Co-ordination in Social Work
A Global Strategy For Memons
Prepared by:
Mr. Iqbal AKM Sacranie OBE - Chairman Board of Trustees, Memon Association UK. Mr. Nowsad A.Gani, Hon. President, Memon Association UK. Mr Haroon Karim, Vice President, Memon Association UK. Mr. Abba Ali Yousuf, Hon. General Secretary, Memon Association UK. Mr. Bashir Sattar, Trustee, Memon Association UK. Mr. Mohammed Bashir, Trustee, Memon Association UK. and other Memon Association UK Delegates

Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Raheem
In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate

Asalamu Alaikum

We are grateful to Almighty Allah for giving us this wonderful opportunity of being here amongst members of our community from different parts of the world. I, on behalf of the delegation from the Memon Association UK, would like to congratulate the organisers, sponsors and the Supreme Council for their unique effort in organising this historic two day Convention, where many of our distinguished Memons from all over the world have gathered with a purpose, vision and an objective to make this event a great success.

I, together with all my colleagues from the UK, pray to Allah (SWT) that He bless this Convention with success and grant the Memon Community many more such occasions accompanied with the feeling of real brotherhood and sincere affection among each other. Ameen.

INTRODUCTION

I have great pleasure in presenting our paper on the subject of 'Co-ordination in Social Work'. As the words indicate, it entails a beginning of a new era, of selfless and dedicated service for the Memon Community at global level. This will attract a growing number of young and elderly Memons from around the world to participate in various social activities, which a new umbrella body will be able to provide to the Memon community. The emphasis, however, of a new umbrella body needs to be one of co-ordination through consultation and of providing direction for the Memon community as a whole, on a global basis.

There is a need for a global strategy now to deal with issues of mutual concerns to all Memons. Furthermore, never before has such a body ever been set up. This is the first occasion where thoughts and ideas are being put together for such a body that has great potential for the general welfare and prosperity of the Memon community worldwide.

With the fever of Globalisation fully rife the world is becoming a smaller place and the sharing of ideas and vision of common areas of interest and goals will enable the worldwide Memon community to become a recognised and an important group. The aims of co-ordination will Insha-Allah bring great results, which will put the entire community of Memons worldwide firmly on the map.

At the very outset we need to clarify and put the record straight why we are emphasising on the word "Memon" and Memon community, when we are all Muslims and part of the Muslim community. There is some concern with in the Memon community who feel strongly that there is no need to talk about our cultural identity as it tantamounts to discrimination and therefore un-Islamic.

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At the very beginning I read a translation of a verse from the Holy Quran where Almighty mentions " and made into Nations and Tribes that you may know each other". (The Qura'n) It is a well-known fact that the very word "Memon" is derived from the word Mo'min which basically means a pious person with virtue and piety. It is also a well-known fact that with the blessings of Imaan, Memon community throughout the world has contributed millions of pounds towards setting up Islamic Institutions, Mosques, Orphanages, Community and Recreational Centres and Educational establishments. They have done it as Memons for the benefit of Memons and Muslims alike. Secondly, it has been emphasised in number of Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) whether its to do with finding marriage partners, distribution of Zakat or establishing relationships that we should give priority to our family, relatives, community, Muslims and then mankind at large. The famous saying "Charity begins at home" is relevant and should be re-emphasised. Finally, it is the greatness and barakah of our name, "Memon" which once upon a time was synonymous to philanthropy and honesty, needs to be brought to the centre stage in world affairs. This is desperately needed for our new generation who are loosing fast their sense of identity as Memons. It is crucial that we enhance our image as virtues and pious people and put into practice the deeds that would reflect our identity as a community that fulfils its duty to its Creator. I will now expand on above issues by identifying key areas of how we can progress further.

OUR PREAMBLE SHOULD BE:
We as members of the Memon community aspire to work for the upliftment of Memons in all spheres of life, throughout the world. We also need to preserve and enhance our identity so that we can play positive and constructive role in the national affairs of our country of residence and also world at large. We must remember that the community relationship is not limited to any particular group of people but is open to all Memons worldwide, without any caste or creed. At all times we shall be guided by the following verses of the Holy Qura'n:

"Enjoying what is right, forbidding what is wrong, and believing in Allah"
(The Qura'n, 3:110);
"Hold fast, all together, to the bond with Allah and be not divided"
(The Qura'n, 3:103);
"Help one another to virtue and God- consciousness and do not help one another to sin and transgression"
(The Qura'n, 5:2).

