While many of the AKDN’s park and garden projects have been part of development efforts in Asia and Africa, several garden projects have also been built in North America and Europe with a purpose to educate Western societies about Muslim cultures and values. His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV spoke about the inspiring power of Islamic gardens in this speech at the opening of the Aga Khan Garden in Edmonton, Canada on 16 October 2018. Click here to read the speech.
The North-South Prize is awarded each year to two candidates who promote solidarity between the North and South, and have distinguished themselves in the protection of human rights, defence of pluralist democracy, and raising public awareness on issues of global interdependence and solidarity. His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV discussed the importance of pluralism and hope in this speech at the North-South Prize Ceremony on 12 June 2014 in Lisbon, Portugal. Click here to read the speech.
Tourism is one way to help spark investment in developing societies. His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV spoke about the role that luxury hotels, tourism, and for-profit ventures play in the development work of the AKDN in this speech at the opening of the Serena Hotel in Kampala, Uganda on 10 November 2006. Click here to read the speech.
In order for developing countries to be transformed into peaceful and productive modern societies, certain components need to be in place. His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV discussed the preconditions for uplifting developing societies, including democracy, pluralism, and civil society, in this speech to the annual Conference of German Ambassadors on 6 September 2004 in Berlin, Germany. Click here to read the speech.
The development of the Internet has caused massive changes in global communications and the proliferation of knowledge, particularly since its rapid rise in the 1990s. His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV discussed the AKDN’s pioneering uses of information technologies to enhance their development work in the areas of culture, health care, and education in this speech at the World Bank InfoDev Conference on 10 November 1999 in Washington, D.C., USA. Click here to read the speech.
Mountain societies face several unique development challenges, including many countries in Central Asia where the AKDN is active. His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV discussed the problems and potentials of mountain communities in this speech at the Global Mountain Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic on 31 October 2002. Click here to read the speech.
The 1990s were a time of dynamic change in the world. The collapse of the Soviet Union brought about the end of the Cold War, the creation of many newly independent states, and the rapid increase in encounters between cultures. His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV addressed these cultural encounters, particularly between the Muslim world and Western societies, in this speech at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on 27 May 1994 in Cambridge, USA. Click here to read the speech.
Over several decades, the Ismaili Imamat developed a close relationship with the government of Portugal, which culminated in an agreement in 2015 to establish a Seat of the Ismaili Imamat there. The Aga Khan spoke about this relationship and the significance of the Seat in this speech to the Portuguese Parliament on 10 July 2018 in Lisbon, Portugal. Click here to read the speech.
Charitable giving is closely linked with religions, and can take on many forms, including gifts of time, talent, and funds. His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV discussed Islam’s traditions of giving in this speech at the Conference of Indigenous Philanthropy on 17 October 2000 in Islamabad, Pakistan. Click here to read the speech.
In 2006, a Danish newspaper sparked a global controversy by publishing a series of offensive drawings of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him and his progeny. Protests and violence erupted around the world, amidst a vigorous debate about freedom and responsibility. His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV spoke about the need for more pluralistic societies in the following excerpts of this speech at the University of Evora in Portugal on 12 February 2006. Click here to read the speech.
To address the unique challenges faced by people living in mountain societies, particularly in Central Asia in the post-Cold War period, His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV worked with the governments of the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan to establish the University of Central Asia, or UCA. He spoke about the vision for the university in this speech at the inauguration of the first UCA campus in Naryn, Kyrgyz Republic on 19 October 2016. Click here to read the speech.
Global citizenship refers to the idea that all people are connected not just with one country but with a broader global community, and requires a steadfast commitment to the ideals of belonging and inclusion. His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV discussed the importance of global citizenship in the face of growing challenges to pluralism in this speech, made upon receiving the inaugural Adrienne Clarkson Prize for Global Citizenship in Toronto, Canada on 21 September 2016. Please note that although the majority of this speech is in English, it does contain a short section in French. A translation is available in the podcast’s transcript and on the Aga Khan Development Network website. Click here to read the speech.
In Islamic belief, humans are entrusted with the responsibility to care for our worldly environment. In order to combat the threat of climate change, greater focus needs to be placed on finding renewable energy sources. His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV addressed the relationship between environmental goals and development goals in this speech at the foundation ceremony of the Bujagali hydropower project in Jinja, Uganda on 21 August 2007. Click here to read the speech.
The Madrasa Early Childhood Programme is a partnership between the Aga Khan Foundation and local Muslim organisations, through which over 200 preschools have been established in communities in East Africa. His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV discussed the importance of early childhood development, a period in which the human brain develops most quickly, in this speech at the 25th anniversary of the Madrasa programme, made in Mombasa, Kenya on 14 August 2007. Click here to read the speech.
In previous episodes, we have heard His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV speak about the role of education in strengthening developing societies. He had also discussed the important role that universities and other educational institutions can play in areas relevant to the field of international development, such as government, civil society, ethical literacy, and pluralism. He addressed these issues in this speech at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada on 9 June 2009. Click here to read the speech.
High quality education is a critical way to promote the long-term development of societies by nurturing the growth of future leaders. His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV spoke about the vision of the Aga Khan Academies in this speech at the foundation ceremony of the Aga Khan Academy in Dhaka, Bangladesh on 20 May 2008. Click here to read the speech.
The Muslim world has rich and diverse architectural traditions stretching back centuries. However, in the modern age, these traditions were being lost and were in need of being revitalised. His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV was awarded the National Building Museum’s Vincent Scully Prize in 2005 and participated in a seminar where he made this speech on 26 January 2005 in Washington, DC. Click here to read the speech.
For several decades, Western countries have promoted democratic governance in many parts of the world, including Muslim societies. However, many democracies have struggled in recent years. His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV outlined his views on how to strengthen democracy in this speech at the International New York Times Athens Democracy Forum, held on 15 September 2015 in Athens, Greece. Click here to read the speech.
Despite significant progress in maternal, newborn, and child health globally, many preventable maternal deaths still occur in developing countries, where many women are not attended to by a trained midwife, nurse or doctor during childbirth. His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV addressed this topic and AKDN’s related initiatives in this speech at the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Summit held in Toronto, Canada on 29 May 2014. Click here to read the speech.
The Aga Khan Trust for Culture has invested in cultural heritage projects in various countries, including revitalising Islamic monuments and gardens. This includes a series of interconnected heritage projects in New Delhi, India, which His Highness the Aga Khan discussed in this speech at the inauguration of the Sunder Nursery, held on 21 February 2018. Click here to read the speech.