Ismaili.NET - Heritage F.I.E.L.D.

By a quirk of nature, although I was born right-handed, I had the good fortune to come into this world left-footed. Soccer players who could kick with their left foot were very rare in the United States in those days. This meant that I was able to make the Freshman Soccer team as the left wing. We were a distinguished group; we turned in an undefeated season,

The School of Nursing was the first academic programme offered by the Aga Khan University for a combination of reasons, some universal in nature, and others particular to countries like Pakistan. It is generally accepted that high quality health care, both in institutional as well as community settings, cannot be provided effectively without capable nurses to support physicians and other health professionals

When they can be creative, people are far and away the Third World's largest resource. Obviously individuals cannot realise their potential unless governments provide an environment which enables them to do so.

I think that in the Islamic world today, those who live within it and those who care about it, Muslims or otherwise, must be careful not to seek to live within the terminology of the absolute. Muslims do not believe in the absolute other than in God Himself.

You have talked, Your Excellency, about the crisis of the human spirit and the difficulties of reconciling the old ethical consciousness with the competitive and the aggressive approach which many of us have today.......In fact, I believe that with human mind we can go only so far and that thereafter we must leave the rest to time and the blessings of the Almighty.

I cannot say that I would ever approve of our losing our true identity and I think that one of the greatest ways to avoid this danger is to see that our children are equipped with the most advanced intellectual weapons possible but that they should receive this equipment in their own homes against the background of their own society, their own traditions and their own beliefs

However, it is no more than a platitude to say that spending money on education is an investment. I cannot see how my community nor the country as a whole, can make the kind of progress we desire so much unless we have an ever increasing output of qualified manpower

It is very easy to talk about bold and grand schemes, it is a different thing to see these schemes come to life.
I would like to take this occasion, therefore, to congratulate the Youth Services for the really wonderful job that they have done

Never in the history of Mankind has the speed of change been so great. Until some years ago, only the philosophers and astronomers had thought of the other worlds. All our children will have to think of them, for our boys and girls will certainly have the occasion to visit them.

The last few years have brought a distressing polarisation between the industrialised nations and the Third World, between economic and political philosophies and within faiths. Such polarisation divides the rich nations from the poor, divides socialism from free enterprise, divides religious beliefs including my own faith

Well, the principal responsibilities of the Aga Khan are of course duties as the Imam of the Ismaili community. These duties are duties involved with religion and propagation of the principles. These are certainly directly connected with the Imam. But at the same time over history, over a period of years, my grandfather and his ancestors took upon themselves to help the community in the secular fields of life

A fundamental premise of the AKDN is that development is a multifaceted process that must be approached from multiple perspectives and requires long-term engagement. The structure and approach of the Network is a response to this understanding of development. It is comprised of a number of agencies with specific mandates and expertise

Asked whether he was also of the view that Arabic should be the national language of Pakistan as the late Aga Khan had suggested once, the young Prince Karim said that every Muslim must know Arabic, but also every country must preserve its national heritage and as such it was not advisable to adopt, without preparation, any new language, as a national language

Remember that education does not stop at the school room; it continues through the newspapers, the radio, films and particularly television. One teacher can reach hundreds of thousands of children at the same time through the television set

The planet becomes more crowded and its resources less abundant. The gap widens between rich and poor. People everywhere cry out against these evils. But change, when it comes at all, is painfully slow, and we sometimes seem to be sliding backward.

Democracy and progress do not always go hand in hand—and the growing threat of “Failed States” can often be described as “the Failure of Democracy.Frequently, democratic failures grow out of sheer incompetence

The goal is clear: the aim is to create or strengthen civil society in developing countries. This single goal, when it is achieved, is in fact necessary and sufficient to ensure peaceful and stable development over the long term, even when governance is problematic

... civil society cannot emerge solely by starting businesses or solely by building hospitals, schools and universities or cultural facilities....they must be designed in such a way as to have measurable benefits for the local population, the general target being the very poor, and among them, rural communities.

Nursing, primarily a women's profession in Pakistan, empowers women and improves their status in their communities. It provides positive role models for other women, strengthens their decision-making and problem-solving capabilities in the eyes of others, and promotes their personal, professional, and financial autonomy.

I see today that there is a very large number of young boys and young girls here. To them I would simply say, 'do not waste your time. Once you have reached a certain age it will no longer be possible for you to return to your scholastic studies and remember that the tradition of your schools depends, to a large extent, on the work and approach which you have to your education.