Ismaili CIVIC
Global Ismaili CIVIC Day brought together tens of thousands of volunteers – old and young alike – in collaboration with civil society partners to benefit millions of people around the world. Displaying our ethics in action, the weekend of service marked another chapter in our centuries old tradition of contributing to the societies in which we live.
Mawlana Hazar Imam’s guidance on building bridges to understand and learn from one another, and his emphasis on local participation in the promotion of peace and pluralism served as an inspiration for two recent initiatives held in Georgia, USA.
Thousands of members of the Jamat are busy making final preparations ahead of the inaugural Global Ismaili CIVIC Day, to be held this weekend in more than 30 countries around the world.
Since the global launch of the Ismaili CIVIC initiative last year, volunteers from the worldwide Jamat have made a significant positive impact in the areas of health, education, economic development, environmental stewardship, and cultural restoration. To build on this momentum, the inaugural Global Ismaili CIVIC Day will take place on 26 September 2021.
In a recent poem by Jordan Sanchez, Reimagine, Recreate, Restore, she reminds us, “We are a fraction of a second in Earth’s lifetime, yet she is our only lifeline.” In an effort to align with this thinking, Ismaili youth, governmental and civil society institutions, and AKDN agencies in Pakistan are working hand-in-hand to reimagine our lifestyles, recreate our approaches, and restore our ecosystems.
Over the years, Mawlana Hazar Imam has often spoken of the importance of civil society and of contributing towards the wellbeing of our communities. The iCERV programme in the UK has demonstrated that this ethic is very much alive within our Jamat.
The i-CERV initiative was launched in the United Kingdom jurisdiction Jamat during the Diamond Jubilee year with a great sense of excitement. i-CERV — Ismaili Community Engaged in Responsible Volunteering — is a programme first established in the United States, with a mission to offer its members an opportunity to serve the wider communities in which they reside.
Thirty Ismaili volunteers extended a hand of friendship and support – and many bottles of water – to some 8 000 runners at the 2011 Brighton Marathon. The event was an opportunity to get involved and give back to the wider community.
As a Muslim community, giving of our time and helping others is integral to our way of life. From a young age, Ismailis are surrounded by examples of volunteers in action. In the UK, the Youth, Cultural and Social Network has launched an initiative that provides opportunities for the Jamat to give back to the society in which they live.