Content Tagged with Community
A selection of photographs from the Dear World Afghanistan campaign, taken by Grace Chung while she was an intern at Roshan in Afghanistan.
Part of a seismically unstable zone that is prone to earthquakes, floods, landslides and droughts, Pakistan's northern region has long been home to a signifiant Ismaili population. Several new purpose-built jamatkhana projects blend traditional building with new disaster-resistant techniques. From design and construction to finished product, the new structures offer a model to uplifit the quality of habitat throughout the region.
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.
As it prepares for its January 2012 concert, the UK Ismaili Community Ensemble has found resonance with the values of the forthcoming London 2012 Olympic Games. The celebration of cultural diversity, finding ways to inspire and involve young people, and leaving a positive legacy in London through social cohesion and cultural participation are notions that are shared by the Ensemble and have influenced the music it has created.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, Open House London took place on the weekend of 22 – 23 September. Buildings such as the Bank of England Museum, the Royal Courts of Justice, the BBC Television Centre, and the Ismaili Centre, London opened their doors, inviting Londoners to to view and celebrate the diverse architecture of their city.
A global economic downturn is hitting hard in many parts of the world, making it difficult to find jobs and risky to invest in new business opportunities. But in France, the Aga Khan Economic Planning Board has been on a mission to improve employability and enhance professional opportunities for the Jamat, and its early efforts have met success.
Ismaili Musical Ensembles in the USA and Canada provide creative platforms for dedicated Ismaili musicians to learn, practice and showcase their talents. But the musicians are required to demonstrate the quality of their abilities and commit to the ongoing development of their musical education.
Each year, many Ismaili youth from all over North America spend their summers at camps organised by the Jamati institutions. They learn about the importance of being responsible members of the society, compete at various sports and games and take on leadership roles – all while growing, discovering, playing, and making friends.
In this first installment of a two-part story, broadcast journalist Faridoun Hemani describes his experience as part of a team that visited areas stricken by the 2010 Pakistan floods to document the impact of the AKDN Early Relief and Recovery Programme. The team travelled to Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh, where they listened to local people recount life-changing stories.
In this conclusion of a two-part story, broadcast journalist Faridoun Hemani recounts his experience as part of a team that visited areas stricken by the 2010 Pakistan floods to document the impact of the AKDN Early Relief and Recovery Programme. The team travelled to Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh, where they listened to local people tell life-changing stories.
Nairobi, 28 July 2011 – As Mawlana Hazar Imam prepared to depart Nairobi, senior Jamati leaders bid him farewell. Prior to leaving East Africa, Mawlana Hazar Imam stopped over in Arusha, where he visited the site of the Aga Khan University campus and met with the Secretary General of the East African Community.
Research shows that children who play chess cultivate good habits that benefit them academically and socially. Danial Asaria is a young chess champion from California who has won several local and national awards. His parents discuss how teaching their son chess has helped him to sharpen his focus, improved his analytical abilities and develop other important skills.
For nearly 16 years, Shamim Hassan Shivji placed close to 100 Karachi orphans with couples from around the world. She and a neighbour routinely cared for the orphaned or abandoned infants while seeking out loving homes for them. She never charged for the service – her reward was seeing kids she placed grow up to become well-educated members of society.
When Salim Mohamed started his Time and Knowledge Nazrana assignment with AKDN project and construction management company PCM, the civil engineer brought decades of experience to the East African construction projects he was tasked with overseeing. He in turn gained valuable experience working in an African setting, and an understanding of what it’s like to work for an AKDN institution.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Ismaili Community Ensemble in the United Kingdom recently collaborated with musicians from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Pandemonium and Morley Chamber Choir to present a cornucopia of beautiful music evoking the heritage of the Jewish, Christian and Muslim traditions.
Despite the magnitude of the disastrous flooding in Pakistan and the impact on its people, many in the international community remain unaware, and the attention garnered early on has waned. Through individual and organised institutional efforts, many Ismailis, together with others in Pakistan and around the world, have sought to raise awareness and funds to support flood relief efforts.
