The concluding statement of the Ahilik Council, held in collaboration with OSTİM OSB, OSTİM Technical University Ahi Evran Anatolian Entrepreneurship Research Center, the Turkish Writers' Union (TYB), Ankara Social Sciences University (ASBÜ), and the Hamilik School Foundation, and hosted by OSTİM Technical University, was shared with the public at the Ahi Şerafeddin Mosque (Aslanhane Mosque).
The concluding statement of the Ahilik Council is as follows:
The Ahilik Council was held in Ankara in honor of the revered memory of Ahi Şerafeddin, with the theme "Unity is Re-established Every Day: Bravery, Ahilik, and Harmony in the 21st Century".
The council was organized in partnership with Ankara Social Sciences University, Hamilik School Foundation, Ostim Organized Industrial Zone, Ostim Technical University Ahi Evran Anatolian Entrepreneurship Research Center, and the Turkish Writers Union (TYB), which has 44 years of experience and has undertaken invaluable activities in the fields of ideas, culture, art, and literature.
Seven successful sessions were held at the council dedicated to the memory of Ahi Şerafeddin. The titles of the sessions are as follows:
From Futuwwa to Ahilik, From Ahilik to Civilization
The Past and Present of Ahilik Practices
A Look at Economic Life in the 21st Century from an Ahilik Perspective
A Look at Life from an Ahilik Perspective
Institutional Structures from an Ahilik Perspective
Examples of Good Practices Inspired by Ahilik in the Private Sector
Examples of Good Practices Inspired by Ahilik in the Public Sector
The Ahi brotherhood, a professional organization, took root in Anatolia during the Anatolian Seljuk State period thanks to the significant influence of the futuwwa organization. The futuwwa organization, which played a leading role in the spread of Islam in Anatolia, the Balkans, and North Africa, sent scholars, wise men, and mystics to Anatolia for its missionary activities. These individuals laid the foundations of the Ahi brotherhood in the places where they settled. Beyond being a professional organization, the Ahi brotherhood, from its inception, contributed greatly not only to the Islamization of Anatolia but also to its development and improvement. Inspired by the futuwwa organization, the Ahi brotherhood formed the basis of trade and industrial development in Anatolia, leaving a profound mark on our entrepreneurs and today's business world.
The major crises caused by market capitalism, which dominates today's business world since the beginning of the 20th century, are challenging humanity's understanding of goodness, beauty, balance, and solidarity in the name of progress and economic development; uncontrolled migrations, wars, and diseases negatively affect humanity's peace and well-being. In this situation, in order to live together in harmony, humankind must once again embrace hope to avoid impasses and to revitalize the world. Considering all these points, it is important to revisit the meticulously constructed framework of the Ahi brotherhood and to redefine ourselves, our homes, and our work based on the belief in unity, in order to find solutions to the humanitarian, economic, political, financial, moral, and cultural crises and problems experienced in today's world. For this reason, we believe that examining the universal criteria of the Ahi brotherhood is enlightening.
The main objective of our Ahi Council, titled “ Every Day the Union is Re-established: Bravery, Ahilik and Solidarity in the 21st Century”, is to explore and discuss the possibilities of applying the economic production, distribution, consumption, solidarity, and mutual assistance model inherent in the Ahilik organization to working life in the 21st century. At the Council, the reflection of the Ahilik phenomenon in the present day, from a broad perspective, was discussed in many areas such as industry, production, entrepreneurship, finance, cooperatives, civil society, and social policy.
The following declaration points emerged from the Ahilik Council at the end of its meeting.
The world we live in is surrounded by agonizing global problems that threaten human nature, the peace of society, and the harmony and rhythm of nature encompassing all living and non-living things.
Our world needs a movement of goodness based on morality.
Striving to revive the richness of our own traditions according to the spirit and necessities of the age should be considered both a proposal and a solution to existing problems.
We have erased the concepts and practices of our civilization, including the Ahi system, from our minds, but we embraced them wholeheartedly when they returned from Europe under a different name. We must have an awareness that allows us to rediscover our own values and heritage.
In our history, the Ahi system has played important roles in social life, politics, economics, culture, education, and defense, acting as a guardian of peace and stability in society during times of crisis.
The ideal of a world where people can live in peace should not remain merely a slogan; social practices should be built to ensure that everyone living on Earth can live in the peace and prosperity they deserve. In this regard, we should benefit from the experience of the Ahi brotherhood, a source from our history.
