The Ismaili Muslim Community of Calgary cordially invites you to celebrate the Calgary Stampede from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Ismaili Jamatkhana, 4623 11 St. N.E.  This year the Ismaili Muslim Community is proud to partner with the Women & Wellness Conference to celebrate the meaningful role of women in developing an enriched civil society. As a special feature attendees are also invited to tour the Historic Cities Programme Exhibition in the Social Hall of the Jamatkhana.

Calgary Herald

Information available in attached PDF: ismaili_community_stampede

CHITRAL, 03 July 08: Mass wedding ceremony of 14 couples was held in Madaklasht valley.

The mass wedding ceremony was organized by Aga Khan Council in collaboration with Aga Khan Social Welfare Board. The organisers had fixed rupees 40 to 50 thousand as alimony and jointure per bride. The mass wedding was arranged to save the couples families from over and unnecessary spendings. A cultural and musical show was also arranged on the occasion.

The brides were presented gifts by the Aga Khan Social Welfare Board. A large number of men and women folk of the area participated in the ceremony. The mass wedding ceremony celebrated in a simple way is a very good example of the much needed practice of simplicity and austerity missing from our society. –(GH Farooqi)

http://www.chitralnews.com/LN960.htm

“In a Knowledge Society, the most productive investments we can make are investments in education.”
His Highness the Aga Khan, Dhaka, Bangladesh, May 2008

CALGARY, July 2 /CNW Telbec/ - High-achieving students from the Ismaili Muslim Community across Canada will gather at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Calgary on Saturday, July 5th (6.30PM) to learn how participation in today’s Knowledge Society is essential for individual and community progress.

The Honorable Dave Hancock, Minister of Education of Alberta, will be the guest of honour and Dr. Tom Kessinger, Deputy Chairman, Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), will deliver the keynote address.
The occasion is the inaugural Canadian Ismaili Students Total Achievement Recognition (I-STAR) Awards Gala which aims to promote, recognize and celebrate excellence achieved in all areas of endeavor by top calibre Canadian Ismaili Muslim youth at the junior high, secondary, and post-secondary levels.

This year’s National awards will recognize the achievements of 150 youth from across Canada who have been selected at regional I-STAR events in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto. This high calibre awards ceremony encourages students from Grade 9 to Post-Secondary to strive for and
achieve excellence in academics, community service and leadership, athletics, arts and humanities, and science and technology.

“The theme of this first Canadian I-STAR Awards Gala is The Knowledge Society” said Shaukat Jiwa, Chairperson of the Aga Khan Education Board for Canada. “We recognize that we live in an age where human intellect, imagination and ingenuity have become the currency of choice and one that highlights the necessity of lifelong learning and the search for excellence.

We hope that our youth will become contributors in the 21st century Knowledge Society and will use this knowledge in a manner that is consistent with the ethics and values of our faith.”

The Canadian I-STAR Awards Gala is a national initiative commemorating the Golden Jubilee of His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan as the Imam (spiritual leader) of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims.

The Ismaili Muslims are a community of ethnically and culturally diverse peoples living in over 25 countries around the world, united in their allegiance to the Aga Khan as the 49th hereditary Imam and direct descendant of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Further information on the Ismaili Muslim Community may be found at www.theismaili.org.

CNW Telbec

Related:
National I-Star Awards - Calgary, Saturday July 5
Canadian I-STAR: Recognizing Excellence Coast to Coast

With the hot sun pounding down on their beaming faces, 58 people were sworn in as Canadian citizens Tuesday at the Alberta legislature.

Among them was Nothando Aggrey, 38, who arrived in Canada from Zimbabwe in 2001.

“I feel great. I feel like shouting,” the shy woman professed, laughing. “I do feel like a Canadian, although deep inside I am a Zimbabwean.”

Aggrey moved to Canada with her husband to flee the violence in her home country.

“I came because of the political situation,” said Aggrey, describing it as “hell.”

“Canada is a country that has lots of freedom. That’s why I came here.”

-snip-

Citizenship Judge Sonia Bitar, who was herself an immigrant after fleeing her home country of Lebanon, conducted the ceremony.

“People from different cultures and backgrounds, they chose a different life in Canada,” she told the crowd. “To tell you the truth, we are living in the best country in the whole world.”

