Creating a global citizenry of confident youth, with a strong sense of identity, values, and ethics is a difficult task. Aside from the fact that these are abstract concepts that may depend on social, cultural and individual influences, the current political, economic and global environment also play a role in a youth’s perception of the world. But, this is the task set by Mawlana Hazar Imam, for the Global Encounters program – a transformational camp experience that leverages service learning, cultural exchange, global citizenship, and leadership development to prepare youth to become agents of change, committed to making a difference in the world.
The 25-day-long camps are hosted in three countries – Kenya, India, and Pakistan – hosted at local Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) and partner facilities. Participants – all between the ages of 15 to 17 years – spend their time learning from on-the-ground professionals about real-life issues that AKDN is tackling, foster meaningful relationships with fellow Ismaili youth and non-Ismaili communities around the world, broaden their perspectives through thought-provoking and challenging sessions and workshops, and lead and participate in community service projects. Participants also gain cultural competencies and explore what it means to be a global citizen, all within the context of faith and ethics.
Understanding AKDN’s impact, and solving local problems
One key differentiator of the program is its ability to access global AKDN organizations, many of which are mandated to improve the quality of life in remote, untapped areas with limited access to resources. This gives participants a real-world opportunity to think critically about problems in vastly different contexts, but for which they may or may not find parallels within their home countries.
Mishan Kara, from Plano, TX, learned a valuable lesson in the 2017 camp in Pakistan. “You can’t try to impose what you think is right in an environment in you are completely new,” said Kara. “It is important to listen without making assumptions, so you can understand the real problem that needs to be fixed, rather than the one you think should be fixed.”
Ruhiya Mithani from Memphis, TN, and part of the 2017 cohort to India, had a similar experience. “I was assigned to a school in the outskirts of Hyderabad that had no electricity. Students scheduled their day around natural light – working, playing and eating while it was still bright out.” She and her cohort of 58 participants from 18 different countries had never thought about surviving without electricity – an everyday reality for many community members in the areas where AKDN works. “We had to rethink everything – new situation, new lens. What we took for granted back home, wasn’t possible in this new environment.” Ruhiya and her teams worked together with local community members to solve the electricity problem in a sustainable way.
The camps allow participants, many of whom may not be aware of AKDN’s global work, to fully comprehend the scope of the network’s impact. “AKDN has established a solid foundation for sustainable development throughout Kenya and Tanzania,” said Alizer Khowaja from Carrollton, TX, who was in the East Africa camp in 2017. “Knowing that the Imam’s organizations have a major impact across industries in the developing and developed worlds is remarkable. Moveover, visiting project sites such as the future Aga Khan University Complex in Arusha, Tanzania put into perspective the large scale of progress occuring within the region.”
Building lifelong bonds
For many participants, traveling alone to a new country, without having familiar family and friends support is overwhelming. “I was worried that, as an introvert, I wouldn’t fit in with my group of 41 participants,” said Sofia Babool from Carrollton, TX, who attended the pilot 2017 camp in Pakistan. “But, I can confidently say today that I can contact any of my fellow participants and get their undivided attention. I left the camp with a sense of companionship and compassion for the global Ismaili community.”
Sofia took her experience to a global platform, hosting a Tedx Talk, TEDxKids@ElCajon highlighting how the experience can help us change our understanding and perspective of countries that are regularly deemed, “underrepresented”.
Inaara Muhammad, an East Africa Global Encounters alumnus now studying at the University of California Berkeley, agrees: “I didn’t know how much I could connect with someone from another country until I walked into my room on the first day, anxious, nervous and completely jetlagged, and was greeted by a smiling Syrian girl who wanted to braid my hair and is now my best friend. I didn’t understand the value of a simple conversation until in my last flight to Kenya, where I sat next to the students from Afghanistan and laughed nonstop for eight hours. I didn’t realize how interconnected our global Ismaili community was until I bonded over music and poetry with students from France, Canada, and Pakistan.” Now, back at UC Berkeley, Inaara is leveraging her Global Encounters alumni network to stay engaged and connected with the Ismaili community.
“The learning sessions and conversations with other participants allowed me to understand and confidently relay how Ismailis have the same core values as other Muslims, despite differences in practice,” says Azim Farishta, from Lilburn, GA, and part of the 2017 India camp, where he got exposure to Aga Khan Foundation’s work in Sundar Nursery, Garden Society, and Nizamuddin Basti. Azim adds, “This skill has translated to my social life in school, as I can now more easily make friends and connect with people.”
Gaining memorable cultural and personal experiences
It’s no surprise that simply having the ability to travel far from home with members of the Ismaili community is a special experience for many participants. Aside from the comfort or sharing a religious affinity, participants are also bonded by the collective experience of understanding the scope of the Imam’s work for his Jamats around the world. This can be a humbling and spiritual experience, as Sofia explains: “Our entire group went hiking up to the Baltit and Altit Forts (in Pakistan, and both restored by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture). Once there, our camp faculty told us to hold hands, face the mountains, and close our eyes. I was holding the hands with an Ismaili from Tajikistan on one side, and from Syria on the other. It was a moment of absolute serenity, yet a clear manifestation of the cosmopolitan ethic the Imam mentions so often. I was not only connected by the actual institutions because of the AKDN’s involvement in the preservation of the forts, but I was also connected through diverse cultures, traditions, and lifestyles of my fellow Ismailis.”
Since the program’s inception in 2012, Global Encounters has had over 700 alumni from 33 countries around the world. The program invites participants between ages 15 to 17, entering their last three years of secondary school during the 2018-19 academic year. For more information, please visit – the.ismaili/globalencounters.
