The politico-economic systems that govern planet-earth and are dominated by neo-liberal ideologies are in deep crisis, characterized by the monopolization of resources by a minority, growing unemployment and underemployment, environmental and climatic imbalances, the rise of identity-based perils, and the calling into question of global security. 

The proliferation of terrorism of all kinds raises fears of an uncertain future. With economic, political, social and environmental upheavals, we are witnessing the emergence of new geopolitical groupings and a desire to challenge the world order. Economic logics and political strategies are also being put to the test by the place that digital technology occupies among our peoples, in our societies and in our states. Clearly, the world needs a new inspiration, a new breath of fresh air. In the following lines, we present the terms of reference for this panel.

The overall aim of this panel is to highlight the development challenges facing our societies, and the responses and models offered by Sufi Islam.

Specifically, the objectives of the “Sufi Islam and Development” panel could be summarized as follows: ISLAMIC FINANCE, FOOD SECURITY AND SOVEREIGNTY, AGRICULTURE, HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT, DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE:

– Review the foundations of Islamic jurisprudence, the definition, principles and legal tools of Islamic economics and finance, and highlight their coherence and implementation within the framework of Sufi Islam;

– Propose strategic axes for implementing a strategic development plan for agriculture and guaranteeing food security in our societies, and demonstrate the experience of Sufi Islam in this field;

– Propose approaches to deal with socio-economic mutations (health, environment, etc.) and analyze the solutions proposed by Sufi Islam; and

– Analyze the issues and impact of the advent of the digital society (personal data, confidentiality, digital trust, privacy, cyber attacks, etc.) and highlight the solutions offered by Sufi Islam.

– A reminder of the foundations of Islamic jurisprudence, the definition, principles and legal tools of Islamic economics and finance has been given and their coherence and implementation within the framework of Sufi Islam are outlined;

– Strategic directions for implementing a strategic development plan for agriculture and guaranteeing food security in our societies are proposed, and the experience of Sufi Islam in this field is analyzed;

– Approaches to dealing with socio-economic changes (health, environment, etc.) are proposed, and the solutions adopted by Sufi Islam are analyzed; and

– The challenges and impact of the advent of the digital society (artificial intelligence, ethics, personal data, confidentiality, digital trust, privacy, cyber attacks, etc.) are analyzed and Sufi Islam’s solutions outlined.

With regard to the scientific organization of Panel 4: Sufi Islam and the Environment, the following points should be noted:

– Panelists will be asked to summarize their papers, which will be published in a brochure to enable participants to discover the panel’s scientific content;

– The panelists of each sub-theme will have 20 min of presentation time before moving on to questions and answers;

– The panel’s working languages are French, English and, if required, Arabic, Pulaar and Wolof. An interpreter service will be available.