The Ahi Brotherhood, a cornerstone of our human and social existence since the Seljuk period, continues, albeit subtly, to be a guarantee of our nation's unity, solidarity, and brotherhood through its centuries-old tradition. Therefore, the Ahi brotherhood played a very important role in mitigating the effects of the global pandemic, described as the greatest health crisis of the last century, and in our nation's more successful management of this difficult period compared to Western societies. Utilizing the powerful resources of the Ahi brotherhood in future crises will be invaluable.
It is extremely valuable to view the Ahi brotherhood, which bears traces of many civilizations, as a legacy of humanity. Therefore, it should not be forgotten that the Ahi brotherhood, both in the past and in the present, contains the principles of life and work that humanity needs.
The Ahi brotherhood is a system that provides social benefit and aims for unity and solidarity as an institution. In today's world, where individualism is evolving into alienation, there is a need for an offer that can provide peace and security to people. The roots of this offer should be sought in the Ahi brotherhood.
As in the Ahi brotherhood, working, producing, inventing, and meeting the needs of people by approaching things with a sense of trust and wisdom should be the motto of humanity.
It should not be forgotten that the principles of the Ahi brotherhood can be used to humanize social, political, and economic systems.
Development is impossible in a society where fundamental rights and freedoms are not guaranteed. A life in which individuals and society can live in peace cannot be built on any ground where morality and law do not guide together. In this respect, the Ahi Brotherhood's structure, which emphasizes morality, law, and civil initiative, should be taken into consideration.
As we enter the 100th year of our Republic, the ideal of a strong economy, a strong legal system, a strong civil society, and a strong cultural life should not be neglected.
The Futuvvetname (codes of chivalry) should be considered a powerful source of inspiration for shaping and regulating contemporary understandings of humanity and society; the practices of the Ahi Brotherhood should be evaluated as instructive realities for reassessing contemporary understandings of law, economics, and politics.
It goes without saying that ideas about discovering the contemporary value of the Ahi Brotherhood will offer great inspiration to public, civil society, and private sector practices. Therefore, it is necessary to increase efforts that will carry the Ahi Brotherhood not only into the present but also into the future.
The self-sufficiency of individuals and society, the preservation of human dignity and freedom, and the independence and peace of society are crucial. In the face of global crises, the virtue of self-sufficiency for individuals and societies is more important than ever. Inspiration should be drawn from this aspect of the Ahi brotherhood, which embodies the virtues of self-sufficiency and helping one's fellow human beings.
It should be understood that dependence on the outside world, the instrumentalization of individuals and society by making them dependent on others, means the destruction of freedom, a blessing bestowed upon humanity. The value of the Ahi brotherhood's strong principles, which consider both individual dignity and societal well-being, should be discussed in collaboration with various fields for the present day.
It should not be forgotten that the Ahi brotherhood is not only an economic system, but also encompasses a strong intellectual accumulation, literature, cultural richness, intellectual achievements related to political and social order, and a timeless system of education and training; these areas should not be reduced to one another.
A life devoid of literature and culture, and unaccompanied by spirituality, no matter how profitable or prosperous it may be, will not bring about a prosperous and fruitful order.
In a society where human quality cannot be improved, all quality improvement efforts will not be stable and will be fruitless.It will be possible to remain.
A vision of a responsible, free, virtuous, productive, contented, sensitive to the richness of its past, able to understand its time, able to build the future, and happy human being should be included in the philosophy and curriculum of our education system.
The factor that gives a society its horizons in education and the morality experienced in that society is a human model that should be accepted and internalized in that society. While education answers the question of "What kind of person should be raised?", the rich legacy of the Ahi brotherhood should be utilized.
Young people should not only be given a profession, but they should also be encouraged to reflect on the meaning of life.
The value of Ahi brotherhood practices for our time should be discussed, and practices considered valuable for today should be updated and carried forward. The possibilities of modeling the ecosystem built during that period in different fields for today should be explored. Public institutions and organizations should include projects that can discover the value of the Ahi brotherhood system in different fields, especially in terms of application, among their priority project announcements. 25. The dissemination, promotion, and encouragement of social responsibility projects inspired by the Ahi Brotherhood should be increased, and support should be provided for these projects.
