The National Amil Zakat Agency (BAZNAS) of Indonesia has once again organized the 8th International Conference on Zakat (ICONZ) 2024, held at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) from December 17-19, 2024.
Under the theme "The Zakat Contribution Towards the World Poverty Alleviation and Welfare," the conference welcomed zakat activists from ASEAN countries (Malaysia, the Philippines, Cambodia, Brunei Darussalam, and Myanmar), Jordan, as well as zakat practitioners and academics from Indonesia. This event was a collaborative effort between BAZNAS, the School of Business and Management ITB, Rumah Amal Salman Zakat Institution (LAZ), and BAZNAS of West Java Province.
"Through this international conference, we gather with the noble goal of continuing our collective efforts to optimize zakat as a tool for poverty alleviation, achieving social justice, and enhancing global welfare," said Prof. Dr. KH. Noor Achmad, MA, Chairman of BAZNAS RI, during the opening ceremony of ICONZ 8 on Wednesday, December 18, 2024.
According to him, ICONZ is a significant opportunity to strengthen collaboration, exchange ideas, and develop new strategies to address poverty and inequality challenges.
"This conference is not just a forum for sharing best practices but also an opportunity to establish lasting partnerships that can generate tangible impacts," he added.
Prof. Noor emphasized, "Zakat holds tremendous potential. It is not merely a financial obligation but a force for social change, a means to restore dignity, and a tool to create a fairer and more equitable world."
"I am confident that the discussions and collaborations formed at ICONZ 8 today will pave the way for greater achievements in the future," he concluded.
The ICONZ 8 event was well-received by zakat activists from ASEAN and Jordan.
"We express our gratitude and appreciation to BAZNAS for organizing ICONZ 8. BAZNAS has become a strong institution and a reference for other countries," said H.E. Datuk Dr. Ghazali Md., General Secretary of the World Zakat and Waqf Forum (WZWF) from Malaysia.
Meanwhile, Dr. Muhammad Zaki bin Haji Zaini, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Islamic Finance at Sultan Sharif Ali Islamic University (Brunei Darussalam), also expressed his gratitude and enthusiasm for the international conference.
"We thank BAZNAS for inviting us to this international conference. The outcomes of this conference will be taken to our country to be adapted and implemented according to our national regulations," stated Dr. Muhammad Zaki.
Similar appreciation was conveyed by Dr. Abid Smerat, CEO of Shunduq Zakat Jordan. He expressed hope that the conference would produce innovations beneficial for the development of zakat globally.
The ICONZ 8 conference was attended by over 300 participants, both domestic and international. The event was graced by the presence of BAZNAS RI Vice Chairman H. Mokhamad Mahdum and several other BAZNAS RI leaders, including Prof. (HC) Dr. H. Zainulbahar Noor, SE, M.Ec (Planning, Research, and Development), Prof. Ir. H. M. Nadratuzzaman Hosen, MS, M.Ec, Ph.D (National Digital Transformation), KH Achmad Sudrajat, Lc, MA, CFRM (National Coordination), and H. Rizaludin Kurniawan, S.Ag, M.Si, CFRM (Fundraising).
Other notable attendees included Prof. Dr. Waryono Abdul Ghafur, Director of Zakat and Waqf Empowerment (Ditzawa) from the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs; ITB Professor Prof. Ir. Hermawan Kresno Dipojono, M.S.EE, Ph.D; ITB Vice Rector for Finance, Planning, and Development Prof. Ir. Muhamad Abduh, M.T., Ph.D; Chit Ko Ko Oo from Myanmar’s Myittar Resource Foundation; and Thorn Sarorn, Executive Director and Deputy Chief Cabinet of Senior Minister Othsman Hassan from Cambodia.