Upcoming Live Webinar: ‘Introduction to the NanoWisdoms Archive of Imamat speeches, interviews and writings’

The next NanoWisdoms Archive webinar “Introduction to the NanoWisdoms Archive of Imamat speeches, interviews and writings” will be held next Tuesday, on May 29th (details below), and will be hosted by the Archive’s founder and editor, Mohib Ebrahim (Amaana.org’s recent interview with him can be found at the link below). The 60 minute presentation will cover the Archive’s history, its collection, tips on how to use it effectively, and more.

HOST:     The NanoWisdoms Archive’s founder and editor, Mohib Ebrahim.
WHEN:    Truesday, May 29th at 7:00am Pacific Time (10:00am East Coast, 3:00pm London, 7:00pm Karachi).
WHERE:  On-line. Click here to register and reserve your place. Space is limited.

Click here to register for the webinar.
Click here for Amaana.org’s extensive interview with Mohib Ebrahim, NanoWisdoms founder and editor.

Upcoming Live Webinar: ‘Introduction to the NanoWisdoms Archive of Imamat speeches, interviews and writings’

Following the very successful inaugural webinar last week, NanoWisdoms is pleased to announce it will be holding two additional webinars in May.

The 60 minute presentations will cover the Archive’s history, its collection, tips on how to use it effectively, the supplementary quote services and documents and also simple ways you can help increase awareness of the Archive in your jamat.

HOST:     The NanoWisdoms Archive’s founder and editor, Mohib Ebrahim.
WHEN:    Tuesday, May 15th/29th at 7:00am Pacific Time (10:00am East Coast, 3:00pm London, 7:00pm Karachi).
WHERE:  On-line. Click here to register and reserve your place. Space is limited.

Click here to visit the NanoWisdoms Archive

NanoWisdoms Thematic Chart #20: Extracts from His Highness the Aga Khan’s speeches about Women

NanoWisdoms’ thematic charts of excerpts from His Highness the Aga Khan’s speeches and interviews provide an easy-to-digest, one page synopsis of some of his key insights and advices, theme by theme. Their attractive format makes them ideal teaching aids, seminar handouts, general references or as informative posters on jamatkhana notice boards.

The theme for this instalment is “Women”. The chart emphasises that Islam’s ethics underscore the equality of women, highlights the efforts undertaken by AKDN to improve the status of women in society and notes that long standing cultural traditions make such changes sensitive issues.

Click here to download the chart from NanoWisdoms.org

Live Webinar – Introduction to the Archive of Imamat speeches, interviews and writings at NanoWisdoms

Update: This webinar is now over. Visit http://www.nanowisdoms.org for additional information.

Click above, or here to join the webinar: http://www.anymeeting.com/NanoWisdoms1

Amaana.org’s exclusive interview with the NanoWisdoms Archive’s founder and editor, Mohib Ebrahim

The NanoWisdoms Archive of Imamat speeches, interviews and writings is a unique website which last week celebrated its first anniversary and we at Amaana.org are privileged to interview the Archive’s founder and editor, Mohib Ebrahim, as part of those celebrations. His unique all-encompassing perspective is truly inspirational in helping us grasp how the Archive, and projects like it, fit in the “bigger picture.”

In this wide-ranging, engaging interview, Mohib offers his views and discusses:

• the genesis and development of the NanoWisdoms Archive,
• the special permission received from Aiglemont to publish His Highness the Aga Khan’s speeches,
• the Archive’s collection, various quote services and future plans,
• the spiritual facet of the Imamat’s public presentations,
• the positioning of the Archive, and other such private initiatives, within the community,
• the advantages of small, private, focused teams,
• overcoming the challenges of scarce institutional capacity,
• simple ways you can help increase awareness of the Archive amongst your jamat,

and much more.

