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Mental health isn't just the absence of mental illness. It extends to a more holistic spectrum of emotional and social well being, and affects how we think, feel, and act. To raise awareness of mental health issues globally and mobilise efforts around it, World Mental Health Day is observed on 10 October every year. This year's theme highlights the urgency to make quality mental health care a reality for all.
The 20th century writer William Arthur Ward once wrote that “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” On the occasion of World Teachers’ Day 2021, we celebrate the teachers and educators in our Jamat that continue to inspire us week after week, and thus help to positively shape the future of humanity.
In Pakistan, the Ismaili community is scattered all over the country, with a substantial number residing in the mountainous valleys of Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral. These valleys are known for their beauty and splendour, but also bear many socio-economic and environmental issues. Jamati and AKDN institutions continue to provide access to basic services in the region.
Nizar Ali from Khandujal Village has become the first lawyer in Australia from Chitral. After completing his Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from the University of Karachi, he struggled to procure a respectable career during the recession in 2008. Looking at his peers moving to Australia, he decided to apply for a degree in higher education in Australia.
The ongoing development of new Jamatkhanas in the northern areas of Pakistan has constituted the ground breaking of four new Jamatkhanas in Gilgit-Baltistan and Upper Chitral. The new spaces allocated are seismic-resistant and will serve as a multipurpose space for the community.
High school student Aimaan Sayani has lived in Pakistan and Canada, and spent five years studying at the Aga Khan Academy in Mombasa, Kenya. “When I used to hear Aga Khan Academies students talk about studying there, and when I read about the school, I was so intrigued,” she said.
The festival of Eid al-Adha celebrates the common humanity and ethical heritage shared by the three Abrahamic faiths. A new musical composition performed by artists in the UK harnesses a long-standing relationship between three faith communities and illustrates the strength found in diversity.
Azima Dhanjee, a Pakistani entrepreneur, co-founded ConnectHear, a platform that generates sign language interpreters and seeks to increase deaf accessibility and inclusion in Pakistan.
When the United States government released a service that supported users in finding a vaccination site near them, Ontario-native Zain Manji realised there was nothing stopping him from creating a similar tool for Canadians.
The Covid-19 pandemic remains a serious public health concern across the globe. International attention is currently focused on the alarming situation in India, as many other countries around the world confront and prepare for second and third waves of infection.
Health can be defined as a state of physical and mental wellbeing. While there are many ways to achieve this state, sport is a globally recognised medium that facilitates healthy lifestyles. Created in 2020, The Sportshow is a series on The Ismaili TV that promotes dialogue with Ismaili talent in the field of sport worldwide. Based on the show, here are the unique stories of three accomplished, skilled, and inspiring Ismaili athletes.
Ismailis from different parts of the world have stepped up to support their communities and help each other maintain their health and overall wellbeing during the pandemic.
Ismaili CIVIC is a global programme under which the Jamat throughout the world has united around a mission to serve humanity by rendering services to improve the quality of life of the communities in which they live. This international endeavour reflects the community’s ethic of civic engagement and good citizenship, exemplifying Islam’s core values of service, peace, compassion and care for the vulnerable.
I am silent in anticipation, as adrenaline rushes through me as a music lover. I delight at the opportunity of listening to original compositions. It is for this reason that when the song Mawla Mera Ishq Tu is shared with me, I eagerly click on the link to experience the musical journey expressed through this beautiful composition.
Today we share a story about two children, Nargis and Aziz, who celebrate the festival of Navroz with their family. Parents and grandparents may wish to read this story with children, whether in person or over a video call.
As Diane Mariechild eloquently quoted, "A woman is a full circle; within her is the power to create, nurture and transform." With this notion in mind, ‘Women’s Day’ is celebrated annually on the 8th of March around the world. Although the initiative to celebrate Women’s Day was designated in 1909, it was not until 1977 when the United Nations officially recognized the 8th of March as a day to pay tribute to women and their achievements, regardless of their religious, ethnic, social and economic backgrounds.
"I spend a lot of time learning about my faith and trying to be an exemplary ambassador of Islam in the world,” said Aziz Nathoo, who has immersed himself in teaching, dialogue, peacemaking, tolerance, and promoting pluralism for the past 20 years.
Modern challenges and global disruptions, including the recent COVID-19 pandemic, have impacted children around the world, both in terms of their physical growth and mental development, as well as their quality of life. On this World Children’s Day 2020, our pledge is to prioritize and contribute towards the holistic development of our children and the children of the Jamat worldwide. Let us invest in our children’s future by providing them with enabling environments and opportunities to realize their aspirations amidst the pandemic and beyond.
“Education is an equalizer. All of us who are in education, we’re not in there for money. We’re there for impact,” said Shehnaz Wadhwania, currently the founding principal for Abram Agnew Elementary School in California’s Santa Clara Unified School District. Before becoming a school leader, Shehnaz followed a unique career path in education, where she felt she could make the greatest impact.
Everything is made of something. Materials science is the study of what objects are made of – from metals to ceramics and polymers – and why certain materials function the way they do. It is the science that explains why your phone charger is made of the insulator polycarbonate or why a car contains the fireproof material fiberglass in its bumpers, doors, roof, and wheels. Though materials science and engineering (MSE) is not often studied in schools, it is the foundation of all objects in our world.