The group ceremony wrapped up with the singing of O Canada, followed by some tea served by Edmonton’s Ismaili community. For Aggrey, it was her first time singing the national anthem.

“It felt great,” she said with a giant grin. “It felt so liberating.”

-snip-

Edmonton Journal

excerpt:
—
South grounds: at 7 a.m., start the day by scarfing down free pancakes served by Edmonton’s Ismaili community, and at 10:30 a.m., welcome 60 of Canada’s newest citizens at the swearing-in ceremonies. The Canada Day Road Race and Fun Run take off at 7 a.m. and the ERTC-Criterium Bicycle Race spins off at 1 p.m.

Edmonton Journal

June 28, 2008, at the induction ceremony of incoming Rotary President Timothy R. Alampay of Cebu Portal, held at the Cebu Golf and Country Club, Ismaili Representative for Cebu Philippines and Secretary of Rotary Club Cebu East, Faruk A. Jessa is invited to talk with the son of the Governor of Bukidnon and brother of the Senator of Bukidnon, the Honorable Congressman of Bukidnon, Mindanao, Philippines Joey Zubiri.  Faruk Jessa and Congressman Zubiri talk about the harmony between Muslim - Christian and native communities of Bukidnon Mindanao, Philippines that has existed since the time of the Spanish in the 1800’s.  Congressman Zubiri reached out to Faruk Jessa to the Ismaili Community and the Aga Khan Development network for crucial funding required to assist in the establishment of a permanent Library that would build a bridge for Muslim - Christian and Native Community of Bukidnon. The library would serve a central purpose of promoting education and higher learning and assist students of the rural population to become mainstream competitive members of the knowledge Society.

On behalf of the Governor and Senator of Bukidnon Mindanao Philippines, Congressman Zubiri has given full support and open doors for any assistance required in achieving this monumental goal for the pluralistic communities of Bukidnon.

Faruk Jessa was inducted as Secretary of Rotary Cebu East on June 27, 2008 by the Vice-Mayor of Cebu Philippines, the Honorable Michael Rama and witnessed by various members, visiting Rotarians and leaders of the Cebu Community including Philippines Shipping Giant, Mr. Bowen Gothong of Gothong Shipping Lines and Faruk’s initial sponsor Mr. Alex Gaisano of Gaisano Malls.

Ally Ladak

Ally Ladak has over 15 years of professional experience in Sales and Marketing, Customer Service, Project and Business Management. He has a particular interest in poverty and environment issues, as well as the services and issues of the disadvantaged.

Ally Ladak also has over 15 years of volunteer experience including current affiliations with Self-Help Resource Centre, The Kidney Foundation of Canada, Social Services Net, and the The Ismaili Arts and Culture Committee. He has over 15 years of volunteer experience as a badged and non badged volunteer within the Ismaili community.

Ally Ladak is also a member of the United Way of York Region Citizen Review Panel, Mr Ladak has taught new afghan refugee children English and have taught Muslim seniors how to use the internet.

Mr Ally Ladak recently served as an official volunteer for the Aga Khan Historic cities program exhibition in Toronto, Ontario. He is also an active donor of the Toronto Public Library Foundation.

Ally Ladak was recognized as an outstanding volunteer by the Government of Canada in 2001 and received his service award from The Kidney Foundation of Canada.

Massaponax High School senior recognition

Date published: 6/25/2008

Nabeel Gillani is the younger son of Nadir and Rozina Gillani, both of whom reside in Spotsylvania County.

Nabeel was nominated Valedictorian at his High school. The top student of all the senior classes, top of all 350 students. Had an opportunity to deliver a commencement speech. Nabeel has been active in community-based activities. He was president of the Massaponax Key Club and a member of the Youth in Philanthropy group at the Community Foundation of the Rappahannock River Region. As chair of the Rappahannock Red Cross Youth Team, Nabeel has worked with youth from around the greater Fredericksburg area to participate in community projects, including raising awareness and money for the Global Measles Initiative. Nabeel also served as a Sunday school teacher at his religious center for the past three years.

He plans to attend Brown University in Providence, R.I., beginning in the fall, where he hopes to pursue an education in economics and mechanical engineering. Ultimately, Nabeel hopes to one day work in the field of international microfinance and development where he plans to provide those in need with tips for economic growth and sustainability.

