By Jalaledin Ebrahim.

A Star has flashed across our collective inner sky. A genius has left an enduring legacy. He was bigger than life. He was a giant in the entertainment field. He wowed us with his music and his moves. So what is the relevance of Michael Jackson to our lives?

The first thing that comes to mind is the early childhood discovery of a huge talent for music. Jackson was clearly a gifted entertainer who wasted no time in perfecting his artistry. From the perspective of a life coach, it is a huge blessing in life to become aware of our calling. That Michael Jackson did this so early in life set him on a clear path. He was precocious in his art beyond his years. Many have remarked how he sang as if he had years of experience behind him. Of the seven intelligences in Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences, Michael had access to two unique intelligences: a musical intelligence which contains the capacity to produce and appreciate rhythm and forms of musical expression, and a bodily-kinesthetic intelligence which demonstrates an ability to control one’s body movements. One might even argue that Michael accessed a third intelligence: a linguistic intelligence which demonstrates a sensitivity to the sounds, rhythms and meaning of words But with this success came some serious problems: a loss of balance – loss of childhood, a stunted education and conflicts with his father, resulting in early parent-child relational issues. These can have a devastating affect on one’s psychology.

From a psychological perspective, Michael had to respond to his childhood trauma of physical and emotional abuse and also to the condition of body dysmorphic disorder. In addition, the loss of a normal childhood was irreparable even though Michael tried so hard to make up for this by entertaining underprivileged and disabled children and their families at his Neverland ranch.

Childhood trauma, intentional or accidental, can result in long term psychological and even physiological disorders. Depending on when in childhood such trauma may have occurred, one can anticipate a loss of self-esteem. If Michael was emotionally abused during what Erik Erikson would identify in his model of human development as the psychosocial stage of the latency years (age 6-11), he did not have an opportunity to develop self-esteem through normal peer interactions, since he did not have the benefit of a normal childhood. In the latency years, an individual needs to resolve the conflict between “industry” and “inferiority” before one progresses to the next stage of human development in the life span. His multitude of adoring fans clearly could not make up for the need for normal emotional and psychological development, which is why Michael was so fixated on his childhood issues.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder historically known as dysmorphophobia is a preoccupation with a perceived defect in appearance and can cause severe psychological distress. Whether this was as a result of the 1986 diagnosis of vitiligo, which is an auto-immune disease that causes a loss of pigmentation, or whether vitiligo was concurrent with his body dysmorphic disorder is unclear. Nevertheless, that Michael was able to avoid social isolation which is a typical response to this condition speaks to his strength and courage to treat it and overcome it, in his own unique way. Individuals with this disorder often pursue and receive general medical, dermatological or surgical treatments to rectify their imagined defects. To his credit, Michael found a way to make this a part of his mythic persona.

The life of a celebrity often reveals an inner wasteland because one spends so much time pleasing the fans and getting stroked by an adoring public. This too can lead to a huge imbalance, even though the positive projections from his fans may have compensated a little for his own experience of self-loathing as reported by his long-time friend, Dr. Deepak Chopra. Chopra also revealed that Michael was suffering from Lupus, an auto-immune disease, although there is one report that suggests he was in remission from this.

This level of deprivation of a cultivated inner life can often lead to depression and a “loss of soul.” Surprisingly, Michael was able to compensate for this to some extent because he was clearly receptive to inner promptings in the creation and expression of his music and dance. His best-selling album “Thriller” may have been the outcome of Michael’s capacity to touch and connect with his shadow side. On the other hand, it is also possible that Michael’s emotional development was arrested in his “genital” psycho-social stage, which runs from adolescence to adulthood. During the genital psychosocial stage, an individual works towards resolution of the conflicts between identity and identity diffusion in adolescence, between intimacy and isolation in young adulthood, and between generativity and self-absorption in adulthood. This perhaps explains his less subtle sexually suggestive moves on stage and his complete lack of personal boundaries with children, especially when he dangled his son from the balcony of a hotel room. The final concert series indicates that Michael was moving into the generativity psycho-social stage of his life.

It does not appear that Michael was able to fully overcome his deeper depressive symptoms because he had to treat some of his somatic symptoms with prescription medications to which he became addicted. Michael had been admitted into various programs for chemical dependence and one wonders whether there was ever a serious consideration to receive consistent psychotherapy for his psychological and emotional well-being. Yet, despite this constant struggle with his inner demons, he was able to engage his world-wide public by bringing joy, ecstasy and a sense of human connection that transcended race, culture and ethnicity.

His lyrics evolved from expressions of romantic love (“I’ll be there”) to self-transformation (“Man in the Mirror”) to the unity of humankind (“We are the world”). Deepak Chopra revealed that the music for his final concert tour included environmental themes. So, clearly, despite his many personal trial and tribulations, psychological, legal and financial challenges, Michael was able to give the absolute very best of himself as the King of Pop, and possibly even as a father. He left an indelible impression on the lives of millions of people through his chosen vocation, creative self-expression and self-invention. One might go so far as to say that he achieved a remarkable degree of self-actualization. That is his greatest legacy.

© Copyright Jalaledin Ebrahim

Jalaledin Ebrahim (IM link) is a doctoral student in Depth Psychotherapy and a Marriage and Family Therapist intern. Find more information at:
http://jalaledin-ebrahim.blogspot.com/
http://jalaledin.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/jalaledin

…Prince Hussain Aga Khan, in his second photo book of the same name, Animal Voyage: Travels 1996 – 2007, has further refined the original photographic edit and improved the quality of the images on the printed page. Animal Voyage (editions de l’oeil, 128 pages) is a collection of travel photographs of various animals taken over a decade and from twenty-five countries. His first book of photographs dated from 1996 to 2004 can loosely be viewed as a first edition.In any case, the updated photo book is more than a selection of typical landmark images of travels but is a printed record with his particular eleven year documentary vision…

Animal Voyage is a wonderful book with vivid colour photographs which are edited and well sequencednot by a mere hobby travel photographer but a photographer with a sincere and noble goal of preserving nature around the world. Not an easy task to do….John W. MacDonald

Full review at Sideline: Book Review of Hussain Aga Khan’s “Animal Voyage”

See book details and order “Animal Voyage” by Hussain Aga Khan

Earlier related

Bilaal Rajan recently returned from visiting South Africa, where he had the opportunity to meet with Mr Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Click here to read more about his trip to South Africa, his July 2009 book and film reviews, and more!

http://www.makingchangenow.com/newsletter0907.html

Friday, July 3, 2009 | CBC News

About 300,000 people lined downtown Calgary’s curbs and office highrise windows to take in the annual Stampede parade Friday morning.