Click here for Amaana.org’s interview with Mohib Ebrahim, NanoWisdoms’ founder and editor

NanoWisdoms Archive announces the first on-line reference of Imamat quotes

The NanoWisdoms Archive of Imamat speeches, interviews and writings is pleased to announce its Thematic Quote Browser, the first on-line reference of quotes by His Highness the Aga Khan, and earlier Ismaili Imams, organised by theme.

New quotes are continuously posted to the collection and broadcast via e-mail and Facebook. Quotes are also available in an attractive PDF format for posting on jamatkhana notice boards or for use as teaching aids, seminar handouts, discussion topics, general references, etc.

Click here to try the NanoWisdoms Thematic Quote Browser

WEBINAR REMINDER: The NanoWisdoms Archive will be holding a live webinar about the Archive on Monday, 30th April, 2012. Click here for details.

New on NanoWisdoms: His Highness the Aga Khan’s article ‘A Life in the Service of Development’ published in Politique Internationale (Paris, France)

In this essential article, His Highness the Aga Khan explains his “institutional responsibilities for interpreting the faith are accompanied by a strong engagement in issues relating to the quality of life, not only for the Ismaili community but also for those with whom they share their lives — locally, nationally and internationally.” This “principle of universality”, he notes, “is expressed uniquely in the Holy Qur’an…”

Explaining the activity of the Aga Khan Development Network “is rooted in the ethics of our faith,” and that “it serves all the populations we seek to support, without regard to gender, race or faith,” the Aga Khan summarises eight key conclusions for effective development ADKN has learned over the Aga Khan’s life ‘in the service of development’. These are:

• Predictability is a critical key for progress.
• Civil Society is the key to development.
• Better governance rooted in transparency, meritocracy and competence.
• New Democratic formulas, based on a cosmopolitan ethic, are needed for the developing world.
• Poverty alleviation is a multi-dimensional issue, not just an economic one.
• Cultural development are formidable tools for development.
• Regional collaboration must be encouraged and increased.
• Pluralism is vital to our existence.

Click to read the full article at NanoWisdoms:
‘A Life in the Service of Development’ published in Politique Internationale (Paris, France)

Upcoming Live Webinar: ‘Introduction to the NanoWisdoms Archive of Imamat speeches, interviews and writings’

As part of the NanoWisdoms Archive’s month long commemoration of its first anniversary we are very excited to announce a special live webinar presentation about the Archive.

The 60 minute presentation will cover the Archive’s history, its collection, tips on how to use it effectively, the Archive’s supplementary quote services and documents and also simple ways you can help support and increase awareness of the Archive in your jamat.

HOST:     The NanoWisdoms Archive’s founder and editor, Mohib Ebrahim.
WHEN:    Monday, April 30th at 8:00am Pacific Time (11:00am East Coast, 4:00pm London, 8:00pm Karachi).
WHERE:  On-line. Click here to register and reserve your place. Space is limited.

Click here to visit the NanoWisdoms Archive

New from NanoWisdoms: Two new word cloud analyses of His Highness the Aga Khan’s speeches and interviews made between 1957 and 2012

As part of the NanoWisdoms Archive’s month long commemoration of its first anniversary, we are pleased to announce two new word cloud analyses of His Highness the Aga Khan’s speeches and interviews made between 1957 and 2012. Word clouds visually represent characteristics of the speeches making it easy to “get the big picture” at a glance.

Wordcloud of themes identified in the Aga Khan’s speeches, interviews and writings

NanoWisdoms has identified some 60 themes which the Aga Khan has addressed in his speeches, interviews and writings. The more frequently he has addressed or touched on a them, the larger they appear. Click on the image to view at full size or download in PDF format.

Wordcloud of countries where the Aga Khan’s speeches and interviews have been made

Since becoming the Imam of the Ismaili Muslims, the Aga Khan has made some 500 speeches and 100 interviews, primarily in countries where the Aga Khan Development Network is active over the past 50 years. Countries where he has spoken more frequently appear larger.

NOTE: Some countries have only been open and accessible in the last two decades so have fewer events and appear smaller. Click on the image to view at full size or download in PDF format.