For fun, Nabeel likes to play basketball with his friends and pump iron at the gym. Occasionally, he enjoys reading the newspaper and watching CNBC for the latest news in the financial world.

Source

Residents of Mombasa City commemorated this year’s World Environment Day with a tree planting ceremony at Mombasa’s infamous Haller Park.

Representation from the Ismaili community was organized by the Ismaili Youth and Sports Committee headed by Councilor Al-sayeeda Suwani.

The community was represented by the President of the Aga Khan Council Mombasa, Mrs. Narmin H. Somji and the Hon. Secretary Mr. Zaher Bhanji, along with other councilors, Ismaili Volunteer Corps and Jamati members, both young and old joined forces with the youth from across Mombasa in planting indigenous species of trees at the Haller Park on Saturday 7th June 2008.

Complete at the source

TORONTO, June 24 /CNW/ - “What drives me is social justice,” says Yasmin Ratansi, the first Muslim female member of Parliament in Canadian history. “I do not like injustice. I do not like thuggery. I do not like bullying. I like peaceful resolution.”

In “Public Interest,” the Liberal MP for Don Valley East describes her lifelong fight for social justice, from the prejudice of Tanzania to the partisanship of Parliament Hill: her flight from compulsory intermarriage in
Tanzania, her determination to succeed as an immigrant in Canada, and her current status as the chair of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women as a member of the Official Opposition.

A certified general accountant (CGA) by training, Yasmin’s profile is accompanied by profiles of fellow CGA politicians Bruce Crozier, Ontario Liberal MPP for Essex, and Carl Zehr, the longstanding mayor of Kitchener,
Ontario.

Did the media miss the story of Canada’s first Muslim female member of Parliament? How did Yasmin Ratansi change the look of the CBC’s hit comedy Little Mosque on the Prairie? What does this Ismaili-Canadian have to say about the immigrant experience in Canada?

Find out now in the current issue of Statements, a publication of the Certified General Accountants of Ontario, available online at www.cga-ontario.org.

Statements Magazine - interview published on page 10, this link opens in PDF.

Source

The Dynamics of Collaborative Innovation: Exploring the tension between knowledge novelty and reuse - Ned Gulley and Karim R. Lakhani

Tuesday, June 24, 12:30PM
Berkman Center Conference Room
This event will be webcast live at 12:30 PM ET on 6/24.

The success of open source software communities and Wikipedia have generated much interest in the mechanisms supporting collaborative innovation. These collaborative innovation systems are distinguished by their free revealing of knowledge and the ability of actors to reinterpret and repurpose existing knowledge created by others in making their own new creations. - complete at the source.

Karim R. Lakhani’s Bio.
Karim featured earlier at Ismailimail.

Dr. Nur Amersi

Sacred Visit to Haram al-Sharif(Temple Mount)

Mayoral delegation at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem

Earlier related

President Shimon Peres receives Islamic gifts from Dr.Nur Amersi during the official delegation visit to Israel with Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa:

-Islamic Conscience Collectors Edition
-Under the Eaves of Architecture
-Historical Atlas of Islam

Earlier story: Dr. Nur Amersi travelling with Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa delegation

Bilaal Rajan spent part of last summer in Tanzania, Africa. He used proceeds from charitable donations to help fund the Hands for Help project — a nursery school for children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. STAFF PHOTO/BILL ROBERTS

Jun 17, 2008 09:39 AM - By: Patrick Mangion, Staff Writer

Don’t let Bilaal Rajan’s diminutive stature fool you. 

Still shy of his 12th birthday, he is described as articulate, cerebral, driven and passionate by those who know him best.

Since he was a young boy, the academic standout at St. Andrew’s College has been lifting children from poverty and smashing through barriers.

It all started with a rhetorical question, asked with the idealism and naivity of youth.

“Why shouldn’t children in other parts of the world have what we have here in Canada and what we often take for granted?” he wondered.

His philanthropic zeal was sealed when he was 8.

He had just finished reading a news story outlining the plight of Haitians struck by natural disaster.

A photograph of a crying child filled him with compassion and the urge to help.

But his altruism can be traced back further to when he was just four, when he sold clementines door-to-door and gave the proceeds to Indian earthquake victims.