Led by TV celebrity contractor Mike Holmes on a white horse, more than 40 floats and marching bands joined the procession that started at Sixth Avenue and Third Street S.E. and travelled west, turning south down 10th Street S.W. and then east on Ninth Avenue S.W., ending on Fourth Street S.E.

The Ismaili Muslim community's float was one of dozens in the Stampede parade. (CBC)

The annual parade, which was first held in 1912, kicks off the 10-day Calgary Stampede, which celebrates the cowboy way of life.

Read at source: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2009/07/03/calgary-stampede-parade.html

HEIDI VOGT | The Associated Press

BAMIYAN, Afghanistan — There’s a new building in town, and it isn’t a military barracks or a hospital. It’s a Tourist Information Center.

Even as troops fight militants in the south, government officials and donors in Afghanistan’s central Bamiyan valley are training tour guides and teaching restaurateurs about customer service. It’s an attempt to draw tourism and return one small part of Afghanistan to normalcy.

The challenges are many — landmines, dangerous roads outside Bamiyan, and, not least, Afghanistan’s reputation as anything but a tourist haven. But the hope is to persuade history buffs and adventure seekers that Afghanistan can be safe, and locals are eager to give it a shot.

The tourism training program is funded through a Geneva-based Islamic organization, the Aga Khan Development Network, as part of a $1.2-million ecotourism program.All Afghan tourism initiatives are currently funded by international donors, according to Deputy Minister for Tourism Ghulam Nabi Farahi.

Read at source: http://www.amherstdaily.com/index.cfm?sid=266006&sc=510

Community spirit: Diversity links duo

For some two decades, Calgary’s Ismaili Muslim Community has been an award-winning part of the Calgary Stampede Parade. The group has not only been recognized multiple times as one of the event’s top entries, but it has taken its role in the Calgary community to heart by partnering with local non-profits to promote worthy causes.

And this year is no exception as it joins forces with the Calgary Women’s Emergency Shelter, which is celebrating its 35th anniversary. A lot of our core values deal in terms of resolving conflict through non-violent means, and empowering women is another key value we as a community take pride in and value,” says Ismaili Muslim Community volunteer Karam-Ali Talakshi. “It seemed like a natural fit.”

Over the past 20 years, the Ismaili Muslim Community has partnered with a number of organizations for the parade, including Meals on Wheels, Habitat for Humanity, the YMCA and Alberta Children’s Hospital. The theme for this year’s entry is “Strengthening Relationships, Building Community.”

Read at source: http://parade.calgarystampede.com/pdf/2009_Stampede_Parade_Gazette.pdf

OMNI Television aired the world television premiere of East Meets Western to English language audiences in Ontario, Alberta and BC on Sunday, June 28th.

From Calgary-based White Iron Pictures, East Meets Western tells a story of volunteerism, commitment and support between two seemingly disparate cultures. With the Calgary Stampede as its backdrop, East Meets Western links festivities within the Calgary Ismaili community with events of the Stampede, revealing remarkable similarities between the two.

Please click on the image to view a trailer of the documentary.

http://www.whiteiron.tv/bin/east_meets_western.mov

Earlier related

The Talloires Network and the MacJannet Foundation are pleased to announce the winners of the first annual MacJannet Prize for Global Citizenship. After receiving 67 nominations from 40 universities in 19 countries, the MacJannet Prize Selection Committee has chosen the following programs:

The first place winner, which will receive $5,000, is the Urban Health Program based in Aga Khan University in Pakistan. This innovative and long-standing program run by Aga Khan University’s Department of Community Health Sciences provides critical health and socio-economic support to the squatter settlements of Karachi.

Administrators at Aga Khan University founded the program in 1983, when public health efforts received little attention from other Pakistani universities. Since the establishment of the Department of Community Health Sciences, whose mandate was to help develop community-based knowledge and skills among its students, many other medical schools have used the Urban Health Program as a model for their own public health work.

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Learn more at the Urban Health Program website

Complete at source: http://www.macjannetprize.org/

Video of the prize winners can be seen here.

First Friday: Hussain Aga Khan, Focused On Nature
July 1, 2009

Join us this first Friday for the public opening of Hussain Aga Khan’s Focused On Nature.

From his global travels Hussain Aga Khan has been able to capture exotic creatures in their natural habitats from every corner of the world. Khan displays 52 digital prints, ranging in size from 11” x 15” to 38” x 42”. The resultant effect of the larger print sizes envelopes his viewer within the scene, where they are asked to contemplate the importance of our planet’s rich diversity.

Hussain Aga Khan asks us to view the work not through the lexicon of ‘the perfect print’ or in relationship to fine arts photography; instead, he brings to us vibrant, lively photographs of nature and animals, during a time of rapid environmental degeneration – a time when we need to see it most. Hussain hopes that we can share his understanding that every one of these animals and their homes are incredible and irreplaceable and need to be protected as such.

In connection with the exhibition, Hussain has initiated a children’s art educational summer camp with the After School Activities Partnership (ASAP) and the Caring People Alliance to help children learn about art and create their own. The program is a month long course where professional artists will be working with students ages 10-13. The campers will be taught to use digital cameras, and travel on field trips in Pennsylvania and New Jersey to animal sanctuaries and other points of interest related to environmental preservation. For more information about Hussain Aga Khan and these programs you can visit www.focusedonnature.org.

First Friday runs from 6-9 pm.
249 Arch (Corner of Third and Arch)

http://fuelcollection.wordpress.com/2009/07/01/first-friday-hussain-aga-khan-focused-on-nature/

Earlier related

2nd National Road Safety Conference on 7th

KARACHI: Indus Motor Company (IMC) and Shell Pakistan in partnership with The Aga Khan University Hospital, Sindh Education Foundation and the Road Traffic injury Research Center (Ministry of Health) are organizing the 2nd National Road Safety Conference (NSRC) on July 7, 2009 at the Aga Khan University Auditorium, Karachi.

Participants at the conference will comprise of government and regulatory body dignitaries and stakeholders from the corporate, education, health, road traffic systems and the engineering sectors.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009%5C07%5C02%5Cstory_2-7-2009_pg5_12

From The Institute of Ismaili Studies
July 2009

Reza Masoudi Nejad gave a presentation on The Spatial Genealogy of the Ashura Ritual: an introduction on spatial evolution of Shi’i rituals at The Institute of Ismaili Studies on 2 June 2009. He has recently completed his PhD at The Bartlett, Faculty for the Built Environment at UCL.

