smokerings

From:	Zahoor Hassan	Sent:	Wed 10/12/2005 1:46 PM
To:	Faculty; Staff; 'a&vfaculty@lums.edu.pk'; STUDENTS
Cc:
Subject:	IMPORTANT DECISION REGARDING LUMS DISASTER RELIEF FUND (LDRF)

IMPORTANT DECISION REGARDING LUMS DISASTER RELIEF FUND (LDRF)

Dear Students, Faculty & Staff:

Based on careful discussion and deliberation, we have decided to ask faculty, staff and students to voluntarily contribute certain minimum amount to the LUMS Disaster Relief Fund (LDRF), to be deducted from/charged to their accounts (details given below).

With every passing hour it is becoming tragically obvious that we are facing one of the worst humanitarian crises *insert more official schpeil on the matter here*

Yesterday, we had announced a LUMS Disaster Relief Fund (LDRF) Target of Rs.10 Million to be reached by the end of this week. Many from the LUMS community have already stepped forward and contributed generously to the LDRF. However, before we look to our outside links and contacts, we have to clearly demonstrate and set the example that we who really constitute and make LUMS, have genuine empathy and a generous heart. We, as an institution have to show reliance on our own resources and commitment and lead from the front. We have to show that we can raise Rs. 10 Million on our own and once we do so many others will be much more galvanized to further contribute to this effort. In order to get to our target of Rs. 10 Million, after long and careful discussion and deliberation we have decided ask faculty, staff and students to voluntarily contribute the following minimum amount to LDRF, to be deducted from/charged to their accounts.:

All LUMS Faculty will contribute the equivalent of their two-days salary, every month for the next three months.

All LUMS Staff (with a salary over Rs. 25,000 per month) will contribute the equivalent of their two-days salary, every month for the next three months.

All Students will contribute Rs. 3500 (i.e. the equivalent of One Unit of education at LUMS).

LUMS will make deductions from the faculty and staff salaries (starting next month onwards) and bill the students for their contribution in their fee cards.

If a faculty or staff member is unwilling to make this contribution or feels that he or she does not have the financial capacity to make this contribution, they should inform the Dean of their respective school by email.

Students who are not willing or able to make this contribution should inform Ms. Samina Hafeez, Deputy Manager, Admissions and Student Services, (E.Mail: samina@lums.edu.pk)), by sending an email with their name, father’s name and roll number.

If at all you fall in the category of people who do not or cannot make this contribution, please send the aforementioned intimations by 12.00 noon on Friday, October 14.

We are sure that many of you are already making contributions to this very worthy cause in many other ways and through various other avenues. This, however, is an opportunity to do something through the common bond, avenue and institution that holds us together and gives us the identity of being associated with LUMS.

We will be keeping you posted on a daily basis as to the decisions and actions that have been taken pertaining to usage of LDRF. Last night a team of five experienced LUMS trekkers left for some remote villages of Bagh in NWFP under the superviison of Dr. Sohaib Khan and they were carrying Rs. 200,000 from LDRF for purchase of food items for people in the area as well as Rs. 60,000 worth of medicines and equipment. We will continue to collect cash, medicines and other provisions. The collections will be rapidly disbursed primarily through 1) Islamic Relief, and 2) Edhi Trust. Some funds will also be utilized to provide direct immediate support. At the same time, ideas for long-term contribution towards rehabilitation are also being discussed by committees constituting of faculty, staff and students and at the moment adoption of certain badly hit areas for constructing and sustaining tent villages and helping the local school and education system are being streamlined, in collaboration with local partners.

We, therefore, strongly urge and request you to support the spirit of this endeavour and contribute.

With best regards

Dr. Syed Zahoor Hassan
(Vice Chancellor)

Dr. Jawaid Ghani
(Dean - Suleman Dawood School of Business)

Dr. Anwar Khurshid
(Dean - School of Arts & Sciences)

some thoughts on the issue of institutionalized charity.

1) in our community (Ismaili, for those of you who dont know that about me yet) we dont give zakat. we fill out zakat waiver forms which are frankly a pain in the ass but ill get to that later. we are expected to contribute 12.5% of our salary every year in what we call dasond. no one reminds you to give dasond. no one offers to remove it from your paycheck, your bank account or assets. im not sure if theres even a fixed date by which you have to give it.
im sure there are people out there who dont pay dasond. im sure there are people who give less than theyre supposed to. but i can safely say that the majority of people take it out, all by themselves, whenever they can- end of the fiscal year, during eid, whatever- sometimes giving a fraction less, sometimes giving significantly more. they sit and calculate 12.5% all by themselves. take the initiative to go to the bank/atm and withdraw money. curse the bank/atm for being closed/not functioning/out to lunch. go back the next day. bother to find out WHERE to give the money, WHO to give it to. but somehow, by some miracle, people believe in that 12.5 strongly enough to go and do it all by themselves.

2) it annoys me when people create convenient loopholes for themselves. a clean, surgical, hassle-free removal of money from your bank account. given that your assets and reserves are revalued, devalued, go up and down all the time, i doubt it makes a difference. the act of parting with cash you earned is lost. the act of being motivated enough to go out of your way to give, Give... is lost.

3) if people arent giving, its NOT completely a lack of morals on their part. thats too easy. the cold, miserly, tightfisted Scrooge who doesnt care. the majority of people who dont give part of their money are NOT, by and large, Scrooges. theyre disconnected. targeting a lack of funds in the zakat pool (or the LDRF, for this matter) is TOO EASY- just take it out of their accounts. actually getting people to feel, to think, to give... make them feel part of a community, feel some responsibility is difficult. its cowardice to avoid that challenge. to critically look at society and think- where are we screwing up? where is the love, anyway? thats much more difficult than a couple of swift accounting measures.



im sorry guys... but as much as i try to love people in econ and accounts, theres always this one little thing, little slip... it can be a mental block when trying to comprehend concepts of NON-PROFIT-MOTIVATION or ambivalence/apathy towards the various ills of the world... they cant think beyond that, at the end of the day.. no matter how genuine their intentions are. sometimes some people go beyond that block. they are currently seriously questioning their choice of major/career.


finally... that little bit... "This, however, is an opportunity to do something through the common bond, avenue and institution that holds us together and gives us the identity of being associated with LUMS" we did that... all of yesterday, and the day before, and today... sacrificed mids, term papers, food, sleep, time, energy... and we'll be doing it for the next week, inshallah, if the need be. you are welcome to join us. you are welcome to be part of that. Give a little. do yourself the inconvenience... its not that bad.