Click here to view or download all NanoWisdoms word clouds

NanoWisdoms launches month-long awareness campaign to commemorate its first anniversary

One year ago this month the NanoWisdoms Archive of Imamat speeches, interviews and writings was granted special permission by Aiglemont to publish His Highness the Aga Khan’s speeches. To commemorate its first anniversary, we are pleased to announce an exciting, month-long programme of events, new features, new content and more. To launch the celebrations we’re today publishing a new thematic chart, #19: Extracts from His Highness the Aga Khan’s speeches about Inspiration from Faith.

NanoWisdoms’ thematic charts of excerpts from His Highness the Aga Khan’s speeches and interviews provide an easy-to-digest, one page synopsis of some of his key insights and advices, theme by theme. Their attractive format makes them ideal teaching aids, seminar handouts, general references or as informative posters on jamatkhana notice boards.

The theme for this instalment is “Inspiration from Faith”. The chart explains how faith was the inspiration behind Islam’s greatest accomplishments a millennium ago, is the inspiration for the Imamat’s activities today and will necessarily be the source of Islam’s progress in the future.

Click here to download the chart from NanoWisdoms.org

His Highness the Aga Khan on Islam’s intellectual legacy and contribution to humanity

“Although [the Aga Khan University] is new, it will draw inspiration from the great traditions of Islamic civilisation and learning to which Your Excellency has referred. At the height of this civilisation, academies of higher learning reached from Spain to India, from North Africa to Afghanistan. One of the first and greatest research centres, the Bayt al-Hikmah established in Baghdad in 830, led Islam in translating philosophical and scientific works from Greek, Roman, Persian and Indian classics. By the art of translation, learning was assimilated from other civilisations. It was then advanced and furthered in new directions by scholarship in such institutions as the Dar-al-Ilm — the House of Science, which during the ninth and tenth centuries spread to many cities, through colleges like those of al-Azhar in Cairo, Qarawiyin at Fez in Morocco, Zaytuna in Tunis and the eminent Spanish centre of Cordoba, founded between 929 and 961.

via http://www.facebook.com/notes/nanowisdoms-archive.

His Highness the Aga Khan on his ‘mission on earth’

Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation: Your Highness, at the end of this conversation, if we want to summarise your entire mission on earth, how can you say it in two words? First, are you preaching your religion where you are? Or you do not have a precise goal concerning that religious mission?

Aga Khan: But of course!

Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation: You do preach it …

Aga Khan: Of course, I do. Not only in the Ismaili community but also with others. We have continuous discussions with various religions, other political, academic personalities, of course, because the fundamental problem is the problem of ethics in the modern society. And this problem of ethics in the modern society is a problem of the whole world. And that is where, I think, I wish, I will be able to contribute to the reflection of that question.

More at the source: http://www.facebook.com/notes/nanowisdoms-archive

NanoWisdoms Suggested Reading: His Highness the Aga Khan’s 1963 Presidential Address at the First Anniversary of Mindanao University (Manilla, Philippines)

Twice a month NanoWisdoms’ Suggested Readings series highlights an important selection from our Archive of Imamat speeches, interviews and writings. This week’s selection is His Highness the Aga Khan’s 1963 Presidential Address at the First Anniversary of Mindanao University, Manilla, Philippines.

In this seminal speech, the Aga Khan reflects on the critical role education played in sustaining the Caliphates during Islam’s golden age, contrasting the state of education in the Ummah then to today. He notes that “during the two Caliphates, the Muslim Universities were producing the best scholars, doctors, astronomers and philosophers. Today where are we? Have we institutions of learning which can compare with the Sorbonne, Harvard, Yale, Cambridge, Oxford, M.I.T.?” To remedy this deficiency, he urges that the Ummah leaves no stone unturned even if it means “we turn to institutions steeped in foreign cultures so long as it is for our own improvement and in the process we do not lose our own identity. Not so long ago, after all, these cultures were turning to us.”