Dr Nejad seeks a deeper understanding of the Ashura ritual and its spatial dimensions, by explaining the evolution of rituals throughout Shi‘i history as dependent on socio-political changes. In his paper, he shows how society and space interact with each other through rituals.

Read at: http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=110407

EDMONTON — Hordes of people dressed in red and white waving — and wearing — flags filled Edmonton streets and parks today in celebration of Canada’s 142nd birthday.

Beginning at 7 a.m., thousands showed up to the Alberta legislature grounds where some special guests served up a free pancake breakfast, courtesy of the Ismaili Muslim Community of Edmonton.

Federal Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff took a break from serving pancakes and watermelon to talk about the meaning behind Canada Day. He pointed to the diversity of the breakfast crowd as an example of what Canadians should be proud of.

“Canadians of every walk of life are all together … it’s a great feeling,” he said.

Read at source: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Life/Edmonton+crowds+ring+Canada+legislature/1749899/story.html

Focused on Nature

Photographs by Hussain Aga Khan

“In my photographs, I let the animals and trees speak for
themselves and hope other people see what I see.”

Hussain Aga Khan

An avid photographer and environmentalist since he was twelve years old, Hussain Aga Khan is working to share his concern and passion for the environment. His images of nature portray the urgent need for more research and actionable initiatives on global issues of biodiversity, deforestation, global warming, pollution and eco-tourism.

Focused on Nature

Friday, July 3rd to August 8th, 2009

at

The F.U.E.L Collection

249 Arch Street Philadelphia PA 19106

Special thanks to:

Robert Morrison, Antonin Potoski, Patrick Codomier, Nazir Sunderji

The University of the Arts

The Fels Community Center

After School Activities Partnership – ASAP

Proceeds from the sale of photographs will benefit the “Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan Fund for the Environment”

http://www.focusedonnature.org/home.html

View collection of photographs at the Gallery

Excerpts from candmwanderings blogspot:

In town, we met a very talented young Vancouverite, Aliaa, who was staying in a village near Ishkashim for a year, with a family that and all but adopted her, as she gathered material for her Ph.D. in anthropology. She was Ismaili, and she filled us in on bits of local culture and recent history which helped us interpret what we had seen over the past weeks.

The day after meeting Aliaa, and just as a ride to Dushanbe had been expediently arranged for us, we had the honour of meeting 86 year-old Dr. Ali Mohammad Rajput, a retired professor of mathematics from Birmingham (UK) who spends four months of the year in Khorog. Not only is he the venerable patriarch of the Pamir Lodge, but he played a key role in the recent history of Gorno Badahkshan Autonomous Oblast as we had just learned it from Aliaa. He was one of the three key people who came to GBAO to assess the situation in the early 1990s after the civil war..

He reported to the Aga Khan (with whom he had connections having started his academic career on an AK scholarship from Pakistan) and a decade of food aid and much more began. Aga Khan projects can now be seen everywhere in GBAO, and there is an AK Foundation office in Khorog. There are cynical stories of other aid programmes that have been mismanaged, with vast sums spent and no improvement in the lives of locals, but the Aga Khan Foundation has made and continues to make a huge difference here.

If I lived here, I ‘d be proud to have his photo on my wall, too.

Read at source: http://candmwanderings.blogspot.com/2009/06/khorog.html

Muslim youth help fight graffiti
Jennifer Moreau, Burnaby Now | Wednesday, July 01, 2009

As part of an annual day of volunteering, 40 Ismaili youth will clean up local graffiti.

This Sunday, a band of local youth will be putting paint brushes to walls along a graffiti-ridden neighbourhood in Burnaby.

It’s part of an initiative called CIVIC, which stands for Challenging Ismaili Volunteers In Communities.

Here in Burnaby, the city’s anti-graffiti coordinator is getting a helping hand from 40 volunteers from the Ismaili Muslim community. They will help paint over graffiti in an effort to reclaim the community and discourage taggers.

-snip-

This year’s CIVIC day is July 5. Roughly 180 youth around the Lower Mainland will be volunteering, planting trees, cleaning up parks and working in soup kitchens.

Shelin Adam volunteers to help coordinate the projects. She says the principle of volunteering has long been a pillar within the Ismaili community.

“The community is very big on the ethic of service and giving back to the community,” she says.

Read at source: http://www2.canada.com/burnabynow/news/story.html?id=19d18e32-f626-4d2a-8e8a-19aa1530e058

Excerpts:

This project, the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat, is the world’s first building representing the Aga Khan Development Network (which supports social, economic and cultural projects in developing countries).

Specifically CAF was called upon to create 180 highly intricate panels – that when joined form the aluminum screen that today encloses the 55-foot-high atrium, located just beneath the dome at the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat. These cast aluminum screens partially obscure the glass walls with their Arabesque-type pattern, a double layer of repeating hexagons. This screen of patterned cast aluminum evokes the screens of carved marble and wood that filter light in historic Islamic architecture.

Read at source: http://news.thomasnet.com/companystory/562583

ISRO to teach tribals spoken English through VSAT technology
Express News Service | Tuesday , Jun 30, 2009

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has joined hands with the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) to implement spoken English programme for the tribals in the rural areas of Narmada, Surendranagar, Bharuch, Surat and Junagadh through VSAT connectivity.

Through its Space Application Centre, which has been doing research on VSAT technology, ISRO wants to uplift the life and livelihood of the people in the rural areas through services such as Tele-education and Tele-healthcare. Spoken English will be part of these courses, and AKRSP will be the implementing agencies for five centres.

Read at source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/ISRO-to-teach-tribals-spoken-English-through-VSAT-technology/482838

SFU News Online
June 11, 2009

Several faculty members have been recognized recently for outstanding contributions in their fields.

-snip-

Biologist Zamir Punja has won the 2009 Canadian Phytopathological Society Award for Outstanding Research for his work in plant pathology and his innovative approaches to disease management on vegetable and horticultural crops.

Punja, an international leader in the development of genetically-modified plants, has one of the most productive and diverse research programs in Canada addressing both basic and applied aspects of plant diseases caused by a range of pathogens, particularly soil-borne fungi.

