Content Tagged with Global

His Excellency President Paul Kagame of Rwanda joined members of the Nkabom Steering Committee, including Naveed Somani (far left), for consultation.

In May 2010, Naveed Somani was named to the Steering Committee for the Royal Commonwealth Society’s Nkabom International Youth Leadership Programme. Focused on equipping young people with conflict resolution skills, the programme took him to Rwanda where he witnessed the legacy of a national conflict and its resolution. He shares his impressions and experiences.

Shahinoor M. Visram, Managing Trustee of the Sun n Sand Trust, greets children in the village of Kikambala, Kenya where the Visram family has made important contributions to combating human trafficking and improving quality of life in the local community.

As owners of a Kenyan beach resort, the Visram family maintains a firm belief in improving the lives of the local community. Their efforts to help people understand the real and present dangers of illegal human trafficking earned them a nomination for the first-ever Business Leader's Award to Fight Human Trafficking, for which Mawlana Hazar Imam was a jury member.

A view of the Tolerance sculptures along Allen Parkway at night time.

In February 2011, a group of seven 10-foot high installations called Tolerance was unveiled at Harmony Walk in Houston near the site of the planned Ismaili Center, Houston. The statues were created by Spanish artist, Jaume Plensa and funded by City of Houston together with Mawlana Hazar Imam and a few private donors.

 

A view of the Tolerance sculptures along Allen Parkway at night time.

In February 2011, a group of seven 10-foot high installations called Tolerance was unveiled at Harmony Walk in Houston near the site of the planned Ismaili Center, Houston. The statues were created by Spanish artist, Jaume Plensa and funded by City of Houston together with Mawlana Hazar Imam and a few private donors.

Jaume Plensa at the Tolerance dedication ceremony held at Harmony Walk, with one of the sculptures visible in the background.

In February 2011, an installation of seven statues titled Tolerance was unveiled at Harmony Walk in Houston, near the site of the planned Ismaili Center, Houston. Sculptor Jaume Plensa describes his vision, inspiration and technique in creating this work of art.

In March 2011, Navroz was celebrated for the first time at the Ismaili Centre, Dushanbe.

In celebration of Navroz, the Aga Khan Development Network hosted a reception at the Ismaili Centre, Dushanbe. Over 300 people attended the celebration, which was held on 20 March 2011 and was the first Navroz event ever held at the Centre.

Arsheel (back row, third from left) with Coach Paal Joshi (back row far right) and his team after they won the regional gold medal at the District 225 Glenbrook United Special Olympics.

Arsheel Lalani has not allowed Autism Spectrum Disorder to deter him from his love for sports. Together with his basketball team, the 19-year-old won the regional gold medal at the District 225 Glenbrook United Special Olympics.

Asad smiles after winning the Gold Medal in Basketball Individual Skills at the 2010 Illinois State Special Olympics.

For a special mind, sometimes it takes just a dream and the efforts of those who understand it to unlock its true potential. The Jiwanis demonstrate how nurturing their autistic son’s dream of being an athlete provided all of them with much-needed hope for a successful future for their child.

The Ismaili Jamatkhana Lahore symbolises centuries of the community’s presence in the region.

The new Ismaili Jamatkhana Lahore is the first facility to be purpose-built for the Jamat in that city. Rooted in tradition and heritage, it symbolises centuries of the community’s presence in the region, and its continuity in a land steeped in the many interpretations and practices of Islam.

Saloni Firasta-Vastani, Member of the Ismaili Council for the Southeastern United States, Imam Plemon El-Amin, and Priyanka Sinha, Director of Communications and Marketing at the Michael C. Carlos Museum gather with Dr. Hussein Rashid (second from the rig

Dr Hussein Rashid delivered a lecture titled Everyday Art: An Islamic Impact on American Art on 13 February 2011 at the Michael C. Carlos Museum of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Saloni Firasta-Vastani, Member of the Ismaili Council for the Southeastern United States, Imam Plemon El-Amin, and Priyanka Sinha, Director of Communications and Marketing at the Michael C. Carlos Museum gather with Dr. Hussein Rashid (second from the rig

Dr Hussein Rashid delivered a lecture titled Everyday Art: An Islamic Impact on American Art on 13 February 2011 at the Michael C. Carlos Museum of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. In the talk, Dr Rashid highlights Islamic influences on popular art in America – from architecture and popular media to poetry and writing – by the likes of Ralph Waldo Emerson, in his From Persian of Hafiz II, to Toni Morrison's portrayal of Muslim characters in her novel Beloved. The lecture followed two exhibitions on Islamic calligraphy at the museum.

Family Day activities at the Museum included hands-on activities like this Calligraphy Corner.

From 28 August to 5 December 2010, the Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia became a hub of Islamic calligraphic exploration. The Museum presented two complementary exhibitions that explored calligraphy in an interactive context.

Champion debaters Iqbal Kassam, Shakir Rahim and Shama Barday argue that debating has improved their self-confidence, built their knowledge on a large variety of subjects, and equipped them with valuable tools for the future.

Good debaters are not only eloquent speakers but also quick thinkers who can mould, evolve and expand a concept in order to challenge their opponent. Three North American Ismailis with a record of outshining the competition in the debating arena at state, provincial, national, and international levels, describe how the ability to intelligently dispute an argument has helped them succeed in other aspects of their lives.

In the wake of the Dar es Salaam explosions on 1 February 2011, the Ismaili Council for Tanzania and the Aga Khan Hospital organised a blood drive, as members of the Jamat donated items and volunteered in the relief effort.

When the Government of Tanzania requested support for the victims of an explosion on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam, the Ismailis in the area were eager to help. The Ismaili Council for Tanzania partnered with the Aga Khan Hospital to organise a blood drive, and members of the Jamat donated emergency supplies to victims of the disaster.

Medallions of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire and the Medal of the Order of Australia.

Yasmin Waljee and Farah Ramzan Golant were recently named to the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, while Aladin Rahemtula became the first Ismaili to be conferred the Order of Australia. The awards recognise the outstanding services rendered by these individuals in their respective fields.

There is near universal scientific consensus that the loading of the atmosphere with greenhouse gases is causing increased global warming and associated climate change, argues Abyd Karmali. Fortunately, he notes, several countries are putting in place policies to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, which are resulting substantial new economic opportunities.

Through “Planting a Tree for Africa”, the Serena Hotels Group has planted over one million trees in the National Parks of Kenya.

Over the last 25 years, AKDN has planted over 100 million trees in Asia and Africa. Many communities already recognise that sustainable agro-forestry provides dividends in the form of food, fuel and fodder, and the emergence of a global carbon market presents new opportunity.

The Ismaili Nutrition Midlands Launch event took place on 9 February in Leicester, UK.

Professionals and representatives of leading healthcare organisations in the United Kingdom gathered at Leicester Jamatkhana on 9 February to learn about The Ismaili Nutrition Centre, a unique online resource that offers healthy alternatives to traditional dishes.

A tent village established by FOCUS to house those displaced by the torrential rains that struck Sindh in August 2010.

Massive flooding last year in the regions surrounding the Indus River caused devastation, destroying more than 1.4 million acres of cropland and over one million homes. But the resilience of those affected and the compassion and generosity of those providing assistance offers hope and lessons for the times ahead.

Young Ismailis are increasingly making their mark in all fields – academic and non-academic. Through the Youth Awards for Excellence, 2010, the Aga Khan Youth and Sports Board for India recognised the Jamati youth and honoured high achievers in fields such as sports, the arts, sciences, creative expression, and leadership.