When he talks about the many charitable causes he has led, the frantic pace of his words urges anyone listening to keep up.

Complete at the source: YorkRegion.com

Bilaal Rajan featured at Ismailimail

Shaqil Peermohamed will be commencing studies at the University of Calgary Medical School this August.

Shaqil was recognized as one of Canada’s first Top 20 Under 20 award recipients in 2004. In recognition of his voluntary contributions, Shaqil has been inducted into Alberta’s Volunteer Wall of Fame, has received the City of Calgary Award (Youth Category) and I-STAR Student of the Year Award.

After graduating from high school, Shaqil pursued a B.Sc. in Biological Sciences at one of Canada’s newest universities, the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), where Shaqil was recognized as the Chancellor’s Scholarship recipient. Continuing to excel academically, Shaqil achieved the highest GPA in the Faculty of Science during his first year of studies.

Shaqil is excited to continue his education at the University of Calgary Medical School and has said, “Medicine is becoming increasingly collaborative… UOIT has instilled in me both a strong work ethic and valuable technical skills so that I can apply myself to the fullest potential and achieve my best in medical school”. While the majority of Canadian medical schools offer four-year programs, the University of Calgary is one of two Canadian medical schools that offers a three-year M.D. program. Known for its innovative, practical, patient-based program, the University of Calgary Medical School has earned an international reputation for excellence.

Alberta White Rose Foundation
Alberta Online Encyclopedia
University of Ontario Institute of Technology
Top 20 Under 20
UOIT recognizes top students at In-Course Scholarship awards ceremony
Campus Daily
Calgary Awards 2005

Allons en France contest lands four students a trip to France

Ottawa-Canadian Parents for French (CPF) and the Embassy of France are pleased to announce the Allons en France 2008 contest winners who have won a 10-day trip to France.

The winners are Brianna Cavan, Wiarton, Ontario, Safiya Kassam, Toronto, Ontario, Sinead Mercier, Grand-Falls Windsor, Newfoundland, and Jennifer Nguyen, Windsor, Ontario. Also winning the grand prize to France is teacher Sandra Pagliaroli, who teaches core French at Holy Names High School in Windsor, Ontario, who had a student participate in the 2008 contest and was chosen in a random draw.

“The grand prize of a trip to France is a wonderful opportunity for Canadian youth who are learning to speak French as a second language,” states CPF President Anna Maddison. “It is our 6th annual Allons en France contest, which is held in collaboration with the Embassy of France. Students who win the trip to France meet other youth from around the world and are hosted in France for 10 days; what a wonderful cultural and educational experience for our youth.”

Complete at the source

Richmond Hill
Jun 14, 2008

By: Alex Ritson

Seven Richmond Hill students have been selected for 2008 Canada Millenium Scholarship Foundation Excellence Awards and thousands to invest in their education.

The awards are given to outstanding students who show leadership, innovation, academic standing and community service. They will be presented with their awards by Lt.-Gov. David Onley June 23.

The awards are given on either a local, provincial, or national level.

<snip>

Zahra Tejani is a student at University of Toronto Schools who has organized volunteers and planned outings for the Ismaili Volunteer Corps.

Zahra has also been a math tutor for three years, collected school supplies for students in rural Afghanistan and taught English for a month in Ecuador.

Source

Why the world needs more Canada
Our history of international development assistance has resulted in marked improvements around the world

Khalil Z. Shariff is chief executive officer of the Aga Khan Foundation in Canada.
Special to the Sun

Thursday, June 12, 2008

The statistics are well-known and don’t require repeating: The extent of poverty in the world is widespread and troubling. Half the world — nearly three billion people — lives on less than $2 a day.

What is less clear is how to address the dilemma.

The answer is complex, and demands efforts along many dimensions. One part of that answer, though, is rooted in Canada’s own history of supporting international development.

Twenty-five years ago, in the geographically isolated and economically marginalized regions of northern Pakistan, Canada — through funding from the Canadian International Development Agency and the Aga Khan Development Network — began an ambitious development effort. Built on the premise that beneficiaries, over time, must become the masters of the development process, the program brought together communities in local village organizations and helped them to define priorities and begin working towards achieving them.