His outreach has extended beyond the scientific community to the public forum in which he has spoken nationally and internationally about his work. In 2003, Punja’s staunch support as a champion of genetically modified plants earned him SFU’s Nora and Ted Sterling Prize in support of controversy.

Read at source: http://www.sfu.ca/sfunews/news/story_06110908.shtml

Additional photographs of His Highness the Aga Khan from the Award Ceremony at the University of Alberta on June 9, 2009 where he received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree.

Please click on the picture to view the photo album.

Photographs, courtesy of University of Alberta

All related posts

29/06/2009

In June, students at the University of Central Asia’s (UCA) School of Professional and Continuing Education (SPCE), Central Asia’s first provider of formal, university-based, non-degree educational programmes, received certificates and awards for a number of disciplines, including accounting, mountain guiding and the teaching of English. The ceremonies in Dushanbe and Khorog also marked several milestones. SPCE’s first graduation in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, was held. The third graduation ceremony at the Khorog campus was also held, with 138 learners receiving awards and certificates – 27 of them from Afghanistan.

Established in 2006, SPCE is UCA’s first operational academic programme. Its mission is to foster economic development in mountainous regions of Central Asia. It offers courses that improve employment and income generating opportunities for youth and adults and professional development opportunities for mid-career professionals

Read at: http://www.akdn.org/blog.asp?id=771

Graeme Morton, Calgary Herald | Sunday, June 28, 2009

If you listen to a steady diet of radio talk shows or browse online blogs, some days you’d swear complaining, not hockey, is Canada’s national pastime.

To those who find faults, both large and small, in the True North Strong and Free, Samiullah Sadet would quietly disagree.

“I have been in many places, Asia, Europe, the Middle East . . . and this is the best country in the world,” says Sadet in the living room of his family’s spotless northeast Calgary home.

Canada is the heaven of the world.”

Samiullah, or Sammy as he’s known, is the oldest of six brothers and sisters who came to Calgary in 1999 from Afghanistan after their parents were killed during the ongoing fighting that continues to grip that nation. At the time, they were between eight and 17 years old, moving halfway around the world to a strange new environment.

The six Sadet siblings were given guidance and support by the Dhanani family and the city’s Ismaili Muslim community and went through the natural period of adjustment all immigrants go through.

Read at source: http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=0252e47e-865f-4655-8fe3-6a525da52102

University of Lethbridge Celebrates Spring Convocation, Thursday, May 28 and Friday, May 29

Robert Cooney | Univ Adv – Communications | May 26, 2009

This is a big week for more than 1400 soon-to-be University of Lethbridge graduates, their families and friends — and for members of the University community who help them cross the stage properly dressed, with degrees in hand — and in order, among other important processes.

-snip-

Honorary Degrees

Honorary Degrees will be awarded to the following individuals:

Mobina Jaffer, Vancouver, BC — Doctor of Laws (Ceremony 3, Friday, 9:30 a.m.)

Lawyer and Canadian Senator Mobina Jaffer has served in the cause of social justice and gender equality at local, national, and international levels.

Mobina Jaffer began practicing law in British Columbia in 1978 and was appointed to the Canadian Senate in 2001 by Prime Minister Jean Chretien. Mobina has extensive experience in refugee and immigration law, and has done much work in the areas of women’s rights, peace, and security. Mobina also has the distinction of being the first Indo-Canadian female lawyer in BC, the first African-born member of the Senate, and the first Muslim member of the Senate.

Complete information and brief biographies of the Honorary Degree recipients is available here: http://www.uleth.ca/notice/display.html?b=300&s=11742

Read at source: http://www.uleth.ca/notice/display.html?b=14&s=12239

Gulamhussein’s win of Governor General’s Medal makes it a trifecta for Statistics and Actuarial Sciences

By Mitchell Zimmer

Faisel Gulamhussein is only one of two people in this year’s graduating class of over 7,000 students to have won the Governor General’s Medal. The award is given to the graduating student with the highest standing in any four-year honors program at the University. Gulamhussein’s academic record is outstanding, he has been on the Dean’s Honor List in each of his four years of study and he graduated with distinction from the Department of Statistical and Actuarial Sciences.

Gulamhussein’s win has made history for the Department as well in that it is the third year in a row that the award has been handed to one of their graduates.

http://www.uwo.ca/sci/publications/news/faisel.html

Motion to Grant to His Highness the Aga Khan the Honourary Title of Citizen of Canada Adopted

Hon. Mobina S.B. Jaffer:   Honourable senators, I rise also to speak on the motion, but I first want to thank the Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, for suggesting that we bestow the title of honorary Canadian citizenship on His Highness the Aga Khan.

It is an honour and a privilege to rise today in support of the motion to recognize His Highness the Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslims with the title of honorary Canadian citizen. I am proud, as a Canadian and an Ismaili Muslim, that we can bestow this honour on someone who is so richly deserving of it.

I know that some of you in this chamber are familiar with the contributions the Aga Khan and the Ismaili Imamat have made in Canada and internationally to advance pluralism and diversity.

It was not that long ago that we celebrated the opening of the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat here in Ottawa, the home of the Aga Khan Development Network. The network is a group of development agencies with mandates ranging from health and education to architecture, culture, micro-finance, rural development, disaster reduction, the promotion of private sector enterprise and the revitalization of historic cities.

The Aga Khan Development Network agencies conduct their programs without regard to faith, origin or gender. As Senator Comeau’s motion states, the Aga Khan Development Network is currently with Canadian Forces in Afghanistan to improve the lives of the Afghani people. The Aga Khan Development Network’s efforts in Afghanistan includes large-scale rural development; health, education and civil society programs; micro-finance services and the rehabilitation of historic neighbourhoods in Kabul and Herat with a rapidly growing mobile phone network. With the support of its donors and partner, more than U.S. $700 million has been channelled to the network for Afghanistan’s reconstruction.

The Global Centre for Pluralism, another initiative of His Highness the Aga Khan, is yet another example of his long-standing partnership with Canada. Dedicated to the creation of successful societies, the centre is founded on the premise that tolerance, openness and understanding towards the cultures, social structures, values and faiths of other people are essential to the very survival of an interdependent world.

The credo of the centre is, and I quote:

Pluralism is no longer simply an asset or a prerequisite for progress and development. It is vital to our existence.

To quote the Aga Khan himself:

We cannot make the world safe for democracy unless we also make the world safe for diversity

-snip-

If this motion goes through, the Aga Khan will become the fifth person to be recognized with the title of honorary citizen. He joins Raoul Wallenberg, Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama and the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Aung San Suu Kyi. This is distinguished company, but there are few more deserving to join this select group than His Highness the Aga Khan.

