World Memon Organisation Information

1. The World Memon Organisation ("the WMO") has been formed as an international umbrella organisation in order to unite Memon organisations, institutions, corporate bodies, associations, jamaats and individuals. The purpose of the WMO is to act as the central Memon organisation representing the entire Memon community throughout the world, promoting the advancement, upliftment, unity, welfare and well-being of all Memons in all aspects of life and at all times in accordance with Islamic principles. The WMO is a non-profit-making organisation incorporated by guarantee and not having a share capital, whose registered office is situated in England and Wales. 2. The principle aims and objectives of the WMO are :• to make co-ordinated and concerted efforts to resolve the economical, educational, social, cultural, medical, rehabilitation and all other problems faced by the Memon community;• to foster better community relations between all religious, social, ethnic and national groups for the good of society as a whole;• to create direct links between Memon individuals, jamaats, associations, corporate bodies, institutions and organisations throughout the world in order to harness the talents, expertise and general efforts of the Memon community as a whole for the mutual benefit of its members;• to work for the alleviation of poverty in the Memon community and to improve the quality and standard of living of its members;• to protect, maintain and promote the culture, language and dignity of Memons;• to promote unity, understanding and tolerance amongst the Memon community;• to carry out any such projects that will promote, advance and uplift the general welfare and well-being of the Memon community;• to strive for the eradication of any disadvantages and all forms of discrimination faced by Memons in particular and Muslims generally and to co-operate with such other national or international organisations having similar aims and objectives;• to facilitate the promotion of education at all levels and to recognise and honour outstanding students and scholars of the Memon community with awards, scholarships and financial assistance based on their needs and merits. 3. Since only some but not all of these objectives can be defined for the purposes of English law as being charitable, a linked yet legally independent charity called the World Memon Organisation Charitable Foundation ("the WMOCF") has been established to assist particularly but not exclusively in fulfilling any aims of the WMO as are exclusively charitable. The WMOCF is a non-profit-making charity incorporat-ed by guarantee and not having a share capital, whose registered office is situated in England and Wales. 4. The principal objects of the WMOCF are :• to assist and promote the religious, technical and professional, general and further education of Memons;• to protect and promote the cultural and religious identity, customs and language of the world wide Memon community;• to advance and promote the welfare and well-being of the world wide Memon community by relieving poverty, sickness, distress and suffering of any persons who are in need irrespective of their race, caste, nationality and creed;• to advance and promote other charitable purposes for the benefit of the worldwide Memon community by providing recreational facilities and activities in the interests of social welfare with the object of improving the conditions of life for those Memons in need of such facilities; and• to advance and promote the faith and religious practices of Islam amongst the world wide Memon community. 5. The objectives of the WMO can only be effectively achieved if the WMO represents and assists as many members of the Memon community as possible. The Constitution of the WMO accordingly seeks to ensure that the larger national organisations, the smaller local and regional institutions, corporate bodies both large and small and individuals are all represented, in a manner which is practical and workable. As well as having a central Secretariat, the WMO has Regional Chapters. 6. The governance of the WMO rests with the General Assembly and its duly appointed and elected Board of Management ("the Board") and its elected Office Bearers ("the Executive Committee"). 7. The General Assembly is comprised of the chosen representatives of the various world wide Memon communities' own national organisations, local and regional institutions, corporate bodies and individuals, including WMO Patrons and also the Trustees of the WMOCF, who are all entitled to vote for and elect, every 2 years, some but not all of the members of the Board of Management ("the Board") of the WMO. 8. Apex Members are permitted 5 voting representatives, Institution Members 2 voting representatives and Corporate Members 1 voting representative, while Individual Members may be heard at General Assembly Meetings, may stand for election to the Board and are also permitted to vote. Non-Memon organisations - who are permitted 1 voting representative - and individuals are eligible to become Associate Members, subject to the Board's approval, but may not vote or stand for election. 9. The Standing Orders of the WMO, which can be amended by the Board as and when necessary, further outline the rules for accreditation and affiliation, the composition of the General Assembly and of the Board and how elections are to be conducted, and set out the different levels of subscription for the different categories of membership. The annual subscription for Apex Members is higher than that for Institution and lower than that for Corporate Members. There is provision for both annual and life subscriptions for Individual Members, Associate Members and Patrons and for life subscriptions for Trustees of the WMOCF. 10. As regards the members of the Board who are to be elected, the Constitution and Standing Orders provide for different numbers of members of the Board to be elected from different regions of the world, these numbers reflecting the presence of Memon communities worldwide. At present the allocation is : 10 from Pakistan, 10 from India, 5 from Africa, 5 from Europe, 5 from America, 5 from the Middle East, and 5 from Other Countries. The Constitution also ensures that at least 5 lady members and 10 Patrons are entitled to be elected, from anywhere in the world. 11. As regards the members of the Board who are to be appointed, the Constitution and Standing Orders of the WMO provide that 1 representative from each Apex Body and all Trustees of the WMOCF who pay a Trustee's Life Subscription shall be appointed to the Board. In addition, the duly elected and appointed members of the Board are themselves entitled to co-opt as Board members any 5 people whose skills and expertise will benefit the WMO and the people it represents. 12. The members of the Board elect from amongst themselves, every 2 years, the Office Bearers of the WOM who are : the President, the Deputy President, 7 Vice-Presidents (1 from each national region), the Secretary General, the Deputy Secretary General, 7 Assistant Secretaries General, (1 from each national region), the Treasurer, and the Deputy-Treasurer. The Secretariat is located wherever the Secretary General for the time being resides. Each term of office is for 2 years. No Office Bearer can serve more than 2 terms of office for the same office consecutively. The Office Bearers constitute the Executive Committee of the WMO. The Board is also entitled to appoint any one person of high standing as Patron in Chief, Honorary Patrons, Honorary Life Members and Honorary non-Memon Associate Members who may be heard at General Assembly Meetings but who may not vote or stand for election. 13. All members of the Board take the following oath when first elected :"May Allah bear witness that in the discharge of my duties as a Member of the Board of Management of the World Memon Organisation, I shall at all times seek to serve the Memon community in particular and Muslims in general and to work for the common good in accordance with the Holy Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace." 14. In seeking to fulfil the aims and objectives of the WMO all members are reminded that the WMO is intended to be :• an accord of Memon organisations, institutions, corporate bodies, associations, jamaats and individuals which are established in different parts of the world;• an independent body, informed and guided by the Noble Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in all its aims, objectives, policies and procedures with a view to promoting and facilitating consultation, co-operation and co-ordination in Memon community affairs throughout the world;• a broad-based, representative organisation of Memons, accommodating and reflecting the diversity of the social, cultural and international backgrounds of the entire Memon community;• a body that shall endeavour to formulate, implement and utilise its policies and decisions on the basis of broad consensus and the largest practicable measure of common agreement;• a body that shall endeavour to utilise the talents and specialist skills of its individual members and the strengths and resources of its organised bodies in preparing the case for, and advocating, the responsibilities and rights of Memons in particular and Muslims generally worldwide;• a non-sectarian and non-political body working for the common good while recognising the independence and autonomy of individuals and organisations and their respective works in the community of their domicile.