Regarding the lack of information on the history of the Ahi Brotherhood in Turkey, naming a university after the Anatolian Sisters (Bacıyan-ı Rûm), or naming Women and Family Research Centers within universities after prominent sisters from the Bacıyan-ı Rûm such as "Fatıma Bacı," "Hatun Ana," and others, could create the much-needed awareness for the Bacıyan-ı Rûm.
Consideration should be given to establishing an "Ahi Brotherhood University" in Ankara, our capital city, where the Ahi Brotherhood played a significant founding and protective role in history. This university would plan and implement the functions expressed in our concluding statement, based on the principles of the Ahi Brotherhood. 28. Apart from Ahi Evran, it is extremely valuable for public institutions and organizations to prepare policies and take steps towards implementation to recognize the Ahi and Bacı figures who stand out in other cities with their names and historical identities.
It will be very important to take steps to ensure that the Ahi system is better understood and recognized within the framework of institutional and vocational training, and furthermore, that the educational aspect of the Ahi system is updated for today and integrated into our education system.
Inspired by the Ahi system, the creation of a fund within large foundations, with a legal framework, that can address the short-term and small-amount needs of participants, could solve the problems of economic organizations. This possibility should be considered.
To carry the values of the Ahi system into the present day, it should be considered that results-oriented academic studies should be planned on the adaptation of the middle funds used in the Ahi organization to the present day, and that the resulting model should be used in organized industrial zones, followed by generalization of the studies through analyses based on the application example. 32. Academic projects should be prepared to place the values of the Ahi Brotherhood within an economic framework, and reports should be prepared on how these projects can be implemented in today's economic conditions.
The priority of the Ahi Brotherhood is to research new professions for new generations, guide young people, provide training in new professions, and discuss and try to establish standards and ethical principles. In this respect, the Ahi Brotherhood offers great richness for inspiration regarding the solution of unemployment, one of the biggest problems of societies.
The most important problem of our country is the inadequacy of controls and the insufficient strength of sanctions. Information should be provided about situations such as hoarding, adulteration (increasing sales by agitating the public through false declarations and misleading information), exorbitant pricing, and tax evasion, which emerge especially during economic crises. 35. Strong criminal sanctions should be considered for actions that harm public health, create distrust and unrest among the public, produce in violation of laws and regulations, and import, sell, and distribute defective and harmful products.
New generation clustering practices in our country should be closely monitored, and those that yield positive results should be supported and disseminated. University-industry collaborations should be increased, and greater emphasis should be placed on the commercialization of knowledge.
An innovative, entrepreneurial, and participatory support office for the Ahi Brotherhood should be established.
Blockchain technology, with its advantages such as saving on transaction costs and time, and being secure and transparent, can facilitate Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) access to finance, services, and products, thereby increasing the efficiency and service quality of businesses. The utilization of these opportunities should be considered.
One of the tools for ensuring justice in society is the market. The responsibility for the market to find its balance does not rest solely with the government and the opposition.It is not falling. For the market to find its balance and for social peace and justice to be ensured, producers, actors in distribution and sharing, and consumers, as well as the government and the opposition, must consider and fulfill their responsibilities.
The pursuit of maximum profit, selfishness, and self-interest darken the future of a society sailing in the same boat. In this respect, social justice, equitable distribution, meritocratic work, and moderation are indispensable for the peace and happiness of society.
Nurettin Topçu, inspired by the Ahi brotherhood, said: “The founders of tomorrow's Turkey will be those who abandon the pleasure of living and dedicate themselves to the love of giving life; patient and determined, yet unpretentious and unassuming, they will be the miners of the spiritual realm. The first and essential task of these spiritual laborers is to cultivate people. These young people, whose skills are all based on self-sacrifice, will not expect the reward for their service from the people they serve; they will listen to the echoes of the work they offer to eternity from eternity itself. The founders of tomorrow's Turkey will unite people of diverse faces in our society, where those who accept sacrifices for the nation and community are no longer found. In them, Yunus will unite with Yavuz; Sinan will reach out to Akif; Abu Hanifa will congratulate Hüseyin Avni. And tomorrow's Turkey, their creation, will be built on these foundations; springing from the soil of Anatolia..." Inspired by the words, "a blood, labor devoted to the community, a thousand-year history, an authoritative state, and a spirit that believes in eternity," we must realize an ideal of youth that transcends the self, cares for society and the nation, and aims for eternity.
You can watch all the session recordings of the Ahilik Council on the OSTİM Technical University YouTube page.
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