The Ihsan Project

September 25th, 2012 in HSC 1A4 from 4-6 PM

Let’s make beauty happen. You DON’T want to miss this.
ANYONE and EVERYONE is invited!

Now part of Mac Peace Week 2012!
FREE PIZZA!

Facebook Event Page:https://www.facebook.com/events/367118553363645/
Please RSVP on the Facebook event page if you plan on coming- we would like to have a tentative head count ( it would also be nice to know how many pizzas to order)!

Hello/Greetings of Peace,


My name is Chaudhry Zarak Aslam. During this academic year, I will be serving as the Director of Social Services for the Muslim Students' Association (MSA) at McMaster. My plan is to launch an initiative called "The Ihsan Project" and its goal can be broadly summarized as "Making beauty happen." One of the objectives of this initiative is to bring the various projects undertaken by religious and social service clubs at McMaster to light, and to provide the opportunity for members of different clubs to mutually assist each other in their respective charitable initiatives. For example, members of the Jewish Students' Association helping out the MSA with our Orphan Sponsorship Program, or members of the MSA helping the Red Cross Society at McMaster in collecting donations for one of their charitable ventures (i.e. Sudan Week of Action).

In this way, we can all help each other increase in the total "volume of good" and overall impact of our respective initiatives by involving a greater number of students. Additionally, it would be a great forum by which students from different backgrounds and with varying interests can mingle and learn about or, even, from each other. This will also provide an opportunity for those who do not have the time to be full time club members to take part, and perhaps even develop a greater interest, in activities related to causes that they support.

Whatever our individual differences may be- they are important and should be discussed in the proper forum. In the meanwhile, why not capitalize on that which we can all agree upon as "good"?

I hope that this idea is as enticing to you as it is to me and, in this spirit, I would like to invite you all to the inaugural meeting of the The Ihsan Project next week on September 25th, 2012 in HSC 1A4 from 4-6 PM.

Looking forward to seeing you,

Zarak

P.S. Spread the word! (The advertisement poster is attached to this post)


Questions?

social.services[at]macmsa.com

While I am not a believer in god or religion, this is the kind of stuff I love to see. People coming together for the betterment of...people. After all, we're all human, and share the same cramped piece of earth; learn to live together. If I can help in some way (that does not involve donating money, as I am a poor man, or raising awareness, as I find them often stupid, and somehow ends up benefitting people who are in need of help), I'll try.

I understand the aim of the program. What exactly is happening on the Sept. 25 gathering? What's the structure like? Do people just all meet each other and see if there're any common initiatives? And after that, do we all proceed from there, independently, as individual "teams"?

During this initial gathering, the project and its goals will be formally introduced to all those who attend. In addition, we will gather the contact information of those interested in facilitating the success of this project and thereby create a general group (e-mail list + facebook) in which the members are dedicated to furthering the goals of this initiative.

Having accomplished this, the various members of this motivated group will then have the opportunity to communicate and advertise, various initiatives being undertaken by the clubs/organizations with which they are affiliated, to this general group. Then, those group members who are interested in a certain initiative will take the time out to support in whatever capacity they are best able to.

The hope is that this will facilitate cross-club/cultural/religious/ethnic interaction between the participants in this project and thereby develop a sense of doing "good" regardless of who initiates it. If this attitude is successfully developed, then perhaps much benefit will come of it- not only to the McMaster community but also to the causes being supported.

The reality is that e-mail invitations have been sent out directly to almost all the social service and religious clubs at McMaster, asking them to send a club representative to this gathering (if they support the goals of this initiative). As of yet, very few have replied back in either the affirmative or the negative. If this remains the case until late Monday- then the task of spreading the vision of this project may fall upon the shoulders of general McMaster students/club members.

Hope this clarifies things.

Please RSVP on the facebook page so that we can have a better idea of the head count for tomorrow! (https://www.facebook.com/events/367118553363645/)

Thanks!