Content Tagged with Civil Society
While the annual Premier Cup cricket tournament brought Ontario Ismaili Muslims together in April, it was also part of a wider effort to build cricket pitches and support programming in Toronto neighbourhoods that are home to large South Asian immigrant communities.
Dedicated to promoting harmony among people of all faiths, World Interfaith Harmony Week is observed around the world each year during the first week of February. In Portugal, the UN Alliance of Civilizations sought to present a unique multicultural perspective on the week. The Ismaili Muslim community was among 15 religious traditions represented at the event.
A selection of photographs from the Dear World Afghanistan campaign, taken by Grace Chung while she was an intern at Roshan in Afghanistan.
Described as grassroots because they are led by concerned citizens rather than governments or established institutions, such community action initiatives can be a powerful means in addressing difficult issues. Some Ismailis are successfully using grassroots action to magnify the impact of their volunteer work.
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.
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 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.
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.
Aftab Jalia works with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in Delhi and is part of an initiative to revitalise the area surrounding Humayun’s Tomb and Gardens, and improve the quality of life of the residents in the neighbouring Nizamuddin district. A graduate of the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at MIT, he shares some insight on the progress of the project and its impact on the surrounding community.
Sixteen-month-old Jimla Kasenga and 61-year-old Mukadi Kabengele both have a reason to smile. Each of them underwent facial reconstructive surgery at Operation Smile’s recent medical mission to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The week-long mission was broadly supported by members of the local Ismaili community.
The Jamat in Dubai includes a disproportionate number of bachelors and young families, who, with all the pressures of work and modern life, find it difficult to prepare traditional home cooked meals. Meanwhile, many older women in the Jamat possess exceptional cooking skills and an enterprising spirit. The opportunity to come together was obvious, and led to the creation of a Golden Alliance.
This year, the Girl Guide movement turns 98. Over the years, the organisation’s impact on the physical, mental and spiritual development of girls and young women has been phenomenal. Many Ismaili Muslim women who are part of the movement have become inspiring role models and leaders in their communities and the world.
Over the decades, the Toronto neighbourhood of Don Mills has opened its welcoming arms and helped many new immigrants make Canada their home, including Ismailis and other Muslims. On 28 May, Mawlana Hazar Imam will lay the foundation for three important new projects that will invite Canadians – Muslim and non-Muslim – to explore their connected heritage and celebrate their unique backgrounds.
In January, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake shattered the Republic of Haiti. Horrified by the disaster, countries, civil society organisations and individual donors responded with desperately needed help. Among them were many Ismailis who used their resources and skills to find creative ways to provide timely assistance to Haitians.
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.
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.
Concluding a two-part series, Eboo Patel, the Founder and Executive Director of Interfaith Youth Core, discusses how his organisation overcomes the faith line and promotes religious pluralism by bringing young people together to engage in dialogue and service to the community. (Read the first part of this interview here.)
In the first of a two-part series, TheIsmaili.org spoke with Eboo Patel, the Founder and Executive Director of Interfaith Youth Core, an organisation that promotes mutual respect and pluralism among young people from different religious traditions. Patel shares his understanding of religious pluralism and explains what motivates him in his work.
For years, the Flemingdon Food Bank, located in the Don Mills area of Toronto, had served individuals of many faiths and cultures. But when it found itself on the verge of having to close down, the Ismaili community joined with other faith-based groups to support the troubled institution.
The South Asian Chamber of Commerce of Houston, Texas recently honoured Focus Humanitarian Assistance for their disaster response and relief efforts in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina, Gustav, Rita and Ike that affected the Southern United States. Chief Guest and CNN business anchor Ali Velshi presented the award.