Vancouver Sun

Communities began to invest in small infrastructure to increase agricultural productivity and link their villages to markets. They started modest savings programs and lending activities to increase income for their families, made the education of the next generation — especially girls — a priority, and focused on improving maternal and child health care, housing and living conditions.

This development experiment revealed that community organizations and the vibrant civil society which they represented were a key to lasting improvements in quality of life.

When village organizations were patiently nurtured, incredible things started to happen: Incomes tripled, infant mortality dropped 25 per cent and literacy for women and men increased to unprecedented levels, outpacing human development indicators in other parts of the region.

These small village institutions created the capacity for self-development that ensured outside help was effective and its benefits were sustainable.

Over time, many Canadians and Canadian institutions contributed to this experiment, including our universities, which contributed to educating a generation of leaders in the area.

They, too, recognized that change is a long-term process — one that must begin from within communities, one that cannot be imposed or dictated by outsiders or experts.

This experience is not unique. With the Aga Khan Development Network and other partners, Canada has used these principles and values to work in many different contexts: From the semi-arid areas of coastal Kenya to the lush but isolated villages of northern Mozambique; from the harsh mountainous regions of Tajikistan to the remote valleys of Afghanistan, emerging from decades of conflict.

From improving rural livelihoods to building institutions that educate world-class leaders in areas such as nursing and teaching, to spurring the growth of a strong civil society and thriving private businesses, we have stayed true to these basic values and adopted a long-term horizon, and we have seen important and sustainable results.

We have seen examples of development that works, and more Canadians need to know about them.

In fact, it is clear that Canadians are going to be called upon to be more sophisticated in our understanding of the nature of global poverty and instability, and to demand intelligent international development from our leaders. In places like northern Afghanistan, our work with Canadians shows that success is possible if we bring our accumulated expertise to bear in support of the processes of reconstruction and development.

Bridges that Unite, a travelling exhibition sponsored by Aga Khan Foundation Canada that opens today at the Roundhouse in Vancouver, is an effort to strengthen exactly this kind of educated and engaged citizenry when it comes to Canada’s role in international development.

Visitors will encounter questions and images that are designed to challenge simplistic ideas of what development looks like, herald the accomplishments that Canadians can rightly be proud of, and inspire new visions of Canadian global leadership in the future.

They will also be invited to consider how a ring of chairs and a flipchart, which is the setting for social change in communities around the world, can replace our idea of development as hand-outs to the poor.

Above all, Bridges that Unite hopes to stimulate a conversation in this country about what Canadian global leadership will look like in the 21st century.

At its best, Canada has helped communities in the developing world lift themselves out of poverty, with their dignity and pride intact, and their pluralism strengthened. These contributions have helped Canada to be seen not only as a generous country, but as a thoughtful and humane global leader.

That’s a Canada that the world could certainly use more of.

Khalil Z. Shariff is chief executive officer of the Aga Khan Foundation in Canada.

Vancouver Sun

Excerpt:

In 2005, he launched a project to plant hundreds of fruit trees in Vancouver to create an “urban orchard,” so people could have free fruit.

Last week, he put on his gardening clothes and headed down to New Brighton Park in east Vancouver to plant more than 50 apple trees with the help of Ismaili youth.

He estimates the mini-orchard will yield more than a ton of fruit, but the goal is to see hundreds of trees planted on underused city-owned sites to produce more than 4,500 kilograms of free fruit a year.

Vancouver Sun - Related

Yasmin Jetha was appointed CIO for the Financial Times (FT) in January 2006, where she is responsible for IT services, as well as procurement and purchasing functions.

Her main role is to ensure the FT.com website is available 24/7 and to maintain the paper’s links to 24 print sites around the globe so it can print up to seven editions per day. She has also taken on the role of chief operating officer from April this year.

Before joining the FT, Jetha was a board member of the Abbey National Bank. As executive director she was responsible for IT as well as property, procurement and security.

After leaving Abbey National at the end of 2004, Jetha pursued wider interests including becoming governor at the University of Bedfordshire, and acting as an advisor to senior directors of start up, as well as established companies. She is also vice chair of the National Committee of the Aga Khan Foundation (UK), a charitable organisation.

Jetha was born in Tanzania and has lived in the UK for more than 35 years. She obtained a BSc in Mathematics at London University and later an MSc in Management Science from Imperial College London. She is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and in 2005 she was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Leicester.

