Fourth Phase: Governance
The theme of Governance was selected in the context of political upheavals which hit the Muslim majority countries at the gate of Europe in the past years. The Aga Khan University began a project dedicated to Governance and the MCA followed suit in order to mobilise a range of younger scholars interested in the field.
Many questions arose when the topic of Governance in the Muslim world was proposed. Is this subject vital as Muslim countries are more affected by poor governance and lack of efficiency? In which historical contexts has Governance developed in Muslim majority territories? In what way is Governance in Muslim contexts different than Governance in other states? What about Legitimacy, is Governance people driven or imposed?
The nature of the MCA is to gather different views from different Muslim contexts. The project does not focus on a specific question but rather looks at a framing principle which would allow all views and different understanding of Governance to be voiced.
Governance in the Muslim world is not necessarily linked to Sharia. It is a system (or amalgamation of systems) managed by governments civil societies, public businesses, and other mechanisms placed for conducting public affairs and administrating an area or entity. It combines the intervention of state apparatus and non-state apparatus.
The process of governance development and the conceptual framework of governance are subjects that the project seeks to cover. They represent the preparatory phases of governance which are not covered in the majority of the literature tackling this topic.