Honourable senators, I am overjoyed to welcome His Highness, Prince Karim Aga Khan as a fellow Canadian. I hope you will join with me and the Canadian Ismaili community in welcoming him and working toward an even greater partnership to advance our mutual goals. I ask you to support this motion.

Read the Adoption of Motion and Senator Mobina Jaffer’s speech in its entireity at source: http://www.parl.gc.ca/40/2/parlbus/chambus/senate/deb-E/050db_2009-06-23-e.htm?Language=E&Parl=40&Ses=2#52

All related posts

AKRSP will reduce itself and create room for LSOs to grow

Karokoram Knowledge Highways(KKH) interview with Izhar Hunzai, General Manager, AKRSP Gilglit Pakistan.

KKH: Please give us some information about AKRSP? When and why it was formed and what are its main objectives?

IH: AKRSP was a new experiment in the long history of His Highness’s attention to this area. Many experts have commented on AKRSP’s innovative design and its approach, but let me give you a personal account, because it doesn’t stop fascinating me even after 17 years of my association with it. Before AKRSP, the Imamat Institutions working in this area were voluntary Boards, delivering basic and useful services. In creating AKRSP, His Highness foresaw a paradigm shift. The traditional systems which created and managed public goods were in decline, the government systems were distant and inadequate, and the isolation of the area was coming to an end with the construction of the KKH. His Highness combined a number of innovations in the newly created AKRSP. First, it was meant to be a professional set up, led by world class experts as management and Board of Directors selected on merit; second, it was registered under the Companies Act, not under the Social Welfare Law, which was a common practice at that time for AK institutions. An amazing decision and one that provided room for innovation and ensured highest management and governance standards. Fourth, it was meant to be an inclusive organization working with all the communities in the Northern Areas and Chitral. Fifth, His Highness gave AKRSP a very specific and clear mandate: a) double the per capita income, b) develop a replicable model and, c) create sustainable local institutional mechanisms.

His Highness then gave the first General Manager of AKRSP full authority, flexible and generous resources, including a helicopter, and the assurance of his long-term support.

Complete interview: http://www.kkh-journal.org/issue2/pdf/GM%20AKRSP.pdf

June 2009

The leading international authority on medieval Ismaili castles and fortresses, Peter Willey, died peacefully at his home near Pewsey in Wiltshire on 23 April 2009 at the age of 86 years. He is best known for his knowledge of the remote and virtually impregnable Ismaili castles in Iran and Syria, which he recorded in a series of articles and publications.

His final work, Eagle’s Nest: Ismaili Castles in Iran and Syria, published in 2005 by The Institute of Ismaili Studies in association with I.B. Tauris, is recognised as the standard work on the subject. A Persian translation of the same was published in Tehran in 2007.

Castle of Alamut

-snip-

The IIS pays tribute to this outstanding scholar and explorer who dedicated much of his adult life to the study of medieval Ismaili castles, and by so doing made an original contribution to the field of Ismaili studies. He will be much missed by his many friends at the IIS.

There will be a memorial service for Major Peter Willey in the autumn at Wellington College.

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=110397

Providing free screening for medical diseases

Coastweek — The Aga Khan Hospital Mombasa in conjunction with the Old Town Health Committee recently held a highly successful Medical Camp for the residents of Old Town at the Kaderbhuoy Clinic on Makadara Grounds.

Coastweek -- A resident of old town Fatma Arefune, undergoing tests at the free health camp sponsored and conducted by the Aga Khan Hospital, Mombasa.

The Hospital provided free screening for medical diseases.

The Aga Khan Hospital ’s consultants in Cardiology (heart), Nephrology (kidneys), Paediatrics (children) as well as General Medicine were able to screen over 400 patients.

Laboratory tests and drugs were provided free to all the patients by the Aga Khan Hospital , Mombasa .

Other activities offered in the Medical Camp included talks on appropriate nutrition and on Breast Cancer Awareness.

Among the many conditions seen included High Blood pressure, Diabetes and Anaemia.

The Aga Khan Hospital Mombasa would like to express its gratitude to the Old Town Health Committee for the opportunity to serve, all the Volunteers for all their assistance during the Camp and Radio Salaam for their live coverage of the event.

As part of the Aga Khan Hospital ’s culture and social responsibility, this is one of the many activities where the Hospital gives back to the community by supporting and participating in various camps.

http://www.coastweek.com/3226-17.htm

The work for the reconstruction of one of the two giant Buddhas, destroyed in Taliban regime, has begun in Afghanistan’s central Bamiyan province, Director of Cultural Department of the province Najibullah Ahrar said on Thursday.

“After about one year’s feasibility studies, the work for the restructuring of smaller Buddha formally commenced with the support of Agha Khan Foundation on Tuesday,” he told Xinhua.

Ahrar added that a German company was carrying out the reconstruction process.

Taliban fanatic militants had dynamited the world’s cultural heritage, the 53-metre and 35-metre giant Buddhas, in March 2001. Rebuilding both the statues requires $100 million.

http://www.thehindu.com/2009/06/26/stories/2009062651030900.htm

Women thought leaders discuss Canada’s role in the world

June 24, 2009 by reillyreads

It’s rare that you get a group of women together to discuss Canadian foreign policy – so that’s what Canada’s World has decided to do. We’ve invited women thought leaders from many different arenas in Vancouver to a three-hour dialogue on our vision for the future of Canada’s role in the world. We’ll be asking them – what is Canada currently doing to lead by example in the world? What could it be doing? How do we bridge that gap?

We start by asking participants about their hopes and concerns for Canada’s role in the world.

Several participants say they’re concerned about the gap between the myth and reality of Canada’s role in the world, particularly when it comes to the environment.

-snip-

One participant shares her concern that we focus too much on the negative – this is damaging. Another concern is that dialogues are very uplifting but lead to reports that sit on shelves.

Many hopes relate to civil society – that organizations like the Aga Khan development network are creating exemplary models.

Read at source: http://canadasworld.wordpress.com/2009/06/24/women-thought-leaders-discuss-canadas-role-in-the-world-part-1/

Birla Sun Life Insurance (BSLI) announced the renewal of its bancassurance partnership with Development Credit Bank (DCB), today. This strong partnership, which has been in existence for a period of 6 years will be extended for an additional duration of 3 years by both parties.