Silicon.com

PARIS - Canada is working quietly with Afghanistan and Pakistan to find ways to improve both security and traffic flow at a border that has been identified as a vital artery feeding the Taliban-led insurgency, a top Canadian official said here Wednesday.

Arif Lalani, Canada’s ambassador to Afghanistan, made the comment while defending Canada and its allies against criticism from several analysts who were questioning whether the Taliban-led insurgency can be defeated.

He said Canada first brought Afghan and Pakistani officials together in Dubai six months ago, with follow-up meetings being held over the past month in each country.

Complete at the source

Youngster raises $10,000 to beat world poverty By: Julie Slack / Mississauga.com

June 9, 2008 01:29 PM - An eight-year-old Mississauga boy has raised more than $10,000 in his quest to end world poverty.

Amyn Mawani recently walked from Toronto’s Metro Hall, along with thousands of Torontonians, at the 24th annual World Partnership Walk. The largest event of its kind in Canada, the five-kilometre fundraising walk helps alleviate global poverty. Some 38,000 people participated in the event in nine cities across Canada.

Last year, the walk raised more than $5 million.

Amyn, who raised $10,000 through pledges from friends and family, and his brother, Rahim, 16, are passionate about poverty after witnessing circumstances of the very poor in countries such as Kenya and Cuba, and hearing stories of their own father’s childhood of poverty in Kenya.

Together, they formed a 13-member team, End to Poverty, which raised $11,768 in total, with Amyn raising the majority of the funds. Rahim raised more than $600.

The brothers also made a lifetime commitment to the cause.

“Our goal is dedicated to helping the three billion people who live on less than $2 per day,” said Rahim. “One goal is to raise $1 per Canadian, which is $35 million annually. Our lifetime total goal is $99 billion. We know it is a big goal, but we are ready to start small and grow together with our supporters and socially responsible Canadian citizens.”

Amyn and Rahim have been participating in the walk with their parents, Nizar and Rafika, for as long as they can remember.

All funds raised through the World Partnership Walk go directly to programs supported by Aga Khan Foundation Canada, a private Canadian development agency.

Mississauga.com

Volunteer at African Games

By Communications Staff
June 5, 2008

This summer is shaping up to be an interesting one on several fronts for Rafiq Dhanji a Masters of Environment & Sustainability student at Western.

Besides his summer work-term placement developing and promoting sustainability projects in Physical Plant, he will make a two-week detour to Africa to volunteer at the Golden Jubilee Games.

Dhanji was asked to assist based upon his leadership with the Post-Secondary Games held on Western’s campus May 10-11.

Dhanji will attend the first-ever, global Ismaili sports tournament, being held in Kenya June 23-29. Competitors and spectators from more than 20 countries are expected to attend and help to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of the Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims.

As an added bonus he will have a chance to cheer on his younger sister who qualified for the games as a participant in the 5km race.

Source

All posts related to Golden Jubilee Games

]]> http://ismailimail.wordpress.com/2008/06/08/rafiq-dhanji-to-volunteer-at-the-golden-jubilee-games-in-kenya/feed/ ismailimail http://ismailimail.wordpress.com/2008/06/07/calgary-ismaili-youths-volunteering-with-habitat-for-humanity/ http://ismailimail.wordpress.com/2008/06/07/calgary-ismaili-youths-volunteering-with-habitat-for-humanity/#comments Sat, 07 Jun 2008 16:42:47 +0000 ismailimail http://ismailimail.wordpress.com/?p=4861

Volunteers have started framing Habitat for Humanity’s four duplexes in the northeast community of Mayland Heights — and they’re doing it behind a fence painted by 20 young people from Ismaili Muslim community.

The contingent of youths aged 21 and older each painted an eight-foot section of fence recently as 60 volunteers began working on the skeletons of two of the homes.

Calgary Herald

Related

Vancouver Ismaili youth put their ethics in action on Sunday, June 1st as they partnerned with The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation in helping to prepare sites and plant 50 fruit trees at New Brighton Park. Commissioner Allan De Genova planted the first tree with the Ismaili Youth.

