Global Encounters is an international programme for young, future leaders of the Jamat. The main aim of the programme is to provide the participants an opportunity to understand and internalize the concepts of service to the community, sharpen their leadership skills, develop an insight regarding a variety of cultures, and help them see and experience the meaning of pluralism. This programme was introduced in 2012 and, to date, 560 participants from across 31 countries have participated in it. In the process, cumulatively, the participants have contributed over 20,000 hours of service to local schools and communities through their community service projects. The measure of the success of this programme goes far beyond such tangible outcomes. It has also produced indelible impressions on the lives of the participants, enriching them with memorable experiences and lasting relationships that will be cherished for years to come.
Bringing Global Encounters to Pakistan was a desire expressed by Mawlana Hazar Imam right from the beginning. During a meeting in 2012, he mentioned that the Global Encounters participants should visit Pakistan to connect with the roots and history of the Jamat. Today, after five years, with the support of the leadership of the Jamat and the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) institutions, this vision of Mawlana Hazar Imam has been realized; and what more opportune a time than during the Imamat’s Diamond Jubilee?
Pakistan launched its first Global Encounters programme with the core objective of introducing the participants to pluralism. The programme also had a second objective: to give the participants a deeper understanding of the development undertaken by the AKDN in Pakistan. Forty-two participants, representing 13 countries, came to Pakistan for a period of one month to get a glimpse of the work of the Imamat in this country. The participants arrived in Karachi and then went to Islamabad on their way to the Gilgit-Baltistan region.
The inaugural programme in Karachi included a formal welcome for the Global Encounter participants and officials by the Aga Khan Youth and Sports for Pakistan, at the Rufaida Auditorium of the Aga Khan University. Representatives of the Ismaili Councils for Garden, Karimabad, Kharadar, and Gulshan set up traditional booths while the Karimabad Girls Pipe Band gave a splendid performance.
Addressing the gathering, Shamez Mukhi, Chairman, Aga Khan Youth and Sports Board for Pakistan, stated,
“This is the first Global Encounters in Pakistan. I am excited, the whole Jamat is excited; they are aware about your visit. You will learn and experience their diversity in this three-week-long camp.”
Hafiz Sherali, President, the Ismaili Council for Pakistan, further expanded on this by saying;
“During the course of these three weeks, you will visit various Imamat and AKDN projects that are working to build hope, trust, and confidence in the Jamat.”
He strongly advised the participants to take full advantage of the opportunity that had been accorded to them, and to “take back the values which you will explore and learn from the Jamat in Pakistan.”
The event also included cultural performances by the youth from the jurisdictions of all the four Ismaili Councils in Karachi. All the participants were presented a gift hamper containing a Sindhi Ajrak, a Pakistan flag, a carefully hand-crafted truck ornament, and an issue of The Ismaili Pakistan magazine.
In the following weeks, the participants visited landmark projects of the AKDN and interacted with Jamati members in different parts of Pakistan. They observed the initiatives undertaken by the AKDN over decades in Pakistan, and learned how these had been instrumental in bringing about a positive change in the lives of local communities. They were able to see the role that AKDN has played, not only in developing these communities, but also in empowering them to design and operate institutional programmes and activities.
The participants were enthralled by the magnitude of the work and the quality of programme delivery through the AKDN initiatives. Their comments illustrate the impact of their experience;
“Although I had often heard about the projects being conducted by the AKDN through my own Jamatkhana, it was quite another experience to see this in action. Through the intricate development initiatives of AKES, to the groundbreaking movement of microfinance efforts for women in interior Hunza, I was quite astounded to view the extent of the Imam’s work in the underdeveloped areas of the country.”
“My visit to Pakistan was an eye-opener, showing the vast areas through which AKDN operates globally, while also inspiring me to become intimately involved with these institutions in the future.”
“Although often not given enough importance, hospitality played an immensely large role while we were in Pakistan. From the AKU dormitories, to the Serena in Islamabad, and finally to the Serena hotels in Gilgit and Hunza, it was an experience to inhabit four very different locations with diverse cultures, yet all bounded by the Imam’s efforts for tourism promotion and cultural preservation."
“Each Jamatkhana we visited overwhelmed us; with captivating bands, cultural dances, and music to welcome our arrival. In addition, at every Jamatkhana we visited, we were acknowledged personally by an authority figure and were blessed with unlimited hospitality.”
“Cultural preservation, natural beauty, advanced medical technology - are these the words that come into your mind when you think of Pakistan? Before I went this summer to Pakistan for a month-long camp, I was entangled with an innate fear of visiting my mother’s home country. …Leaving DFW with an anxious heart and mind, little did I know that I would have an experience that would transform my perspective of Pakistan.”
“The state-of-the-art Aga Khan University and Hospital is considered to be one of the most advanced hospitals in Asia. Is that what you think of when you think of Pakistan?”
“No country is completely void of political, social and economic unrest, yet Pakistan is too often looked upon as a country of helplessness and chaos. However, amongst this chaos lie stories of adventure, entrepreneurship and scientific enterprise. Allowing these stories to create a unique image of Pakistan is the sole necessity for an increasingly cosmopolitan world.”
Judging from the participants’ comments, the Global Encounters initiative has been successful in achieving the hoped-for community spirit and support, as well as in developing lasting ties which will prove essential for an integrated, supportive, and self-sustaining network. The remark by Zahra Qassim, head of Global Encounters, befittingly sums up what the Pakistan Jamat and leadership accomplished. She said, “The bar has been set high by the Jamat in Pakistan.”