Click here for this NanoWisdoms’ Suggested Reading:
His Highness the Aga Khan’s 1963 Presidential Address at the First Anniversary of Mindanao University (Manilla, Philippines)

NanoWisdoms Suggested Reading: His Highness the Aga Khan’s 1981 Opening Remarks to the Aga Khan Award for Architecture’s Sixth Seminar, ‘The Changing Rural Habitat’ (Beijing, People’s Republic Of China)

Twice a month NanoWisdoms’ Suggested Readings series highlights an important selection from our Archive of Imamat speeches, interviews and writings. This week’s selection is His Highness the Aga Khan’s 1981 Opening Remarks to the Aga Khan Award for Architecture’s Sixth Seminar, The Changing Rural Habitat held in Beijing, People’s Republic Of China.

Although made in 1981, this extensive speech on the plight of rural peoples and strategies for rural development is as relevant today as it was then. Noting that 80% of the non-industrialised world live in rural regions, the Aga Khan draws attention to the numerous challenges they face, such as poverty or lack of access to safe water. Although optimistic things “will change radically”, he cautions that those responsible for the built environment must be judicial in their use of technology “to ensure that [things] do not change for the worse” for, he observes, “if the events of the twentieth century thus far have taught us anything at all, they have taught us that technologies unguided by intelligence and compassionate understanding invariably create more problems — and more insoluble problems — than they remedy.”

The Aga Khan provides his insights and views on establishing sound, viable rural development programmes, noting in particular that “unless change takes account of rural life in all its aspects, unless it respects the past and the heritage of rural areas and peoples, unless it recognises the intricate ties between the physical and the social environment, it will fail to achieve planning and developing goals for each nation” and also “fail to stem the tide of people flooding into the cities.”

Click here for this NanoWisdoms’ Suggested Reading:
His Highness the Aga Khan’s 1981 Opening Remarks to the Aga Khan Award for Architecture’s Sixth Seminar, The Changing Rural Habitat (Beijing, People’s Republic Of China)

Word cloud of 150 most frequently mentioned concepts in His Highness the Aga Khan’s speeches, interviews and writings

via NanoWisdoms

http://www.nanowisdoms.org/nwblog/summary-documents/#wordlecloud

NanoWisdoms Suggested Reading: His Highness the Aga Khan’s preface to the book ‘Cairo, Revitalising a Historic Metropolis’ by Stefano Bianca and Philip Jodidio

Twice a month NanoWisdoms’ Suggested Readings series highlights an important selection from our Archive of Imamat speeches, interviews and writings. This week’s selection is His Highness the Aga Khan’s 1984 Preface to the book Cairo, Revitalising a Historic Metropolis by Stefano Bianca and Philip Jodidio

Noting that at “a time when our heritage, the anchor of our identity and source of inspiration, is being threatened with destruction by war and environmental degradation, by the inexorable demographic and economic pressures of exploding urban growth, or by simple neglect”, the Aga Khan asks: “Will we allow the wealth that is the past to be swept away, or will we assume our responsibility to defend what remains of the irreplaceable fabric of history?” Stressing that protecting our heritage is one of the most urgent priorities of our time, the Aga Khan explains the three “themes of concern” that underpin the work of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and how these not only motivated the development Azhar Park itself but also the revitalisation of the neighbouring Darb al-Ahmar district of Cairo.

Click here for this NanoWisdoms’ Suggested Reading:
His Highness the Aga Khan’s preface to the book ‘Cairo, Revitalising a Historic Metropolis’ by Stefano Bianca and Philip Jodidio

Excerpt: His Highness the Aga Khan on the Imamat

ITV: Your Highness, if a complete stranger who had no idea who you were or what you were, came up to you and said, “What you do for a living?” What would be your reply?

Aga Khan: I would say that my role is — I am the Imam — the hereditary Imam of the Shia Muslim community; the international Shia Muslim community.