In the spirit of service, the CIVIC program, which stands for “Challenging Ismaili Volunteers In Communities”, has been introduced as a Golden Jubilee youth initiative that will allow youth between the ages of 13 to 25 to become “ambassadors” for the spirit of voluntary service. The CIVIC program provides experiential learning opportunities to allow youth to contribute to the betterment of the societies within which they live.

Pictures of this event have been posted at Flickr by Commissioner Allan De Genova.

Click on the picture or the link below to view additional pictures.

Flickr

Related

Wed, Jun 4th, 2008

Dhaka, June 04 (bdnews24.com)—US special envoy to the OIC Sada Cumber said Wednesday that Muslims from Bangladesh and other countries living in the US would be treated with dignity and respect.

Cumber, the first US envoy to the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), also said the misunderstanding between the US and the Muslim world was a “clash of ignorance, not clash of civilisations”.

“I have already engaged myself in the dialogue with the homeland security in dealing with some of the issues that the Bangladeshi Muslims coming into the United States, are facing at the airport,” Cumber, a Pakistani Muslim American, told a meeting on US-OIC relations organised by the Bangladesh Enterprise Institute.

US ambassador to Bangladesh James F Moriarty also addressed the meeting, chaired by BEI president Farooq Sobhan.

“I’ve assured the foreign ministry this afternoon that insallah soon we would be addressing these issues,” said Cumber who had met foreign secretary Md Touhid Hossain at the foreign ministry earlier in the day.

He said the US homeland security secretary would deliver an address to the US Muslims in Houston, Texas Wednesday assuring them that the problems would be solved.

“The secretary’s address will make sure that these issues are mitigated so that the Muslims from Bangladesh and other places, and non-Muslims, when they enter the United States, are dealt with dignity and respect,” said Cumber.

He said that the US with 5 million Muslims from 80 different countries wanted a voice in the OIC. He said that his office was totally independent of other wings of the US administration and he only reported to US President George W Bush.

Cumber was appointed US special envoy to the OIC on March 3, 2008.

He said that the US wanted to establish 10 digital libraries in 10 OIC countries and work in fields of science and technology, education and health.

Source

Canada Practicing Diplomacy on Afghanistan’s Border

Embassy, June 4th, 2008
NEWS STORY

While Canada’s ambassador to Afghanistan has been leading diplomatic efforts to secure the Afghan-Pakistan border, both countries are calling for the other to get serious about stopping the Taliban insurgents who crisscross the porous border with apparent ease.

Meanwhile, a visiting U.S. diplomat has issued a clarion call for a broader regional compact that would see Afghanistan’s neighbours get their acts together.

In an interview with Embassy last week, Mr. Lalani said that he has been working for months to help bring together Afghan and Pakistani officials so they can improve management of their shared border.

The almost 2,500-kilometer-long border has been a nagging problem for Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the international community, including Canadian troops based in Kandahar. It is widely known that Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters use the Pakistani border areas as safe havens from which to prepare and launch attacks into Afghanistan.

Mr. Lalani said his Canadian-led border co-operation effort began six months ago, when he and his senior staff brought together officials from various ministries on both sides of the border.

The initial meeting, held in Dubai, involved officials from both countries’ ministries of foreign affairs, interior, and trade promotion.

After a brief hiatus during the recent Pakistani election, the process resumed with two more meetings in Pakistan. The next two meetings are scheduled to be held in Afghanistan.

The first success, Mr. Lalani said, was getting the process started.

“Accomplishment one was getting them together, because they weren’t getting together on their own,” he said. “It was Canada that brought them together.”

At the table, Mr. Lalani said Canada tries to impart lessons learned through managing its own border with the United States. The goal, he said, is a border that is open, accessible and secure.

This is essential, he said, to the economic development of Afghanistan

“If we’re going to get trade going, they need to have a secure, reliable border to get their products out,” he said.

Mr. Lalani said he is working with Afghan and Pakistani officials to develop a joint agenda for border improvement projects. This agenda now includes improvement to border infrastructure, building and upgrading of border stations and the training of guards.

Mr. Lalani said that once the two countries develop their joint agenda, he hopes to bring the plan to the G8, which could provide both financial and political support to help make the agenda a reality.

But for now, he said, he is concentrating on removing some very basic wrenches from the gears of border machinery.

For example, he said,