
5. Taliqas