ITV: And that your influence in the world is?

More http://www.facebook.com/notes/nanowisdoms-archive.

Excerpt: His Highness the Aga Khan on interpreting the Qur’an

Michael Charlton: But in this conflict between the orthodox, who say that the Qur’anic teaching, like Khomeini appears to be saying in Iran, are immutable and even if the majority wishes them to be changed — they can not be changed because the teaching itself is unchanging and must not be changed — in that context, between those who think like that and those who think that Islam can not survive unless it adapts, where do you stand yourself?

Aga Khan: I think the question is where you start from. Are you starting from the Qur’an? Are you starting from the Sharia? Are you starting from secular Christian law? Where are you starting from?

More http://www.facebook.com/notes/nanowisdoms-archive.

NanoWisdoms Suggested Reading: His Highness the Aga Khan’s 1984 address on receiving the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation Medal for Architecture at the University of Virginia (Charlottesville, USA)

Twice a month NanoWisdoms’ Suggested Readings series highlights an important selection from our Archive of Imamat speeches, interviews and writings. This week’s selection is His Highness the Aga Khan’s 1984 address, Islamic Architecture: Concerns and Directions, on receiving the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation Medal for Architecture at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, USA.

In this extensive speech, the Aga Khan discusses pressures Islamic architecture faces and suggests solutions. Topics he addresses include:”

• the historical and theological context of Islamic architecture,
• pre and post colonial Islamic civilisation,
• the contemporary situation,
• future stewardship and direction,
• the Aga Khan award for Architecture, and
• educating tomorrow’s architects.

Click here for this NanoWisdoms’ Suggested Reading:
His Highness the Aga Khan’s 1984 address on receiving the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation Medal for Architecture at the University of Virginia (Charlottesville, USA)

NanoWisdoms Suggested Reading: His Highness the Aga Khan’s 2004 Keynote Address to the Annual Conference of German Ambassadors (Berlin, Germany)

Twice a month NanoWisdoms’ Suggested Readings series highlights an important selection from our Archive of Imamat speeches, interviews and writings. This week’s selection is His Highness the Aga Khan’s 2004 Keynote Address to the Annual Conference of German Ambassadors in Berlin, Germany.

One of his seminal speeches on democracy, the Aga Khan notes that democracy is “susceptible to failure at any time, in any society” and elaborates on “three essential pre-conditions for the successful transition of the poorest areas of the world into modern, peaceful societies:”

• first, stable and competent democratic governance,
• second, an environment that respects and encourages pluralism, and
• third, a diverse and engaged civil society.

Click here for this NanoWisdoms’ Suggested Reading:
His Highness the Aga Khan’s 2004 Keynote Address to the Annual Conference of German Ambassadors (Berlin, Germany)

Amaana and NanoWisdoms presents: His Highness the Aga Khan on Reconciling Modernity and Tradition in Islam

Amaana and the NanoWisdoms Archive of Imamat speeches, interviews and writings are pleased to bring you selected quotes from His Highness the Aga Khan’s speeches and interviews about “Reconciling Modernity and Tradition in Islam”. The Aga Khan explains that Islam is compatible with the modern world and cautions against abandoning tradition in the face of modernity and also to not adhere uncritically to the past. As always, his speeches are filled with wisdom!

-Nina Jaffer, Editor and Publisher, www.amaana.org
-Mohib Ebrahim, Editor and Publisher, www.nanowisdoms.org

http://www.amaana.org/speeches/nano3.htm

NanoWisdoms Suggested Reading: His Highness the Aga Khan’s 2005 Address to the International Press Institute, 54th General Assembly (Nairobi, Kenya; republished in Israel, Jordan, Pakistan)

Twice a month NanoWisdoms’ Suggested Readings series highlight an important selection from our Archive of Imamat speeches, interviews and writings. This week’s selection is His Highness the Aga Khan’s 2005 Address to the International Press Institute, 54th General Assembly, in Nairobi Kenya. An adapted version of the speech was printed under the title Closing Africa’s journalism deficit in the Jerusalem Post, the Jordan Times and Pakistan’s Daily Times.

