Editor's Choice -- Ismaili Ignition -- Hazar Imam's simple suggestion for community progress

During the Diamond Jubilee, Mawlana Hazar Imam made a critical remark in Karachi:

"There should be a dialogue between the Jamat and our institutions, and this dialogue should be an ongoing process of thinking together, of what will best serve the Jamat ... So we are seeking community wisdom, the wisdom of the Jamat, as to what are its needs, and how best we can serve those needs."

His remark echos similar ones he's made before. For example:

"Let me emphasise that healthy institutions will tap the widest possible range of energies and insights." (2010, Canada)

"[Publics] are very, very wise. Public wisdom is not dependent on education." (2016, Canada)

"I have been amazed and thrilled, frankly, at the capacities of even the completely illiterate populations, to express themselves about the correct priority that should be addressed. And if you follow their agenda, nine times out of ten, you'll get it right!" (2002, Pakistan)

We feel the potential his suggestion has to inspire relevant, forward looking, critical progress within the community has been largely overlooked.

Thinking Together is an Ignition Proposal we feel can help implement Hazar Imam's wishes by the institutions making just one small change to their decision making processes.

Hazar Imam's remarks are identical in spirit to Open Innovation -- i.e. tap public wisdom to both generate and select ideas -- so we talked to Open Innovation expert, Dr. Karim Lakhani about Hazar Imam's suggestion. Dr. Lakhani said:

"[Hazar Imam] is actually saying what we often say: you want to actually have this iterative dialogue ... But then also, as he himself mentioned, the solutions may also in fact arrive from the Jamat. It’s an interesting model of -- if the Jamat has the questions and Jamat has the answers, then what is the role of the institutions?"

Please dedicate a bit of time to both pieces below for the extensive guidance from Hazar Imam we quote in Thinking Together and Dr. Lakhani's answer.

Best regards
Ismaili Ignition