THE DECLARATION OF INTENT:

a) The new Body shall be an accord of Federations, organisations, association and institutions etc run by Memons throughout the world. It shall be informed and guided by the Quran and the Sunnah in all its aims, policies and procedures;
b) It shall be an independent Memon Body working to promote consultations, co-operation and co-ordination of Memon affairs throughout the world;
c) It shall be a non-sectarian Body working for the common good without interfering in, displacing or isolating any existing work in the community by Memon organisations;
d) It shall be a broad-based, representative organisation of Memons throughout the world, accommodating and reflecting the variety of social and cultural backgrounds and outlook of the community;
e) It shall be a Body that will have its policies and decisions based on consensus and the largest practicable measure of common agreement;
f) It shall be a formally constituted Body with a system of representation, accountability and transparency;
g) It shall be a Body that will seek to draw on the talents and specialist skills of individuals and the strengths of organised bodies to meet the great challenges ahead in preparing the case for, and advocating, the responsibilities and rights of Memons living throughout the world.

WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO?
A lot of hard groundwork and interest needs to be devoted, to have a new organised Body in place in order to achieve the aims and objectives of 'Co-ordination in Social Work.' This would indeed require co-operation from all Memons internationally. A young sixteen years old and a grandfather who is on pension can be as helpful as an active young middle-aged Memon, for the new movement to start, develop and prosper.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:
The objectives of the new Body shall be manifolds as under:

a) To promote co-operation, consensus and unity on Memon affairs throughout the world; in order to assist financially and/or otherwise such members of the Memon community, who are poor and needy;
b) To encourage and strengthen all existing efforts being made for the benefit of the entire Memon community; in order to advance the education and meet the recreational needs of Memon children in accordance with the tenets and doctrines of Islam;
c) To work for a more enlightened appreciation of Islam and Muslims in the wider society; and to render help to establish facilities for the performance of religious activities, marriages, deaths etc., as and where needed;
d) To work for the eradication of disadvantages and forms of discrimination faced by Memons; and to work in co-operation and to co-ordinate with such national or international organisations having similar aims and objects;
e) To foster better community relations and work for the good of society as a whole;
f) To establish a position for the Memon community throughout the world; and where needed, to construct, erect, purchase, lease, sublease, receive as a donation, gift or grant any property or dispose of or replace any movable assets in the name of the new body, subject to such consents as may be required by the law of the land.
g) To promote and encourage the continued use of our community language "Memoni" and to transform into a fully-fledged written scripts.

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PURPOSE AND THE ULTIMATE GOAL:
The purpose and the ultimate goal of the new Body would be to advance social welfare activities in all parts of the world with the ultimate aim to ensure that not a single Memon in any part of the world is suffering from poverty and to ensure that every Memon child is given the opportunity for basic education. This would wipe out poverty and illiteracy throughout the Memon community. This will give us an opportunity of recognising various talents in academic field and community welfare.

OUR VISION:
Our vision would be to create a direct link of interdependence and interrelationship, a bridge where all Memons of the world can come together on a single platform joining hands in mutual respect, togetherness and work for mutual benefit - creating a bold future embodied in the Memon world.

HOW TO ACHIEVE THE ABOVE?
The above will be a mighty task and will have to be achieved at the cost of everyone's time, efforts, money and many uncountable sacrifices. We are confident that our efforts in this noble cause would not go in vain. The need for vigorous participation of our community members from different part of the world in the formation of a new Body would undoubtedly bring success, security and future prosperity for all Memons in the world.

So far, I hope we have given a broad picture for the establishment of a new umbrella Body. I am confident that there are many Memon organisations in various parts of the world who could not be present today but who would be willing to join this new Body.
We must move forward and build ourselves for better future.

STRUCTURAL FRAMEWORK:
It is important to know what the structural framework will be for the new Body for co-ordination of social work. In that it will be embedded in a tradition of values, beliefs and guiding principles for individual behaviour. One may have to look much beyond a formal organisation to fully comprehend our structure. Over a period of time the management process will blend into the cultural fabric of the new organisation; becoming the medium to translate the shared vision into reality. Planning has to become a way of life and not a mere tool.

The administrative structure of the new Body would support and undertake worldwide Memon community welfare work. The implementation of the vital aspects of the organisation's strategy and policies will provide the necessary feel of the operating Body. The overall new structure would be broadly composed of: A General Assembly (the General Body), consisting of all Members of the new Body; A Central Management Committee; Specialist Committees; A Board of Trustees. FUNCTIONAL STRUCTURE: The administrative structure would support the above-mentioned structural framework of the new Body. The functional structure should consist of the following areas of operations: Central Secretariat Central Treasury Committee Human Resources Group Central Co-ordination Group Information and Technology Centre Support Centres

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DESCRIPTION OF FUNCTIONS:
A broad description of the roles of constituent units in the above-mentioned structure can be described as under:

Central Secretariat:
This will assist in implementing specific strategic community plans developed by the Central Management Committee. It will seek commitment and collaboration for the successful execution of community plans.