In this insightful speech, the Aga Khan discusses “the adequacy of journalistic knowledge in an increasingly complicated world” suggesting that “journalists must move beyond a primarily adversarial relationship with those they write about.” In particular, he notes that “if the dominating assumption of media is that the rest of society is up to no good, that the best journalism is what many call “gotcha” journalism, then the media will forfeit a more constructive and nobler role.” The Aga Khan then highlights challenges facing African journalism and suggests some solutions to these.

Click here for this NanoWisdoms’ Suggested Reading:
His Highness the Aga Khan’s 2005 Address to the International Press Institute, 54th General Assembly (Nairobi, Kenya; republished in Israel, Jordan, Pakistan)

NanoWisdoms Thematic Chart #18: Extracts from His Highness the Aga Khan’s speeches about Healthcare

NanoWisdoms’ thematic charts of excerpts from His Highness the Aga Khan’s speeches and interviews provide an easy-to-digest, one page synopsis of some of his key insights and advices, theme by theme. Their attractive format makes the charts ideal teaching aids, seminar handouts, general references or as informative posters on jamatkhana notice boards.

The theme for this instalment is “Healthcare”. The chart draws attention to healthcare principles often overlooked and highlights lessons learned from AKDN’s long term engagement in healthcare.

Click here to download the chart from NanoWisdoms.org

NanoWisdoms is now on FaceBook where you’ll find annoucements as well as extended quotes from the Aga Khan’s speeches, interviews and writings together with links to the full texts.
Click here for NanoWisdoms on FaceBook.

NanoWisdoms Suggested Reading: His Highness the Aga Khan’s 2009 University of Alberta Graduation Ceremony Address (Edmonton, Alberta)

Twice a month NanoWisdoms’ Suggested Readings series highlight an important selection from our Archive of Imamat speeches, interviews and writings. This week’s selection is His Highness the Aga Khan’s 2009 University of Alberta Graduation Ceremony Address.

In this candid speech, the Aga Khan discusses the challenge of international development and its relationship to education identifying “four areas of concern” universities can help address:

1. Governance and failure of democracy.
2. The role of civil society in the development.
3. Ethics and moral standards in the political and civil sectors.
4. The centrality of pluralism.

Observing that we “live today in what has been called the Knowledge Society”, the Aga Khan notes that we have “also become more vulnerable to gaps in that knowledge, to what we might describe as knowledge deficits. Each of the four themes I have outlined today points to a specific knowledge deficit, and each deficit constitutes a challenging obstacle to progress, justice and stability in many countries and for many decades.”

Click here for this NanoWisdoms’ Suggested Reading:
His Highness the Aga Khan’s 2009 University of Alberta Graduation Ceremony Address(Edmonton, Alberta)

NanoWisdoms Suggested Reading: His Highness the Aga Khan’s 2001 Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International Interview (Aleppo, Syria and Lebanon)

Twice a month NanoWisdoms’ Suggested Readings series highlight an important selection from our Archive of Imamat speeches, interviews and writings. This week’s selection is His Highness the Aga Khan’s 2001 interview with the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation.

In this wide ranging interview, made just 2 months after 911, the Aga Khan discusses:

• 911,
• the diversity of the Ummah,
• various facets of Islam’s values including polygamy and why “We are further than the polygamy today” in some parts of the world,
• his role as Imam,
• the structure and purpose of the Ismaili community’s institutions,
• and much, much more.

Particularly noteworthy was his emphatic characterisation of himself as a Muslim without any other identity prompting the question “How can a man live without [a country of origin]?”. The Aga Khan replied, “But on the contrary, I am freer! I am much freer!”

Click for this NanoWisdoms’ Suggested Reading:
His Highness the Aga Khan’s 2001 Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International Interview (Aleppo, Syria and Lebanon)