-snip-

DCB has deep roots in India since its inception in 1930. Its promoter the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) holds over 26% stake. AKFED is an international development agency dedicated to promoting entrepreneurship and building economically sound enterprises in the developing world. It had co-promoted HDFC in India in the late seventies. AKFED operates as a network of affiliates comprising 90 separate project companies. Employing over 30,000 people, it reported annual revenues in excess of US$1.5 billion. The Fund is active in 16 countries in the developing world. For more details please visit www.dcbl.com & http://www.akdn.org/akfed

Read at source: http://www.webnewswire.com/node/459795

World Bulletin / News Desk |Thursday, 25 June 2009

Madrid is currently hosting the exhibition “The Islamic Worlds in the Aga Khan Museum Collection” which shows some of the greatest treasures of Islamic art, from ancient al-Andalus to India.

The exhibition, available until September 6, 2009, will travel several other cities such as Barcelona, Onculture.eu said.

The art, the history, the traditions and the geographies of the Islamic world from the Far East to the Iberian Peninsula are the subjects of the exhibition The Worlds of Islam in the Aga Khan Museum Collection.

The event is organised by “la Caixa” Social and Cultural Outreach Projects in cooperation with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture –the cultural arm of the Aga Khan Development Network and hosted at the CaixaForum Madrid.

Aga Khan shows 190 art objects spanning 1400 years of history and summarizing, in wood, stone, gold, bronze, ivory, glass, ceramic, fabric, parchment and paper, the finest artistic accomplishments of a world that stretched from ancient al-Andalus to India, Artdaily.org said.

-snip-

The exhibits are divided into three large sections. The central section is devoted to The Qur’anic Faith while the other two guide viewers through various Islamic courts using as a metaphor a journey in two stages –From Cordoba to Damascus and From Baghdad to Delhi.

Complete with pictures at source: http://www.worldbulletin.net/news_detail.php?id=43890

Undersea Cable Delayed By Piracy Off E Coast Of Africa-Seacom

JOHANNESBURG -(Dow Jones)- A rise in piracy off the east coast of Africa has delayed by almost a month the launch of an undersea fiber optic cable that will link parts of the continent with Europe and India, Seacom said Wednesday.

The telecommunications link is now set to go into service July 23 rather than June 27 after an increase in the intensity and geographic coverage of pirates, the largely African-owned company said.

Seacom said the planned route required the ship laying the cable to enter an area where other ships had been attacked or seized. The cable has since been completed and splicing to connect a section of cable from Mumbai to Africa is expected shortly, it said.

Testing of the larger cable system will be finalized shortly thereafter.

A section of cable running from Mtunzini, South Africa, to Mombasa, Kenya, has already undergone successful testing, Seacom said.

When completed, the cable will provide broadband linking South Africa, Mozambique, Madagascar, Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia.

Privately-funded Seacom is 26.25% owned by an arm of Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development, 25% by Venfin Ltd., 12.5% by Convergence Partners and 12.5% by Shanduka Group. The remaining stake is held by Herakles Telecom LLC.

http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/stock-market-news-story.aspx?storyid=200906240826dowjonesdjonline000468&title=undersea-cable-delayed-by-piracy-off-e-coast-of-africa-seacom

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/feedarticle/8574310

Muslim trust restores Jewish sites in Afghanistan
Posted by: Tom Heneghan | June 24th, 2009

Amid the glum news from Afghanistan, Golnar Motevalli of our Kabul bureau has sent this from Herat:

Behind a parade of old mud brick shops, through narrow winding alleys, a tiny door opens onto a sundrenched courtyard, where school children giggle and play alongside the ghosts of Afghanistan’s Jewish past.

The Yu Aw is one of four synagogues in the old quarter of Herat city in west Afghanistan, which after decades of abandonment and neglect, has been restored to provide desperately-needed space for an infant school.”

(Photo: Afghan children study in Yu Aw synagogue in Herat, 8 June 2009/Mohammad Shoiab)

The restoration work has been done by the Agha Khan Trust for Culture. The city’s three other former synagogues are also being restored. Read the feature here.

Read at source: http://blogs.reuters.com/archive/tag/agha-khan/

View slideshow at: http://uk.reuters.com/news/pictures/articleslideshow?articleId=UKTRE55N01P20090624&channelName=lifestyleMolt#a=1

New Afghan Team, New Afghan Tasks

Excerpts:
-
For the past three years, there have been a many civilian personalities deeply intertwined with Canada’s mission in Afghanistan. Chief among them was David Mulroney, formerly Canada’s top bureaucrat on the file, and Canada’s next ambassador to China.
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Other up-and-comers also soon joined the file, including former ambassador to Afghanistan Arif Lalani and his successor current ambassador Ron Hoffman.
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Mr. Lalani will take over the influential post of director general for policy planning at Fort Pearson.

Read at source: http://www.embassymag.ca/page/view/new_afghan-6-24-2009

‘Fort Pearson’ refers to the Lester B. Pearson building. It is home to the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (next door to the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat). Additional information available in article A look inside the enigmatic ‘Fort Pearson’ by Maria Cook, Ottawa Citizen.

LAHORE – The Lahore Fort management is recruiting 40 new security guards besides installing security cameras at sensitive points in view of prevailing law and order situation in the country.

Archaeology department’s Director General Dr Syed Parvaiz Abbas on Tuesday said that department was establishing foolproof security system and taking radical steps for renovating the Lahore Fort and Shalimar Garden keeping in mind the original splendour and beauty of the monuments.

-snip-

DG said the archaeology department was waiting for its budget to be approved and disbursed. “We have planned a number of projects to improve the beauty of the great historical monument and Agha Khan Foundation is also providing technical assistance in various renovation-projects,” he added.

Read at source: http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Regional/Lahore/24-Jun-2009/40-more-guards-to-guard-Lahore-Fort

An Iranian evening with Rodaki and Iqbal

June 24, 2009 | By our correspondent | Karachi

The work of Persian poet Abu Abdullah Jafar Bin Muhammad Rodaki was commemorated and celebrated on Tuesday evening at the National Museum. Rodaki was one of the pioneers during the transformation of Persian literature after the advent of Islam in Iran in 7th century AD.

Termed the “Adam of Poetry” by biographers and historians, Rodaki helped form the modern Persian script and took the liberty to become one of the first Muslim Persian poets. His poetry carried the symbolic element of using the same sounding words in each of his melodic stanzas. His title as the “Bawa Adam” gain credence when he wrote more than 1.3 million verses.