Central Management Committee:
This will be the principal organ of management at operational level, which will be the force for creating the commonality of vision and enforcing the strategic and community plans to realise the vision set by the General Assembly.

Central Treasury Committee:
This Committee would be able to develop budget projections and be responsible for funding requirements of the new organisation. It would respond to the funding of overall strategic and community plans in order to follow it through for implementation and realisation of results.

Board of Trustees:
The assets of the new Body will be in the name of the Trustees who shall be appointed, either through nomination or election. They must represent different regions of the world.

Human Resources Committee:
This will be the catalyst for the co-ordination of human resources and requirements of the new Body. Furthermore, it will make use of the capability of human resources and promote an environment of co-operation and commitment throughout the organisation.

Information and Technology Committee:
This committee will determine the role technology will play in the implementation of the new Body's strategy. It would also plan the procurement of technological resources to achieve the desired objectives of the organisation.

Support Centres:
The relevance and the contribution of Support Centres will be expected to take on greater role. They will jointly be responsible with the heads of the respective units. With their support they will ensure success of respective operations in order to match the global vision of the organisation.

OTHER FUNCTIONS:

Research Work:
The scale of impact that any organisation can have depends on the data/information available to it. The Central Management Committee would have to effect a programme under a specialist committee, whose role would be to research and compile information on the Memon population worldwide, With a view to collect data on numbers, age ranges, professionals, businesses etc.

Donations:
It is a fact that Memons individually and in organisations worldwide, raise and distribute unilaterally, estimated millions of pounds in Zakaat/Sadakaas and other forms of donations. If the new body, centrally collected and distributed these funds once the data as aforesaid was compiled, then the donations would surely be utilised in a more effective way in assisting and meeting the needs of the poor, avoiding duplications of efforts and costs.

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Education:
The new Body would also have to identify in its aforesaid research the educational needs of young Memons internationally with a view to setting up a Central Fund in order to provide Bursaries (Scholarships) and indeed consider embarking upon the establishment of a Memon College/University.

Financing the New Body:
In order to function effectively, the new body would be requiring financial resources. Therefore, consensus amongst participants would be sought in how to raise the required funds.

Membership:
Ordinary Membership by subscription of the new body should be open to any and all Memon organisations, federations, foundations and institutions, irrespective of their background or origin. Consideration should be given to different categories of membership such as Associate Membership, which can be made available to some distinguished individuals (Patrons) and businesses. Life Membership is also another category, which can be considered.

Office Bearers:
The Office Bearers shall be elected from the Central Management Committee. They shall not serve the same office for more then two terms consecutively of two years each. This will ensure that the new Body will remain a service providing body and not a leadership Body revolving on personalities.

The New Body - Suggested Names:
The name of the new Body will need to reflect and articulate the organisational structure and its role. One of the following names may be appropriate once the structure and purpose of the Body have been agreed upon;
International Organisation of Memons ('IOM');
World Organisation of Memons ('WOM');
Organisation of World Memons ('OWM');
World Memon Federation ('WMF').

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY:
The International Memon Convention in Dubai should mandate the establishment of a Preparatory Committee, whose task shall be to carry out the process of consultation in different countries and to prepare for the first General Assembly Meeting, where a formal Constitution and Standing Orders are adopted. A Central Secretariat needs to be established, which will liase with members of the Preparatory Committee, whose members will be from different countries. This will then prepare the necessary documentation for approval by the General Assembly.

CONCLUSION:
We have set ourselves a very ambitious but achievable target on the basis of a vision to bring together a unified and a powerful community, which has a unique history of belonging, commitment dedication and achievement in business, social and community work.

We, at the Memon Association UK, would like to convey this pledge to the new organisation that we are determined to support and assist them throughout to fulfill our dream of having an international Body of Memons, which commands the respect of both Memons and non-Memons alike.

We seek the help and guidance from our Creator Allah, as well as understanding and cooperation from all of our Memon colleagues internationally. We feel very strongly that none of our achievements will be possible without the support from our community members.

We should take up this challenge, for not just the sake of achieving our common goal, and the fulfillment of our joint desire, but we ask with all humility for a helping hand in giving better service to our Memons in all parts of the world.

Our future and the future of our new generation of Memons is an establishment of an umbrella Body.

Finally, may I, on behalf of the UK. Delegation, thank the organizers of the Memon International Convention 2001, for giving us the opportunity to present this paper on this vital subject which if implemented, will lay the foundation for the future prosperity of the Memon community.

May Allah Almighty ease our tasks and grant us success in pursuing our noble objectives,
Ameen

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