His poetry was much appreciated by the kings of the time. The Samani King, Nasir bin Ahmed, took him into his court and showered him with immense wealth.

However, the Abassid Caliph was unhappy with the sudden spread of the Ismaili faith and in the prosecution of Ismailis, Rodaki was tortured and blinded due to his strong affinity towards the Fatmid and the glorification of the Imams. The exact cause of his blindness is, however, disputed, whether he was congenitally blind or lost his eyesight later in life.

The programme was in a sense a congregation, a recital of Rodaki and Iqbal, highlighting the similarities in the works of these two poets. Both used the teachings of the Prophet (SAW) as points of wisdom within their poetry.

Read at source:  http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=184663

Meadowridge student fights world poverty
June 23, 2009

Zameer Devraj of Meadowridge School was the top ambassador in the recent World Partnership Walk.

Devraj, a Grade 6 student, raised $43,025 for the walk on May 31. His team, HOPE, placed among the top 5 for the event.

The World Partnership Walk is Canada’s largest annual event dedicated to increasing awareness and raising funds to fight global poverty.

Now in its 25th year, the walk is organized by volunteers in nine cities across the country and attracts tens of thousands of Canadians united in a common effort to bring hope and renewal to some of the poorest communities in the world.

Last year nearly 40,000 participants came together across Canada to raise $5.5 million in support of international development.

Top 5

Top fundraising ambassadors in Canada:

• Zameer Devraj (VAN) – $43,025;
• Musa Suleman (TOR) – $42,628;
• Zabeen Hirji (TOR) – $28,975;
• Parin Ladhani (EDM) – $26,110;
• Nargis Rajan (EDM) – $23,500.00.

http://www.bclocalnews.com/tri_city_maple_ridge/mapleridgenews/news/48921437.html

Stunning exhibition from Aga Khan Museum Collection in Madrid

Fourteen centuries of a breathtaking history that extends from the Iberian Peninsula to the Far East unfold in Madrid these days, thanks to the stunning exhibition hosted at the CaixaForum Madrid, at the Paseo del Prado. This amazing exhibition that was inaugurated June 4 by the King and Queen of Spain, is jointly organized by the “la Caixa” Social and Cultural Outreach Projects in cooperation with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture –the cultural arm of the Aga Khan Development Network.

http://www.onculture.eu/story.aspx?s_id=897&z_id=25
All related posts at Ismailimail

Canada grants Honorary Citizenship to His Highness the Aga Khan

• Canada grants His Highness the Aga Khan Honorary Citizenship
• Statement by The Prime Minister Of CANADA
• Statement and vote in parliament to bestow “honorary Canadian citizen” on His Highness the Aga Khan

His Highness the Aga Khan receives Honorary Doctors of Divinity from Cambridge University

• Video: University of Cambridge Honorary Degrees 2009
• Cambridge celebrating strong links with Central Asia
• Dedicated Ismailimail Page for all news, photographs and video

His Highness the Aga Khan receives Honorary Doctors of Law from University of Alberta

• Interview with His Highness the Aga Khan by Keith Gerein
• Article By His Highness the Aga Khan
• Dedicated Ismailimail Page for all news, photographs and video

Ismaili Muslims in the news

• RIM lawyer – Karima Bawa
• Volunteer Syed Nazir Khan
• Shelina Ishani – Children’s Book Author
• Aly-Khan Rajani – Awards Winner
• Adil Adatia – National Award Winner
• Azmina Govindji, leading Dietitian and TV Presenter

World Partnership Walk 2009

• Partnership Walk & Run 2009 in London

Institutional/Community News and updates

• Documentary on Calgary Stampede and the Ismaili Community
• Golden Jubilee Gardens
• 13th Annual Stampede Breakfast in Calgary
• The Aga Khan is building a futuristic spiritual centre and a museum
• Investigators at AKU target gender studies
• The OSCEP Assembly on AKDN in Tajikistan
• Play for Working Group for Women at AKU
• Leaders urged to help eradicate TB from Northern Areas
• Northern Areas move towards self-reliance
• FOCUS Receives Award
• TheIsmaili.org has a new look
• Launch of The Ikhwan al Safa and their Rasa’il
• Azim Nanji delivers speech at the AKA Mombasa Graduation
• New Heart procedure carried out at the AKU, Nairobi
• Calgary South Jamatkhana Addition & Renovations
• The AKA move ahead with curriculum development
• AKHB launches Nutrition Center

Miscellaneous

• Contemporary Art in the Middle East
• “Animal Voyage” by Prince Hussain
• Ismaili Jamatkhana and Centre, Vancouver | Flickr
• Kampala Jamatkhana | Flickr
• Read Ismailimail in Persian and Ismailimail Timeline

All previously archived sumaries are available here.

Houston, Texas, June 15, 2009. Today at the Sweetwater Country Club in Sugar Land, 154 golfers took a swing at ending global poverty in the annual Partnership Golf Tournament. Partnership Golf is an initiative of Aga Khan Foundation U.S.A. (AKF USA) to raise awareness and funds that reduce hunger, disease, illiteracy and poverty in Africa and Asia. Approximately $220,000 was raised at today’s charity event.

Golfers are treated to a nice massage on the course to relax as the heat in Houston gets up to 100 degrees.

A helicopter is lowered as participants watch to see if their ball goes in the hole, for a chance to win a dirt bike. Mohammad Virani was the lucky winner with First Insurance Company.

Golfers practice on the range prior to going out with 150 plus other golfers to raise awareness of Global Poverty.

Chairman, Naushad Kermally, gives the Welcome address and announces that the day long event raised over $220,000.00 which is $90,000.00 more than last year.

Aga Khan Foundation Press Release

Because of its length, the interview was published in four parts. Part I of the Interview was featured earlier at Ismailimail, and below are links to the remaining three parts.

Part II: Voices: Babul on the Bootes Void, Galaxies, Benefits of Studying Science, Creation, God and Intellect. Published, Wednesday, June 10th, 2009.

Part III: Voices: Babul on Science Funding, Muslim Scientists, Intelligent Design and Neurosciences. Published, Tuesday, June 16th, 2009

Part IV: Voices: Babul Talks about Identity, Aspirations for the Family and the Jamat, “An Ismaili Academy”, Family Pursuits, Frontierless Brotherhood, and Allah’s Blessing. Published, Sunday, June 21st, 2009

At Simerg.com

Dr. Arif Babul featured earlier at Ismailimail

Calgary Muslims help fight domestic violence

Calgary Herald | June 16, 2009

CALGARY – The city’s Ismaili muslim community has formed a partnership with the Calgary women’s emergency shelter to help raise awareness about domestic violence.

“We just wanted to be sure we are as culturally astute as we should be,” said the shelter’s executive director, lisa Falkowsky. “so we’ve been looking for opportunities to try and learn more and to partner with organizations that will give us access to their members and their community.”

Karam-ali talakshi, a volunteer with the Ismaili muslim community, said they partner with a different agency every year to raise awareness about its cause among its members and the community.

In the past year, the shelter has also been working closely with the Chinese and Jewish communities to better understand their needs.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Calgary+Muslims+help+fight+domestic+violence/1699446/story.html

To some, they are derisively called “click clacks” for the sound of their heels as they strut across the marble floors of the Parliament Buildings, always a pace or two behind their ministers. BlackBerries in hand, they are rarely without files balanced on their hips or briefcases slung from their shoulders.

On television, they can be seen in the background of media scrums, holding digital audio recorders to capture their bosses’ words. As in governments before them, the visible face of ministerial staff under the Conservatives is overwhelmingly youthful.

-snip-

The “Millennial” generation serves as press secretaries and communication directors. Citizenship Minister Jason Kenney’s director of communications, Alykhan Velshi, is 25. Ryan Sparrow, the Conservative Party’s chief spokesman, is 27. Mike White, a media officer in the Prime Minister’s Office, is 29. Dozens of others who play important roles in ministerial offices are in their 20s or early 30s.

-snip-

While ministerial staffers may seem young, Buckler says they often have experience beyond their years. Many of the youngsters who get hired have been active in party politics. Some have volunteered on election campaigns or run party chapters on university campuses. Others come with impressive academic credentials. Kenney’s aide, Velshi, for instance, accumulated a law degree from the London School of Economics and gigs with U.S. conservative think-tanks before arriving on the Hill.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/todays-paper/Kids+Hill/1716210/story.html

Azmina Govindji is a qualified nutrition professional, having graduated with an honours degree in Nutrition and obtained her postgraduate Diploma in Dietetics, both from Kings College, University of London.

She is fully registered with the British Dietetic Association and the Health Professions Council.

Her current national projects include writing for the Food Standards Agency eatwell website, coordinating a salt and saturated fat project with the British Heart Foundation and helping to implement the Change for Life Campaign for the Department of Health. Recent TV appearances include BBC 1’s The One Show, Channel 5’s The Wright Stuff and BBC1’s Watchdog.

She previously worked as a therapeutic dietitian in a number of London-based hospitals where she obtained wide-ranging experience in many aspects of nutrition and health.

Azmina took on the significant role as Chief Dietitian to Diabetes UK for 8 years, between 1987and 1995, where she acted as National Consultant on diet and diabetes for health professionals, food manufacturers, the media and the general public.

Azmina is author of over a dozen books and various articles. For further information, please visit her website.

Azmina Govindji RD, is the Resident Dietitian to the online Nutrition Centre recently launched at TheIsmaili.org by the Aga Khan Health Board for the United Kingdom

His Highness The Aga Khan

Hon. Jay Hill (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC):

Madam Speaker, I have the distinct pleasure and privilege of rising to present the following motion. There have been consultations between all parties. I hope you will find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move:

THAT, Whereas His Highness the Aga Khan, leader of the worldwide Ismaili Muslim Community, is a beacon of humanitarianism, pluralism and tolerance throughout the world;

Whereas in addition to the spiritual leadership he provides to the worldwide Ismaili community, the Aga Khan is also actively involved in humanitarian and development projects throughout Asia and Africa;

Whereas Canadians are grateful for the Aga Khan’s efforts in Afghanistan where today The Aga Khan Development Network is a vital partner in our efforts to secure and improve the lives of Afghan citizens;

Whereas Canada is proud to have partnered with the Aga Khan to build the Global Centre for Pluralism in Ottawa which will promote ethnic, cultural and religious tolerance in Canada and worldwide;

Whereas Canada has previously acknowledged the contributions of other leading champions of human dignity, by granting them honorary Canadian citizenship;

Therefore, this House resolves to bestow the title “honorary Canadian citizen” on His Highness the Aga Khan.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Denise Savoie):

Does the hon. government House leader have the unanimous consent of the House to move the motion?

Some hon. members: Agreed.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Denise Savoie): The House has heard the terms of the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

Some hon. members: Agreed.

(Motion agreed to)

http://www2.parl.gc.ca

The Ismaili Muslim Community cordially invites you to celebrate the Calgary Stampede at our 13th Annual Stampede Breakfast Saturday July 4, 2009 7:30 – 11:00 a.m. at the Calgary Ismaili Jamatkhana and Centre.

Details here (opens PDF).

A Golden Jubilee Initiative
Ismaili Muslim Community of Calgary

Yvonne Fritz, Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs for the Government of Alberta, Ismaili Council for the Prairies President Nashir Samanani, and Habitat for Humanity Calgary President & CEO, Andrew MacLachlan, unveil the entrance slate and the name of the development, Golden Jubilee Gardens, as chosen by the Jamat.

Yvonne Fritz and Nashir Samanani accept Habitat for Humanity hard hats from Andrew MacLachlan on behalf of the Government of Alberta and the Ismaili Muslim Community. The etched slate reading Golden Jubilee Gardens is in the background.

Earlier related: Ismaili Muslim Community of Calgary sponsored new homes for Habitat for Humanity

The vision of the Aga Khan Academies includes an emphasis on five specific curricular strands to be woven through the IB curriculum. These areas, designated as ‘AK curricular strands’, are pluralism, ethics, governance and civil society, economics in a global context and cultures – including Muslim civilisations. They are meant to help young people clarify concepts, gain knowledge and develop values that are consistent with the Academies’ educational mission.

More at Aga Khan Schools News Archives.

Major Renovation of existing Calgary South Jamatkhana project including removal of mezzanine floor and revised layouts of Prayer Hall, Aute-Room, Coat Rooms, Washrooms, Multi Purpose Room, Mother’s Room, Library, Servery, Storage Rooms and addition of Foyer area. Work also included changing the building exterior finishes to stucco and substantial mechanical and electrical upgrades to the system.

http://www.learnaboutsysadmin.net/node/39